Psalm 37:9 — For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. Key Thought: God’s purpose is our greatest asset Prayer: Teach me how to wait on what You are preparing “Evildoers shall be cut off” The Hebrew phrase “cut off” speaks of severance, removal, or loss of standing. In covenant language, “cut off” means exclusion from blessing. It does not necessarily mean death. The focus of this text the unsustainability of evil. The history of the world has seen many evil persons, governments (such as Nazi Germany), and evil deeds. Along with the blessings of God we see the perils of life and people of bad will. Biblically, “evildoers” are those who act unjustly, oppress others, prosper through wrongdoing, and benefit from manipulated systems. Evil involves willful participation in what harms others and dishonors God. Evildoers may flourish for a time, but their influence and works will not endure. This is not something we can simply pray away. It is something we work on as Christ followers, communities, and citizens. Sometimes Jesus helped people just for the sake of helping people (such as feeding and healing others). He was not always “evangelizing,” because His motive was loving and serving people. “Those who wait on the LORD” The Hebrew word “wait” means more than time passing. It carries the idea of hope, expectancy, patience, and active faith in God. We wait and expect because God’s power is greater than our power. Our faith is expressed through endurance and obedience to His instructions. Waiting on the Lord is the antidote to fretting. Instead of overreacting to evil, we remain anchored in God’s timing and character. From this place of strength, we can gain wisdom to know what to do. When you are at the airport waiting for a flight, technicians are preparing the airplane and making sure there is nothing impeding your route. When you are waiting, God is working. “They shall inherit the earth” “Inherit” is a covenant word. Biblically, inheritance is connected to continuity, belonging, and stability. Jesus said, “I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it” (Revelation 3:8). “To inherit the earth” is more than land ownership (which comes later). It is participation in God’s ordered world, living within His purposes and enjoying what He provides. These things can happen while we are living on this earth, even among evildoers. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). We do not want this earth in its present state forever. We want to make the best of the environments in which we live during our lifetimes. When it is all said and done, there will be a new heaven and a new earth in which we will live and reign with Christ. But our focus now is to serve God’s purposes in our generation.

Reflection Question: In light of this Scripture and lesson, what does waiting on the Lord mean?

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Sermon Summary: “The God of Your Days” Pastor Bryan Hudson, D.Min.

Psalm 37 is a psalm of wisdom, not lament. It instructs believers how to live faithfully when injustice and wickedness appear to prosper. God’s command to “do not fret” calls for courageous engagement without anxiety, fear, or spiritual distortion.

“The LORD knows the days of the upright” affirms God’s intimate involvement in every season of life—past, present, and future. God is the God of all our days, including times of joy, hardship, abundance, and loss.

God’s faithfulness extends across generations. Long before we were born, God was already at work, planting seeds through the faith, obedience, and integrity of those who came before us. Our true inheritance is not merely material but includes faith, character, courage, and purpose—things that outlast wealth and recognition.

Remembering and preserving inheritance is essential. Forgetting history weakens identity, while intentional storytelling strengthens future generations.

Above all, God Himself is our greatest inheritance. Unlike material possessions, what God gives cannot be lost, diminished, or destroyed. Because our hope is in Him—not in systems or people—we will not be ashamed in evil times.

God preserves His people through both trust and action. Faith works through obedience, wisdom, and responsibility. Even in seasons of famine—spiritual or natural—those who remain grounded in God’s Word will be satisfied.

Final Affirmation: God is the God of our days. He knows the days of the upright. Our inheritance in Him is forever. We will not be ashamed in evil times. In days of famine, we will be satisfied.

Greetings! Today we begin our 21-day journey through Psalm 37!

Our theme is “Learning to Love God More.” We will go verse by verse and allow the Lord to speak to our hearts and minds. In addition to myself, other contributors include Patricia Hudson, Stacy Williams, Min. Bertha Fields, and Pastor Lee Rob. I will be writing the majority of the lessons, and I deeply appreciate the contributions of these fellow servants of God.

Lessons will be posted by 5:30AM each day. I encourage you to incorporate these brief lessons into your regular devotional rhythm.

Would also like to invite you to join New Covenant Church for Corporate Prayer on Zoom Wednesday evening at 7:30 PM (EST).

If you'd like to do your own study in the book of Psalms 37, here are some resources:

Enduring Word

https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-37/

Bible Gateway; (The paid version has many more resources)

https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/

StudyLight

https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dsb.html#google_vignette

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Day 1 — Do Not Fret

Scripture: Psalm 37:1, Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

Key Thought: Anxiety over evil drains the soul more than evil itself.

Prayer: “Lord, quiet my spirit and anchor my trust in You.”

It is no exaggeration to say that we are witnessing, in real time in our nation, workers of iniquity. This is not something new, but rarely has it been on full display at a national level among national political leaders. We are seeing despotism and dictatorial tactics in a nation where the Constitution says that “We The People” are the basis of our form of government—what Abraham Lincoln described as government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

I share this because we have to be very mindful of not allowing ourselves to fret when we consider what is going on. Here in our state of Indiana, we are seeing situations that are harmful to people, especially the most vulnerable among us.

As we are dealing with many grievous situations in our world, those of us who will not be silent must maintain balance. We must remain vigilant and active. At the same time, we must avoid strife or becoming obsessed with the deeds of evildoers.

The Scripture plainly says, “do not fret.” As a matter of fact, in Psalm 37 the words “do not fret” appear three times. The third mention, in verse 8, states: “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm.”

So while we who will not be silent, as many others are, must stay engaged. We also have to draw closer to God and keep our hearts clear of wrath, strife, and fretfulness.

One way to do that is what we are doing right now—spending time in the Word, in prayer, and allowing the Holy Spirit to minister peace to our hearts.

Jesus said in John 14:26–27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Through this peace, we can steady our troubled hearts, and we will not fear the actions of ungodly people.

REFLECTION QUESTION: "In what ways, specifically, do I need to stop fretting?"

Key insight I gained today:

Today’s action item based on insight: