Psalm 37
1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
This passage is incredibly applicable in today’s crazy news cycle. It is always good to remember that God is in control. God is not caught off-guard by our degrading culture, and His word for us today is Fret Not.
To fret is to be constantly or visibly worried or anxious. The occasion that we are to not fret over is evildoers carrying out evil devices. There are several imperatives or commands in this passage to help us replace the worry in our lives.
- Fret not
- Trust in the Lord
- Do Good
- Delight yourself in the Lord
- Commit your way to the Lord
- Trust in the Lord (yes, repeat this step)
- Be still before the Lord
- Wait patiently for Him
- Fret not (again)
- Refrain from anger
- Fret not
Take some time to bless someone, to sit in silence before the Lord, to recommit your family to the Lord, to bite your tongue when needed, and to trust God with all your biggest worries. I have also found it helpful when overwhelmed with worry to gain some eternal perspective. Step back and look at the big picture, even the worst possible scenario, and then see it in light of eternity. Regardless of how horrible things get, I will see you in Heaven and this evil will have faded like the grass.
