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1I said to myself, “I will watch what I do

and not sin in what I say.

I will hold my tongue

when the ungodly are around me.”

2But as I stood there in silence—

not even speaking of good things—

the turmoil within me grew worse.

3The more I thought about it,

the hotter I got,

igniting a fire of words:

4“LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.

Remind me that my days are numbered—

how fleeting my life is.

5You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.

My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;

at best, each of us is but a breath.”

Interlude

6We are merely moving shadows,

and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.

We heap up wealth,

not knowing who will spend it.

7And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?

My only hope is in you.

8Rescue me from my rebellion.

Do not let fools mock me.

9I am silent before you; I won’t say a word,

for my punishment is from you.

10But please stop striking me!

I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.

11When you discipline us for our sins,

you consume like a moth what is precious to us.

Each of us is but a breath.

Interlude

12Hear my prayer, O LORD!

Listen to my cries for help!

Don’t ignore my tears.

For I am your guest—

a traveler passing through,

as my ancestors were before me.

13Leave me alone so I can smile again

before I am gone and exist no more. (NLT)

Around 9 years ago, Jilly and I discovered ‘Tennants’, a major auction house in nearby Leyburn. It is always interesting to see the various items that are going to be sold off. On occasions these will be the full contents of some great country house. Early on we commented to each other as to how salutary this is. Here on display is, in effect, someone’s life. They have valued these treasures but now have no further use for them. They have had to leave them behind.

There is a story told about two ladies who were talking about a rich man who had died. ‘How much did he leave?’ asked one. ‘Everything!’ replied the other.

Oh! we’re all puffs of air.

Oh! we’re all shadows in a campfire.

Oh! we’re just spit in the wind.

We make our pile, and then we leave it. (The Message)

Life is very short, even when it is long. As my dad was getting older he said, ‘You look back and wonder, ”Where did it all go?” ‘ The older I get, the more I identify with his words. We are wise to look our mortality in the face, and live seriously and soberly in the light of it. As someone said, ‘Death is the ultimate statistic; one out of one dies!’

”Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” Ps.90:12 (”Teach us how short our life is, so that we may become wise.” Good News Translation)

Warren Wiersbe’s simple summary of this Psalm is helpful:

‘When wicked men came to visit him in his sickness, David tried to be silent before them (Matt.7:6). But he finally had to speak and remind himself and them that man was frail and life was short. Life is only a hand-breadth long, a vapor that comes and goes (James 4:14) and a mere shadow. We are strangers and sojourners (v.12) and the journey is not a long one. Why gather riches when you cannot take them with you when you go?’

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your wrath.

2Your arrows have pierced me,

and your hand has come down on me.

3Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;

there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.

4My guilt has overwhelmed me

like a burden too heavy to bear.

5My wounds fester and are loathsome

because of my sinful folly.

6I am bowed down and brought very low;

all day long I go about mourning.

7My back is filled with searing pain;

there is no health in my body.

8I am feeble and utterly crushed;

I groan in anguish of heart.

9All my longings lie open before you, Lord;

my sighing is not hidden from you.

10My heart pounds, my strength fails me;

even the light has gone from my eyes.

11My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;

my neighbors stay far away.

12Those who want to kill me set their traps,

those who would harm me talk of my ruin;

all day long they scheme and lie.

13I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,

like the mute, who cannot speak;

14I have become like one who does not hear,

whose mouth can offer no reply.

15Lord, I wait for you;

you will answer, Lord my God.

16For I said, “Do not let them gloat

or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”

17For I am about to fall,

and my pain is ever with me.

18I confess my iniquity;

I am troubled by my sin.

19Many have become my enemies without cause;

those who hate me without reason are numerous.

20Those who repay my good with evil

lodge accusations against me,

though I seek only to do what is good.

21Lord, do not forsake me;

do not be far from me, my God.

22Come quickly to help me,

my Lord and my Saviour. (NIV)

In this Psalm we find David sick and lonely. The first thing he does is to acknowledge that he is suffering because of his own personal sin. Indeed, he feels the crushing weight of his guilt (4). It is a burden too heavy to bear. ‘Sin comes as a friend to entice you and then becomes a master to enslave you.’ Warren Wiersbe

But as David continues, we are able to see that some of his suffering is undeserved and without cause (19,20). Once again, his stance is one of prayerful waiting for the Lord (13-16; 21,22).

