In last month’s Call to Prayer, I wrote about Psalm 91, a Psalm brought to me in a dream. In the same dream, I was also drawn to Psalm 37.

David wrote Psalm 37 when he was older and had seen a lot in life. It is not a psalm of prayer or praise; rather, it is a teaching Psalm, a “maschil.” In short, it speaks of the advancement of the wicked and the disgrace of the righteous– but that is not the final story. This Psalm helps us know what to do and not to do should we be tempted to envy the prosperity of the wicked, while reminding us not to fret over what we see going on around us because God has the final move.

An 1831 artwork by German artist Friedrich Moritz August Retzsch depicts the devil and a young man locked in a chess game, with the man’s soul at stake. The common interpretation of this painting, called The Devil’s Checkmate, is that the devil had won. However, legendary chess master Paul Morphy observed the painting and noticed the man had a decisive winning move. This discovery transformed the painting into a symbol of hope. My friend says it well: “God always has the final, winning move.”

In Psalm 37, we see admonitions for the righteous not to fret, to trust the Lord, to do good, to delight themselves in the Lord, to commit their ways to Him, to depart from evil, and to speak wisdom. What does God promise the righteous? They shall inherit the earth, have the desires of their heart, delight in the abundance of peace, thrive even during famine, and their descendants will be blessed. What of the wicked? They will be cut off, cut down like the grass and wither like the herb.

The admonition not to fret is given three times, including in verse 8: "Do not fret- it only causes harm." Reining in our emotions and thoughts can be difficult, yet it is important. We come into the peace of God, clarity of truth, and the ability to “commit our way to the Lord and He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5). The word “commit” here is the Hebrew word galal, meaning to roll, roll away, or remove. The picture is associated with the image of a camel burdened with a heavy load. When the load is to be removed, the camel kneels down, tilts far to one side, and the load rolls off. The Lord is calling His people to give Him our worries, envy, and burdens so He can bring deliverance.

Through the centuries, wicked leaders have tempted people to fret or envy their wealth or power. David faced this temptation in his day; we face it in ours. But Verse 22 assures us: “For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off.”

My favorite verse of Psalm 37 is verse 25: “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.” Let’s keep being faithful, living righteously, and resting in God's goodness. He has the decisive winning move.