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Do Not Fret - Psalm 37
Do Not Fret - Psalm 37
"Do not fret because of evil doers". As we walk with God we are constantly surrounded by evil doers. Often it seems that they are 'at ease' and that their lives are without trouble.
This subject has been addressed before. We read in Proverbs: "Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the Lord always" (Proverbs 23:17). And again: "Do not fret because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked…" (Proverbs 24:19). It is also addressed in Psalm 73: "Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart! But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, My steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked." (Psalm 73:1–3).
Here in Psalm 37, the Psalmist encourages us with some specific admonitions concerning our faithfulness.
• Trust in the Lord and do good.
• Delight yourself in the LORD.
• Commit your way to the LORD
• Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him
• Cease from anger and forsake wrath
We are also reminded to look not at the present situation of the wicked, but to their end: they will wither quickly (2), they will be cut off (9), they will be no more [in this life] (10), and they will perish (20). Then what?
In truth, this life may be filled with trouble for the believer. In our affliction, it happens that some become envious of the wicked that 'are at ease'. We MUST look beyond our present situation. We must look to our eternal home. We know that it is appointed for us to die (Heb. 9:27), yet we also know that the death of our body is NOT the end of our relationship with God for there is a judgment to come. As we head into what appears to me to be troublesome times for God's people, you might want to mark this Psalm and read it repeatedly. Are you trusting in God or fretting about the world? Hugh DeLong
