Jesus must have known this psalm
Two refrains repeat themselves.
1. `Do not fret’ 
Ps 37:1 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; (NIV)
Ps 37:7-8 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-- it leads only to evil.
(NIV)

In Matt 6 Jesus says: `Do not worry (or fret)’

Matt 6:25
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? (NIV)

Matt 6:28
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. (NIV)
Matt 6:31
31 So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' (NIV)
Matt 6:34
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NIV)

Jesus' remedy for worry:
Matt 6:33
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (NIV)
This psalm has the same remedy.

2. Second theme:
Ps 37:11
11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. (NIV)

Sermon on Mt Jesus says:
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.

3. Another theme of this psalm: Only two ways
We have to choose one or the other.
Righteous or wicked.
Jesus: Straight way  leads to life but broad way leads to destruction.

We start with the first:
1. `Do not fret or be jealous of the wicked.’
We are so easily tempted to fret and be jealous.
We see their prosperity.
They never go to Church, yet seem to have all the good things of life.
TV films: beautiful sleek and immoral, violent
having a good time.

Here you are: 

• fighting the good fight.
• labouring with your Christian responsibilities.
• Tempted to Fret or be jealous.

This psalm refers to the plotting of the wicked, and their fanatical hatreds.
Ps 37:12
12 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; (NIV)
also 
Ps 37:14
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. (NIV)
Overflowing force.

On a personal level circumstances seem to threaten to overwhelm us.
Ps 37 says to us: `Do not fret!’
It tells us instead to do three things:

1) Look ahead:
Ps 37:2, 10
2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. (NIV)

Take the long view.
An Atheist farmer often ridiculed people who believed in God. He wrote the following letter to the editor of a local newspaper: "I plowed on Sunday, planted on Sunday, cultivated on Sunday, and hauled in my crops on Sunday; but I never went to church on Sunday.  Yet I harvested more bushels per acre than anyone else, even those who are God-fearing and never miss a service."  The editor printed the man's letter and then added this remark:  "God doesn't always settle His accounts in October." 

Powers of this world come and go but God’s purposes last forever.
Isa 40:8
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." (NIV)
I Jn 2:17
17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (NIV)

Example of this:
These Psalms written 3000 years ago in the land of Israel.
Here we are today - thousands of miles away - different time, different language, different culture, BUT:
Psalms still speak to us AND all the world.

Forces of evil that attacked Israel then long since vanished.
Just history now.
Little land of Israel always tiny but the enemies were v. large.

• Assyrians,
• Babylonians,
• Greeks,
• Romans,
• Ottomans,
• British,

Mark Twain wrote:
The Egyptian, the Babylon and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendour, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew  saw them all All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?

Christian Church.
Spread thoughtought the world.

Jesus also tells us to take the long view.
`Lay not up for yourselves, treasures on earth ..’
`Do not be anxious ..’
`Seek His kingdom and righteousness ..’
 

2) Do not fret, instead: `Look up to the Lord’
Ps 37:4
4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. (NIV)
Commitment to the regular worship of God with His people is so important.

Vs 5 says: `Commit your way to the Lord.’
Hebrew: `Roll off your burden’

When did you and I last speak to the Lord about our life and its burdens?

Do not delay. 
Only a few minutes to talk to the Lord.

Surrounded by danger and intense isolation David Livingston recited this verse every day.

Vs 6: `Entrust your reputation to the Lord’
Ps 37:6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. (NIV)

We fret about what others think about us.
It is God who is the judge.
SHAKESPEARE, Othello: Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving. 

Submit to pressure from peers and you move down to their level. 
   Speak up for your own beliefs and you invite them up to your level. 
   If you move with the crowd, you'll get no further than the crowd. 
   When 40 million people believe in a dumb idea, it's still a dumb idea. 
   Simply swimming with the tide leaves you nowhere. 
   So if you believe in something that's good, honest and bright -- stand up for it.  Maybe your peers will get smart and drift your way.

If Christ had thought about His reputation - He would not have spoken as He did.
Phil 2: `He made Himself of no reputation.

Despised and rejected by men.

But God vindicated Him by raising Him from the dead.
Trust your reputation to the Lord not to others.

This leads me to third point:
3) Do not fret but be constructive.
Ps 37:3
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. (NIV)
Trust in the Lord and do good!
Get on with life.

Fretting can so easily put a stop to life.
No get on with what you must do in the sight of God.
This may mean: Make choices.
Simply isn’t time to do every good thing that people want you to do.
If I can’t accomplish everything that eveyone wants my reputation may suffer.

But I must not fret,
Rather commit my way to the Lord, and be constructive - get on with life that God has called me to.

By the grace of God be what you can be - no more, no less. 

This will be much easier if I always:
1. Take the long view.
2. Delight myself in the Lord - worship must be my anchor.

This is the secret of true meekness.
Gentle controlled strength.

This Psalm says: (vs. 11)
The meek will inherit the earth.

Am I afraid heaven will be totally unlike the earth and I like this earth?
Glory: Heaven and earth re-united.
It will be this earth but transformed.

Sunshine transforms the earth.
Now imagine - this earth radiated by the glory of God, set free from decay, disease and death.
That is heaven!

Earth may have to go through a death experience first, but it will not be its end .. 

Jesus is not just a good example.
As the Eternal Son, through whom and for whom all things have their being, He says:
Matt 11:28-30
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you (many will try to lay their yokes upon you - are they the Lord’s yoke?) and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
(NIV)