Photo courtesy of Jeanne Henriques ~ Collage of Life |
Fret not thyself because of
evildoers…. Psalm 37:1
My daughter called. In an exasperated voice, she started the
conversation with “let me tell you what he did." I listened and gave my advice, which amounted
to “don’t worry—don’t you fret because of evildoers. God is in control.”
Now, that
would be all well and good if I myself had not just had my own let me tell you what he/she did moment.
Boy, did I feel convicted. The
truth is, we will always have to deal with fiery
darts from the evil one. I don’t
think there is any way to totally avoid it.
Direct attacks come to us or we suffer the fall-out as we try to help
others deal with someone else's evildoing. Sometimes
it’s to be expected—the saying hurting people hurt others comes to mind--and
sometimes it catches us totally off guard from unexpected sources.
Fret
not. This is basically a commandment. Fret not. This should
be our reality.
Webster’s
defines fret as “to be peevish, unhappy, or discontented; worry." In Psalm 37, David shares wisdom gleaned from
his lifetime of experience walking with God and his experience with evildoers. In this beautiful Psalm, he tells us three
times “fret not…” He gives comforting explanations
and instructs us in a better way to be.
Fret
not…
Trust
in the Lord
Delight
in the Lord
Commit
your way to Him
Rest
in Him
Cease
from anger
Depart
from evil
Wait
on the Lord
Mark the
perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. Psalm37:37
Such
encouragement! Let our confidence be
totally in God and trust Him completely.
So, the
next time you suffer from someone else’s evil deed, and you have a “let me tell
you what he/she did” moment, stop and recall David’s words. And what’s more, Jesus said,
Do not let your hearts be
troubled. John 14:1 (NIV)
May God bless you and encourage you
today with His love and peace.