Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

People can become upset when they see the prosperity and success of others. They see what others have in comparison to what they have, and it can upset them if they think that others have it better. If the others are also worldly, then the ire is all the greater. Why should the evil prosper and succeed? Why do they have it better than me? Instead of being content with their own lives, they obsess over the lives of others.

Our verse for today says that we should not fret because of the prosperity and success of evildoers, and we should not be envious of them. Envy is a sin (Romans 1:29). Covetousness is to desire the advantages that belong to someone else; jealousy is to resent a person for the advantages they have; but envy is the desire to be like the person who has the advantages. All three sins, closely related and often found in combination, result from an inordinate comparison between oneself and someone else.

Our verse for today reveals that it makes no sense to envy the workers of iniquity, for they are not worthy of envy. They are people who “shall soon be cut down like the grass.” Psalm 73:17-19 says that the end of the wicked is destruction and desolation. The wicked may prosper and succeed for a time, but their time is limited. Why be envious of that? Why fret about someone who is doomed to destruction?

Furthermore, our verse for today says that the wicked shall “wither as the green herb.” Life is transient and fleeting, like the green herbs of the field. Whatever advantages the wicked may have are transient and fleeting as well. The wicked have traded in eternal life and peace for temporary and limited advantage. If they don’t wither and fade in this life, they will in the next.

The news media frequently report stories of how the mighty have fallen. These stories are object lessons that confirm the truth of Psalm 37. Therefore, stop comparing yourself unfavorably with other people, especially with the wicked. Instead, rejoice and be content with your God-given blessings and lay up treasure in heaven, where nothing will destroy it.