“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 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…
The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
but the Lord… sees his day coming.
The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows…
to slay those whose way is upright;
their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken…
The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever…
The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.” Psalm 37:1-9,12-15,18,23-24
David had been anointed king by Samuel, though Saul was still in power. Saul benefited from David’s spiritual ministry and brave military prowess, yet jealousy and anger boiled within, and he repeatedly tried to kill him. A man after God’s heart, David continually turned to the Lord in trust for his future and purpose. Putting prayer to song, Psalms were his theme through this tumultuous season under threat and awaiting the Lord’s timing. Reminding himself of spiritual realities when tangible ones were gnarling had to be food for his soul. (1 Samuel 13:13-14; 16:13,16-23; 17:32-50; 18:10-12; 19:8-10)
The future holds many unknowns, but also fulfillment of specific promises. The tension of living in the now and not yet calls us to live by faith with a song in our hearts. Reminding ourselves of God’s word, and persisting in trust, righteousness, and patience are key when circumstances are difficult or go awry. Some messages thrum loud with urgency, others flow melodiously. Whether stated to convince or sung to praise, psalms of truth are Spirit-given. Put to memory, they can serve as mantras that encourage and refresh.
When pressure boils and uncertainties threaten, when financial or relational or physical instability looms, we react. What is our default mode of mind and response? Panic? Scramble to control as best we can? Fret because everything is not as we’d anticipated? Doubt God’s word? Or do we realign our rhythm with Him?
Gathering worry and desire, envy and fear, and tethering them to the Lord stills the soul. Deliberately delighting in the Lord, His attributes and promises, enables us to wait, be patient, and sing. This is hard, but the Word sustains.
What person, work situation, attitude, spiritual malaise, presently troubles? Fret not! What unsettles faith and resolve? Trust in the Lord, and do good! Where do we rue unmet desire and expectation? Delight in the Lord who does all things well in His time! Maintaining spiritual rhythm grounded in songs of the Word restores our souls. (Mark 7:37; Romans 8:28)
Father, keep me singing Your songs all the day, and night.
As the rain and snow 