Destined To Win
September 30, 2026
Praying Friends,
Life doesn't always seem fair. Understatement of the year.
Sometimes the person who cheats gets ahead. The dishonest person gets promoted. The arrogant person seems to have everything. Meanwhile, the person trying to do the right thing and honor God often struggles to get by.
Psalm 37 was written for precisely this kind of problem. Despite the apparent progress of the wrongdoer, David repeatedly tells the righteous, “You shall inherit the land.” In fact, he says it five times throughout the chapter.
That's a strange promise when you look around and see someone else possessing everything. But perhaps that's the point. God wants us to stop confusing what someone possesses today with what they will ultimately inherit.
The chapter opens with this very issue: “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong” (Psalm 37:1 NIV). The wrongdoer may have the present, but they don't have the future. The righteous may have little today, but God promises them an inheritance that lasts forever.
Psalm 37 is another wisdom psalm in the great collection, and it calls upon us to look beyond the material and temporal to the eternal realm. In some ways, like Psalm 1, it contrasts the evil with the righteous.
Notice the contrast: The wrongdoer will wither (v. 2), will be no more (v. 10), will be cut off (v. 22, 28, 34), while the righteous will inherit the land (v. 9, 11, 22, 29, 34).
What does the writer mean by “the land”?
This is where it gets particularly interesting, because the Hebrew word is erets, which can mean land, territory, or earth, and most certainly means Israel's Promised Land. But it was and is much more than merely about owning real estate. It represented living securely under God's blessing in the place God had given His covenant people.
One helpful scholarly observation is that “land” in the Old Testament can function as a symbol of life, livelihood, security, and God's blessing, rather than simply a geographical piece of land.
The Lord Jesus quoted verse 11 of this psalm in His “Sermon On The Mount,” when He said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). He was saying that the righteous are the ones who have reason to be truly joyful. This is the promise of God.
Notice the language of Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16–18: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
This is why the writer of Psalm 37 gives us four clear directives as we face the future:
He says, “Trust in the LORD and do good” (Psalm 37:3). This is a childlike confidence in our God who desires what is best for us.
And “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Find your joy in the Lord and you will be truly satisfied.
He bids us, “Commit your way to the LORD” (Psalm 37:5). To commit means to roll yourself onto another. When you are resting on Him, He will accomplish His will through you.
Lastly he advises, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7). Enjoy His presence. Cultivate His presence and don’t let anything take that awareness away. It is crucial to maintaining an eternal perspective.
As we pray for our prodigals and for revival among us, let us be careful to keep an eternal perspective. We are destined to win!
Warmly in Christ’s name,
Bryan and Rachel
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