“Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.“
Psalm 37:1-2, 5-6

–

APRIL 22, 2025

Last week, I walked out to my yard and was thrilled to finally see more green than brown. The grass is slowly coming alive. The spring flowers are pushing through. Buds are on the trees at last.

There’s always a week or two (or three or four) when it feels like death and darkness have won. We start wondering if the White Witch has taken over Narnia again, because spring is never, ever going to arrive.

Then, suddenly, it’s here. New life winning out over death, once again.

This week, we’ll be studying Psalm 37, looking for themes of resurrection. At first glance, this collection of verses may look like a string of proverbs, pithy sayings that are generally helpful but don’t always ring true. Or worse, karma: put goodness into the world and goodness will come back to you; put evil into the world and evil will be your reward.

But if we read Psalm 37 as a whole, what we find here is a long-term vision, a strategy for staying faithful to God even when it seems like goodness will never take root in this world, even when it feels like new life has been buried in evil.

Aware of all this, the Psalmist insists that our Creator is known for steadfast love and faithfulness, and He will have the final say. A few thousand years later, we can add that if the resurrected Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, then love and new life, compassion and mercy have already won—even if we can’t see it yet.

Questions for reflection and discussion:

  • In what ways does it feel like evil is unbeatable in this world?
  • In what ways does it feel like love is gaining ground?
  • How can you find hope, even if you don’t see goodness overcome evil during your lifetime?

 

Church Reading Plan:  Leviticus 26; Psalm 33