Our scripture this morning is Psalms 37:1-11.
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. 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. 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. 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. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.
In this passage from the New International Version, the translation tells us several times not to fret. It’s kind of a folksy, old-fashioned term for worry, the kind of hand wringing, never productive activity that occupies us needlessly. God tells us this fretting will not resolve any situation, we must put our trust in Him and follow where He leads us.
Our society is prone to worry over a variety of things, some that we should be concerned with but much that we should not. We must bring anything that we fret over to God in prayer and leave it with Him. God calls us to be concerned about the larger issues of life here with our brothers and sisters.
Jesus said “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25). Material things are not intended to be our major concern, God is more interested in how we love and care for each other than anything else. If we focus on our relationship with the Lord and our fellow creatures, giving up our fretting becomes easier, and our lives become ordered in Him.
Gracious God, You teach us to give our cares to You and be refreshed by Your love. Help us to focus on things that are truly important – salvation and sharing Your love with all the world. Amen.