Ultimately, this psalm points us beyond David to ‘Great David’s greater Son’, Jesus, whose suffering was totally innocent. He was hated ”without a cause” (John 15:5). That quote in John 15 is not taken from Psalm 38, but Psalm 69:4. Nevertheless, we can affirm that Jesus’ innocent suffering upon the Cross provides the only answer to the overwhelming weight of sin and guilt we all carry.

At least, it does for those who, like David, repentantly confess their sin and throw themselves on the mercy of God.

”If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn.1:8,9)

30The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks justice.

31The law of his God is in his heart;

his steps do not falter.

32Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous,

and seek to slay them,

33the LORD will not leave them in their power

or let them be condemned under judgment.

34Wait for the LORD and keep His way,

and He will raise you up to inherit the land.

When the wicked are cut off,

you will see it.

35I have seen a wicked, ruthless man

flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,

36yet he passed away and was no more;

though I searched, he could not be found.

37Consider the blameless and observe the upright,

for posterity awaits the man of peace.

38But the transgressors will all be destroyed;

the future of the wicked will be cut off.

39The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

He is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40The LORD helps and delivers them;

He rescues and saves them from the wicked,

because they take refuge in Him.

Alec Motyer, writing on this Psalm, has pointed out some of the weaknesses in the ‘Let go and let God’ approach to Christianity. He makes a strong Biblical case for there being many things we are called to do. However, he adds:

”…there is…a time for non-retaliation, for leaving it to God (Romans 12:19), for waiting silently for God, holding our tongues and turning the other cheek (Lamentations 3:25-30; Matthew 5:39). In such a time, says Psalm 37, our active response is to trust and delight in Yahweh (3-4), and to be still and wait (7), to live in the visible world of trial seeing clearly the invisible world of divine sovereignty and justice (13,18), to look to the end, secure in Yahweh’s care, even sharing in his laughter (verse 13; Psalm 2:4). Alongside Psalm 37, Isaiah 53:79 and 1 Peter 2:20-25 make good reading: we are called to be like the Son of God in all things; he is our inspiration and model as well as our Redeemer.”

But as Eugene Peterson expresses it in his paraphrase, this waiting for God is a passionate thing (34)

”Righteous chews on wisdom like a dog on a bone,

rolls virtue around on his tongue.

His heart pumps God’s Word like blood through his veins;

his feet are as sure as a cat’s.

32-33Wicked sets a watch for Righteous,

he’s out for the kill.

God, alert, is also on watch—

Wicked won’t hurt a hair of his head.

34Wait passionately for God,

don’t leave the path.

He’ll give you your place in the sun

while you watch the wicked lose it.

35-36I saw Wicked bloated like a toad,

croaking pretentious nonsense.

The next time I looked there was nothing—

a punctured bladder, vapid and limp.

37-38Keep your eye on the healthy soul,

scrutinize the straight life;

There’s a future

in strenuous wholeness.

But the willful will soon be discarded;

insolent souls are on a dead-end street.

39-40The spacious, free life is from God,

it’s also protected and safe.

God-strengthened, we’re delivered from evil—

when we run to him, he saves us.” The Message

18The LORD knows the days of the blameless,

and their inheritance will last forever.

19In the time of evil they will not be ashamed,

and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

20But the wicked and enemies of the LORD

will perish like the glory of the fields.

They will vanish;

like smoke they will fade away.

21The wicked borrow and do not repay,

but the righteous are gracious and giving.

22Surely those He blesses will inherit the land,

but the cursed will be destroyed.

23The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD

who takes delight in his journey.

24Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed,

for the LORD is holding his hand.

25I once was young and now am old,

yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned

or their children begging for bread.

26They are ever generous and quick to lend,

and their children are a blessing.

27Turn away from evil and do good,

so that you will abide forever.

28For the LORD loves justice

and will not forsake His saints.

They are preserved forever,

but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.

29The righteous will inherit the land

and dwell in it forever.

