Psalm 37 is an exceptionally helpful and practical psalm, in that it consistently offers clear guidance to us in our spiritual life and our human situations. It has forty verses, each with one or sometimes two direct statements. It gives various things that we are to take care not to do, and various things that we are to do, understanding that they are commanded by the Lord.

These instructions are kept short and to the point. Spiritually, brevity is about our need to receive commands which speak to us directly without elaboration or debate. Our understanding of worldly life is often caught up with complexities and qualifications. Our spiritual understanding needs to be focused fully on the Lord and the Word so that we well understand the absolute nature of divine truth.

The psalm begins as it will continue: “Do not fret because of evildoers…” because the Lord, in good time, will bring things to their rightful end. But we should also not fret because it disturbs and weakens our trust in the Lord, which is there to uphold and strengthen us.

Evil is then likened to the short-lived grass which gets cut down and which withers. ‘Grass’ corresponds to simple facts or scientifics which, while useful, are not to take on undue importance compared to what is spiritual. (See Apocalypse Explained 507)

“Trust in the Lord and do good”, “Delight yourself in the Lord”, and “Commit your way to the Lord” all follow on - one after the other. They point out the value to us of these direct commands and statements. (Refer to Divine Love and Wisdom 237, near the end)

One theme which runs through this psalm is that evil and wickedness will always be short-lived, and brought to an end. Verse 10, for example, says ‘…For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more.’ And verse 20 puts it, ‘…The enemies of the Lord, shall vanish, into smoke they shall vanish away.’ Spiritually this short-lived nature of evil stands for the certainty of its downfall, and, while hell exists, (in which the Lord still governs even those who choose a love of evil), the Lord will end the evil in us, and the evil influencing us, when we live by the Word. (Arcana Caelestia 8939)

Verse 25 mentions the fact that we age: ‘I have been young and now am old’ and continues on to describe seeing the goodness of the Lord. Spiritually, ‘young’ stands for a state in which we are more vigorous in what we assert and believe (Divine Providence 105), whereas to be ‘old’ stands for spiritual maturity in which we have become wiser and humbler from following the Lord. (Arcana Caelestia 3254)

An important point is made in verse 27, that we are to ‘Depart from evil and do good, and dwell for evermore.’ The order here is very significant; we know the importance of loving and doing what is good, but for this to be genuine good rather than conditional good, we need to first examine ourselves and abstain from what is evil. In this way, we will grow in a true love of good, as the Lord’s good and not ours. It is also important for us to see that this is an ongoing process. (Charity 23-25)

Verse 34 commands us to ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way’. Waiting is generally a time-based idea but spiritually, time is not a consideration, only state. This then means that to wait on the Lord is to be attentive, mindful, conscious of and ready for the Lord in our life, knowing that as we keep close to the Lord, he can help us feel that he is close to us and directing our steps. In this way, we become expectant. (Arcana Caelestia 5284)

This is an important, spiritually practical psalm that's like a deep well. We've touched on a few of the many statements in it, but there's much more here. Hopefully, these examples will encourage you to explore it further!

23. 4. In proportion as a man does not wish to do evil to the neighbour, he wishes to do good to him; but not the reverse.

There is civil good, there is moral good, and there is spiritual good. Good, before a man shuns evils as sins, is civil and moral good; but as a man shuns evils as sins, the good, both civil good and moral good, becomes spiritual as well, but not before.