“Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
Be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.”
~~Psalm 37:1-2~~

So last time, we looked at the “what” of the instruction,  “Do not fret because of evildoers”.  Today we are going to investigate the “why” of the instruction, “For they will wither quickly like the grass, And fade like the green herb.”

The Hebrew word for wither is <malal> and it means, to be cut off or to cut off, especially applied to grass, herbage and ears of grain.  What comes to mind as I read “to be cut off” (as applied to grass) is my mowing routine in the summertime.  The grass grows, but as soon as it starts looking unkempt, I hop on the mower and cut it.  Spurgeon commented, “The grass cannot resist or escape the mower.”  That is so indicative of the “evildoer” and the “wrongdoer”.  They will not be able to resist or escape God’s “mower” of judgment. Just wow.  I love when God uses something we can all relate to in order to drive a point home.  

The word used for fade is <nabel> and it means: to be, or to become, withered; faded.  <Nabel> is used to describe the process of leaves and flowers falling off from being faded.  When I think of “leaves and flowers falling off from being faded”, my mind goes to my  potted impatiens on the back porch.  Each morning I pick off the faded, dead flowers—because what are they good for?  They aren’t pretty anymore, and they make the whole potted plant look sick.  Evildoers and wrongdoers may bloom and “look pretty” for a brief time, but the Caretaker of the flower pot called earth will come along at the right time and pluck them off.  

So that’s the answer to God’s command, “don’t fret of evildoers”.   The appearance that they are “coming out on top” is merely an illusion, and that appearance is also very temporary.  God says they will be cut off <meherah> (in a hurry, promptly, shortly).  Their day is coming.  They can’t escape God’s ”mower” of judgment”.  I have to continually remind myself that this time on the earth — for all of us, good and bad — is so very short compared to eternity.  

I also hear the Spirit reminding me that God has a divine timetable, and He has a plan that cannot be thwarted.  I need to shift my focus away from what is happening here on earth (the way it appears that the wicked are gaining advantage over the righteous and the just) and TOWARD eternity, where God sits enthroned in power.  It won’t be long until EVERY knee will bow.  That needs to become my focus as I live out my days in a world where wrong is accepted as right and where things are so upside down.  Frankly, I need to learn to more consistently TRUST… which segues right into verse three.  “Funny” how God does that, huh?