Fret Not
Psalm 37
1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
{Fret - Frustration to the point of agitation}
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If you’re like me, you’re a little “frustrated” with the free course the “workers of iniquity” appear to be having at the present moment. I would dare say (and I do dare to say it), the current political landscape of leadership is diametrically opposed to the righteousness of Almighty God.
As a matter of fact, an unbiased look at our country would have to conclude that the scales are tipping more-and-more toward the side of full-blown iniquity. We’ve kicked God and His Word off the throne of our country. It’s a sad state of affairs.
That being the case, I’m frustrated to the point of personal agitation. I am ripping mad at what has happened to:
The Nation that I was born into back in 1954
And …
The Christianity that I was born-again into back in 1973
Both don’t look much like they did back in those days. Both are under the judgment of God.
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With that said:
it appears from our text that our present day experiences, as believers in Christ, aren’t much different from the time in which David lived. It’s safe to surmise that there will always be: Bad political leadership coupled with bad people willing to be so led.
We must never forget that Hell has always, and therefore will always, fight against Heaven. It started in the Garden and it will not end until the Revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So … in the meantime … we’re stuck in the middle.
Just like God’s people always have been.
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I think, though, that we in America are struggling uniquely due to the fact that so much has changed in so little time. The changes have taken place at “Operation Warp Speed” style. It’s happening so quickly it is easy to loose our spiritual equilibrium — to become unbalanced in our focus and overly preoccupied in our perspectives.
Satan is constantly on the move to find ways to get believers to end up in “tilt” mode — like what happens to pinball machines when jostled too much. “When the mechanism is triggered, the machine "tilts", ending play for the current ball and usually forfeiting any bonuses earned.” If you’ve ever played much pinball, you know the “frustrating” feeling that comes over you.
Are we, as believers, approaching the “tilt” mode? Maybe so. Frustrations seem to be running high.
But we can take heart:
God and His Word have always been the answer. Political involvement is good, necessary, and American. But, it’s not the be-all and end-all. It’s not to be our overarching focus.
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Which brings me to Psalm 37.
Reading this Psalm this morning brought me inner (and outer) comfort. It helped me to reexamine my focus , my perspective.
How?
First: God is in control and in the end the world is going to get its comeuppance. “The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.” Psalm 37:13
Second: David under inspiration, and because of his personal experiences, has given us some bullet points:
*Trust
*Delight
*Commit
*Rest
*Wait
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What does that look like? Where do we start?
* Be spiritually (not just politically) motivated concerning the times in which we live:
I Timothy 2
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. —
*Commit yourself to the Sovereignty of God. He is in control:
37:6 - And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. —
*Live in anticipation of the restoration of all things by of our Lord.
37:11 - But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
And after initiating the first steps of implementation:
FRET NOT
Why?
Because he who laughs last, laughs best:
37:13 - The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
And …
Those in Christ will finally “inherit” what rightly belongs to us: The new Heavens and the new Earth.
Even “trow” come, Lord Jesus.