Biblical Context Matters
Fret Not: This is Not the End
Last Sunday the pastor spoke about how we get anxious about problems in the world. He brought us to Psalm 37, a favorite biblical passage. I’ve derived comfort from Psalm 37 ever since I was freshman in college struggling with a heartache from a recent break-up. Its words said to me, “Fret not,” this is not the end; life still has promise.
“Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
In my line of work, I like to keep up with current events. To do so means I daily read Facebook, Twitter, and Newsfeeds. Some of the content shocks me. Evil is out in the open. Hate, too. I fear where society is headed. I worry about the mindset of godless youth and adults. I fear the Christian voice is being silenced and eventually will be confined behind closed doors.
The heaviness of the burden is like a gray blanket surrounding me. Its weight threatens to rob me of my joy. I wonder if I should step away from my writing to be free of it. Rather than escape, God tells me to not fret about that stuff. He says to trust in him and there-in enjoy safe pasture.
“Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
God is in control. The best thing I can do for myself is to commit my way to God. He makes my path straight. No matter the hatred or troubles, my vindication is complete in the Lord. I can let the evil of the day confuse my ability to access joy. It is natural to let it overwhelm me. However, God waits for me to trust him for the journey. What a blessing when I choose to do so.
“Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
Powerful words are these. We are given what we need, when we need it. Going through a heartache? Trust in the Lord and do good. Fearing about the future? Delight in the Lord and rest in him. Look to God for that with lasting value: hope, life, and eternal promise. Sigh. Yes! We don’t have to give in to the cultural angst. We have something better.
I do not always like my circumstances or the problems I face. I get discouraged. God asks me to give it to him. Sometimes I do that easily. Other times it takes a series of steps to get there. The world’s mess, however, gets to me in a much heavier, worrisome way. I feel its darkness enclosing the world. I can’t solve this problem. Like it says in the first two verses, this isn’t my worry. This is God’s deal.
“Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Scripture text is from Psalm 137:1-7 NIV
My responsibility is to commit myself to the Lord and to trust in him. God reaches deep down in me as his presence ministers to my soul. He encourages me to pray and to surrender everything to him. The burden lifts once this process is complete. As a result, my friendship with God flourishes as it tenderly flowers within my being. Praise God for this.
