Psalm 37v1-11: The Christian Response to Injustice
Part 1
Psalm 37v1-2
2nd January 2026
There's a lot of evil in this world. There are a lot of evil people who lie, cheat, steal and bully their way to wealth, luxury and power. And there are many faithful, godly Christians who struggle to pay the bills, who can't afford luxuries, who have to be very careful with the little money they have. There are many evil people who can afford the best of healthcare, and many faithful Christians who suffer great pain and sickness because of the limitations of the NHS. There are many evil people who dine in the finest restaurants, and many faithful Christians who find it difficult to buy food to feed their families. You probably know worldly, selfish, unkind people who live in a bigger house than you, drive a faster car than you, go on more holidays than you, wear finer clothes than you. And it all feels a bit unfair, doesn't it?
God is infinitely powerful and infinitely wise, and He loves His people, and yet I expect every one of us has been hurt, cheated and lied to. And across the world, many faithful, godly Christians are made homeless, imprisoned, tortured and even killed, just because they are faithful, godly Christians.
It's just wrong. It's unjust. It's morally outrageous. And, speaking through King David, God tells us how to respond to this dreadful injustice:
Psalm 37v1
Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
The Hebrew word chara, to fret, is usually translated as to be angry, or furious, enraged. Here, perhaps, it means to stay angry for a long time. Don't get angry about evil people. And if you do, don't stay angry. Weep about the sin they commit, but don't hate the people who do it. Hate the sin, love the sinner.
We should do what we can in this world to encourage ethical behaviour and discourage wickedness. Jesus said.
Matthew 5v13-14a
"You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world".
We're here to make a difference. We're here to preach the Gospel, and we're also here to preserve what is good in society, and to shine a light – the word of God – on what is bad in society. Work for goodness and against wickedness. Read your Bible so you know which is which. But don't get angry at the injustice of bad people prospering while godly people suffer. It's very real, but don't let it get to you. Don't let it make you bitter or resentful. Don't let it dent your confidence in God. Don't doubt His goodness and power.
Psalm 37v2
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
Many wicked people will be found out and prosecuted; even our very flawed British justice system works sometimes. Many wicked people will become sick. All will die, sometimes at an early age. Their riches, luxury and power are all temporary. And when they die, they'll face God's judgement. Unless they repent of their sins, and accept Jesus as their Lord, they will be cast into the outer darkness for ever. Perfect justice will be done.
Don't look for revenge. Both Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30 quote Deuteronomy 32:35 which says, "Vengeance is mine," says the Lord. "I will repay." God will avenge all wrongdoing. Sometimes, He brings about the downfall, disgrace, punishment, and sometimes even early death of evil people on earth. In every case, justice will be done perfectly on the Day of Judgement. We need not fret about justice not being meted out to wicked people. It certainly will.
Meanwhile, live in the peace of God. Trust Him to sort out everything perfectly, when and how He chooses to do it. Remember that, no matter how appallingly evil people enrich themselves by mistreating you, if you have Jesus you have infinitely more than they do. They will lose their transitory riches, and you will keep your treasure for eternity.
We could choose to waste our lives focussing on the injustices we see all around us, damaging our hearts by obsessing about sins committed against us or against people we love. But that would hurt us and not profit us. We would grow bitter and unforgiving. Instead, God urges us:
Psalm 37v3
Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
We'll think about that next time.