For people who commit to a God-centred life, although they will have trouble in this world, they will come through with inspiring stories to tell, testimonies to share of the keeping power of God. As an old man, David could survey his years and testify to the Lord’s generous provision (25). He could also see how the Lord had ordered his steps, and how, even when he stumbled, he was not allowed to fall beyond recovery. He was gloriously upheld (23,24).

Stalwart walks in step with God;

his path blazed by God, he’s happy.

If he stumbles, he’s not down for long;

God has a grip on his hand.

25-26I once was young, now I’m a greybeard—

not once have I seen an abandoned believer,

or his kids out roaming the streets.

Every day he’s out giving and lending,

his children making him proud. The Message

”The blessing of God is the spring, sweetness, and security of all earthly enjoyments. And if we are sure of this, we are sure not to want any thing good for us in this world. By his grace and Holy Spirit, he directs the thoughts, affections, and designs of good men. By his providence he overrules events, so as to make their way plain. He does not always show them his way for a distance, but leads them step by step, as children are led. God will keep them from being ruined by their falls, either into sin or into trouble, though such as fall into sin will be sorely hurt. Few, if any, have known the consistent believer, or his children, reduced to abject, friendless want. God forsakes not his saints in affliction; and in heaven only the righteous shall dwell for ever; that will be their everlasting habitation. A good man may fall into the hands of a messenger of Satan, and be sorely buffeted, but God will not leave him in his enemy’s hands.” Matthew Henry

1Do not fret over those who do evil;

do not envy those who do wrong.

2For they wither quickly like grass

and wilt like tender plants.

3Trust in the LORD and do good;

dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

4Delight yourself in the LORD,

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

5Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in Him, and He will do it.

6He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn,

your justice like the noonday sun.

7Be still before the LORD

and wait patiently for Him;

do not fret when men prosper in their ways,

when they carry out wicked schemes.

8Refrain from anger and abandon wrath;

do not fret—it can only bring harm.

9For the evildoers will be cut off,

but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

10Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;

though you look for them, they will not be found.

11But the meek will inherit the landb

and delight in abundant prosperity.

12The wicked scheme against the righteous

and gnash their teeth at them,

13but the Lord laughs,

seeing that their day is coming.

14The wicked have drawn the sword

and bent the bow

to bring down the poor and needy,

to slay those whose ways are upright.

15But their swords will pierce their own hearts,

and their bows will be broken.

16Better is the little of the righteous

than the abundance of many who are wicked.

17For the arms of the wicked will be broken,

but the LORD upholds the righteous.

There are two types of people in this world: there are two ways leading to two vastly different destinies. We have the godly and the ungodly. We have the way of the righteous and the way of the unrighteous. Furthermore, there are those among the unbelieving group who not only lack faith, but they actively pursue evil and persecute the people of God. At one level, it may seem at times that these evildoers have it all their own way. But Psalm 37 assures us that their day will be short-lived. Their down fall may seem a long time coming. But this is because our perspective is limited. The truth is (and God knows this) they will soon ‘wilt’ and ‘wither’. Our task is to quietly and confidently wait for the Lord to act in His own good time, in full assurance that He will.

Consider these extracts from ‘The Message’:

Don’t bother your head with braggarts

or wish you could succeed like the wicked.

In no time they’ll shrivel like grass clippings

and wilt like cut flowers in the sun…

Quiet down before God,

be prayerful before him.

Don’t bother with those who climb the ladder,

who elbow their way to the top.

Bridle your anger, trash your wrath,

cool your pipes—it only makes things worse.

Before long the crooks will be bankrupt;

God-investors will soon own the store.

Before you know it, the wicked will have had it;

you’ll stare at his once famous place and—nothing!

Down-to-earth people will move in and take over,

relishing a huge bonanza.

Bad guys have it in for the good guys,

obsessed with doing them in.

But God isn’t losing any sleep; to him

they’re a joke with no punch line.

Bullies brandish their swords,

pull back on their bows with a flourish.

They’re out to beat up on the harmless,

or mug that nice man out walking his dog.

A banana peel lands them flat on their faces—

slapstick figures in a moral circus.

Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

When the tide of the world is moving rapidly in the direction of fretfulness, believers are called to swim against it with a joyful, God-focussed approach to life; trusting and delighting in Him. This is is what F.B. Meyer describes as the ‘current of our being…set toward God’. More of that in a moment.

