Fret Not!

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

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!

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

In just a little while, the wicked will be no more…
But the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in abundant peace.

The wicked plots against the righteous
    and gnashes his teeth at him,
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he sees that his day is coming…
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
    and their heritage will remain forever;
they are not put to shame in evil times;
    in the days of famine they have abundance.

But the wicked will perish;
    the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away…

Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
For the Lord loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land
    and dwell upon it forever…

Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
    you will look on when the wicked are cut off…

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.” Psalm 37:1-13,17-20,27-29,34,39-40

David’s words- vivid, convicting, convincing, imploring- come from personal experience. He knows himself and his God, and in weakness takes great strength from God’s promises and trustworthiness. He has obviously struggled with the envy, feisty desire for revenge, and fretting he denounces. His honest, urgent message is as much for himself as for those who would read it: Fret not! Forsake wrath! Trust God!

It is healthy to urge ourselves and others in faith and uprightness. Preaching truth redirects emotions and fortifies the soul, and singing lifts the heart to focus on the Lord.

Where am I jealous of others, stewing in comparisons or wrestling with judgments? What advantages do I covet? Where am I taken up with looking to my sides with angst rather than up in gratitude? Of what promises does my flagging heart need reminding, and how will I take action? When am I repeating truth and encouragement to myself and others, and what difference is it making?

Lord, turn any fretting to committed trust and delight in You.