What do you do?

a devotion on Psalms 37

• “Do you do what you can do when you do not know what to do?”

• “Do you do what you can do when you do not know what to do?”

• “What do you do when you do not know what to do?”

Psalm 37

1 Do not fret because of evildoers,Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,And wither as the green herb.

Psalm 37

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37

5 Commit your way to the Lord,Trust also in Him,And He shall bring it to pass.6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,And your justice as the noonday.

Psalm 37

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;Do not fret—it only causes harm.

Psalm 37

9 For evildoers shall be cut off;But those who wait on the Lord,They shall inherit the earth.

What can we DO?

• DO Delight

• DO Trust and Commit

• DO Rest

• DO Wait

What can we DO?

• DO Delight

• DO Trust and Commit

• DO Rest

• DO Wait

• DO NOT be angry

Psalm 37

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;Do not fret—it only causes harm.

1 Do not fret because of evildoers,Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;Do not fret—it only causes harm.

David’s encounter with wickedness

During Saul’s reign

David’s encounter with wickedness

During Saul’s reign

1 Sam 22:18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.

David’s encounter with wickednessIn Absalom

2 Sam 15:4 Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5 And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

David’s encounter with wickednessIn his enemies

15 There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary.

David’s encounter with wickednessIn his enemies

15 There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary.

Our encounter with wickedness

• Personal

Our encounter with wickedness

• Personal

• National

Our encounter with wickedness

• Personal

• National

• Global

Psalms 37: 7 Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;

Word study on anger & wrath

Cease & Forsake

Cease & Forsake

Cease = relax, loosen

Forsake = leave behind, abandon, let go

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;

Anger is part of our design

Eph 4:26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.

Anger is part of our design

Eph 4:26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.

Hurt people, hurt people.

Anger is part of our design

Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

“The primary function of anger in life is to alert me to an obstruction to my will, and immediately raise alarm and resistance, before I even have time to think about it.”

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy

Anger has to do:

• Hurt

• Our “will” being crossed

How to deal with anger: Will

• Trust God’s timing

Psalms 37: 9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit

the land.10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;

though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.

11 But the meek shall inherit the landand delight themselves in abundant peace.

12 The wicked plots against the righteousand gnashes his teeth at him,

13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,for he sees that his day is coming.

Rom 3: 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

How to deal with anger: Hurt

Rom 3: 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

How to deal with anger: Hurt

God has forgive us of the hurt we inflicted Him through Jesus.

David was a hypocrite

Psalms 22: 16 My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;an evil gang closes in on me.They have pierced my hands and feet.

17 I can count all my bones.My enemies stare at me and gloat.

18 They divide my garments among themselvesand throw dice for my clothing.

19 O Lord, do not stay far away!You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!

20 Save me from the sword;spare my precious life from these dogs.

21 Snatch me from the lion’s jawsand from the horns of these wild oxen.

How do we deal with anger?

• Trust God’s timing

• Remember that we are forgiven

• Tell God about it

James 1:20 or the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

What do you do?

a devotion on Psalms 37