But does this verse sound like a blank cheque? If so, consider this: I have heard it said that when a person delights in the Lord their desires change. He changes their hearts, so that they increasingly align with His own. To take ”delight” in the Lord is also to take delight in His Word and will and way. The more our desires conform to these, the more pleasing they will be to God.

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”  John 15:7

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”  1 John 5:14

Writing about today’s verse in ‘Our Daily Homily’, F.B. Meyer writes:

”The current of our being must set toward God. We must cultivate the habit of holy intimacy with Him, whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain. We must accustom ourselves to hold up before us the successive attributes and works of God, till they strike our admiration, and elicit our homage.

Then we shall find rest unto our souls, because He will give us the desires of our hearts. When God Himself is our desire we shall be forever delivered from disappointment, because we can always have Him ; we shall be removed from risk of penury and want, because we can have as much of Him as we need ; we shall be beyond the fear of loss, because He changes not. They who want God possess Him. To long for God is to have that for which you long. To delight in God is to delight in One, of whom there is an infinity for every one, so that there need be no stint, no jealousy, no envy, no satiety. Every one can have as much as he can hold. ‘* He giveth not His Spirit by measure,” that is, by metre. There is no gauge of our consumption.”

PRAYER: Lord, teach us to delight in you above all.

1Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;2for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.3Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.4Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.5Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:6He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.7Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.8Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.9For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

As I write this, on the morning of 12th September 2025, the last 24 hours have given much cause for fretfulness. We awoke yesterday to the dreadful news of a young husband, and father of two children, being callously cut down in broad daylight on a university campus in Utah. His crime? Speaking his mind. Suddenly the world feels a little more scary.

But if we are honest, we would have to say that we didn’t just start to feel fretful yesterday, although it may have been considerably exacerbated by what we read about, or witnessed. For a number of years now the world has felt increasingly shaky. Tensions abound in many diverse places. The dark clouds of war and violence loom on the horizon.

So how we need the repeated exhortation, ”Do not fret”. The alternative spelled out in this psalm is a trustful life: one of quiet confidence in God, doing good, waiting for Him to act, knowing that in the end ” “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well” Julian of Norwich.

”Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Ps.30:5NLT

Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;
    give justice to those with honest hearts.
¹¹ Don’t let the proud trample me
    or the wicked push me around.
¹² Look! Those who do evil have fallen!
    They are thrown down, never to rise again. NLT

I believe verse 12 is an example of what is known as ‘the prophetic perfect’.

”The prophetic perfect tense is a literary technique used in religious texts, most commonly in the Bible, that describes future events that are so certain to happen that they are referred to in the past tense as if they had already happened.” Wikipedia

David may have had certain specific people in mind who had fallen, never to rise again. But it is probably a more general statement about all unrepentant evil-doers. A day of Judgment is coming for them, and we can be so sure of this it can be described as if it had already happened.

”“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.” (from Rev.19:6 NIV)

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
⁶ Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
    your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
⁷     How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
    in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
    letting them drink from your river of delights.
⁹ For you are the fountain of life,
    the light by which we see. NLT

”“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” C.S. Lewis

I have a deep love of poetry, but I have to confess that I don’t always understand it. I wonder if sometimes it is best to just let a poem wash over you and hit you with its powerful waves. You may not understand every single part of the work, but you feel its impact on your soul. It’s powerful; visceral even. These thoughts came into my mind as I read this section of Psalm 36. I’m not saying that we can’t analyse it or exegete it. Far from it. But first and foremost may we feel it as a celebration of God’s abundant love and goodness.

”God’s love is meteoric,

his loyalty astronomic,

His purpose titanic,

his verdicts oceanic.

Yet in his largeness

nothing gets lost;

Not a man, not a mouse,

slips through the cracks

How exquisite your love, O God!

How eager we are to run under your wings,

To eat our fill at the banquet you spread

as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water.

You’re a fountain of cascading light,

and you open our eyes to light.” The Message

‘He is better than banquets for hungry men. Let his life arise in thee as a fountain, and ask for the illumination of his light. Serenely sheltered under the wing, or in the house, of God, the soul may look out, unmoved, on ”the wrecks of matter, and the crush of worlds.” ‘ F.B. Meyer