Psalm 39

​Are you a worrier? Are you easily upset? Do the circumstances around you or events in the news distress you and cause you to fret? "Fret" is an old-fashioned word that means to worry or be anxious. I confess that I am prone to fret, and I think fretting is something a lot of us yield to these days. That’s why I wanted to share Psalm 37 with you.
 
1. Do not fret because of evildoers, 

Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
2. For they will wither quickly like the grass

And fade like the green herb.
3. Trust in the Lord and do good;

Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4. Delight yourself in the Lord;

And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5. Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light

And your judgment as the noonday.
7. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8. Cease from anger and forsake wrath;

Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
9. For evildoers will be cut off,

But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
10. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;

And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
11. But the humble will inherit the land

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity……..
 
39. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength in time of trouble.
40. The Lord helps them and delivers them;
He delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.
 
The message of Psalm 37 is do not fret (37:1,7,8). When you observe the evil in this world and see the wicked prospering, do not fret (37:7). The psalmist gives the reason: God sees every injustice that is done and the Lord loves justice (37:28). He will bring forth justice in the end! So do not fret. Instead, the psalmist calls us to trust in the Lord and do good (37:3), delight yourself in the Lord (37:4), commit your way to the Lord (37:5), rest in the Lord (37:7), and wait patiently for Him (37:7). He is the God of justice!
 
Do you feel that evil is triumphing around you? Do evil, careless schemers seem to have the upper hand? Has this affected you personally? Has it made you angry? Or perhaps you are tempted to envy those with power and wealth even though they may have obtained it through dishonesty. Do not fret! As Psalm 37:8 points out, fretting is a dangerous indulgence! Read verse 8 and then compare it with verses 3-7 and verses 39-40. Which words from these verses describe you? Which words describe what you should be doing instead of fretting? Do you think it is better to spend your time fretting or following the psalmist’s advice? Which path will you choose?

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