[Continued from the February 12th devotion]
“Do not fret.” Psalm 37:1
With every encounter in life that pushes against us, we usually make one of two choices: respond to God’s nature in faith or react to the circumstance in the flesh. Which defines your life recently?
In the first eight verses of Psalm 37, God’s Word instructs three sperate times, “do not fret.”
“Do not fret because of evil men . . .”
Psalm 37:1
“Be still and wait patiently for the Lord. Do not fret. . .”
Psalm 37:7
“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret . . .”
Psalm 37:8
In Hebrew terminology, “charah,” translates the idea of “fretting,” which means to agitate, to heat up emotionally, or the be vexed or incensed. Each of these usages define a fretful spirit when reacting to life’s disappointments and frustrations.
Psalm 37:1 teaches us not to fret in the face of evil doers. David had retreated from Saul. He learned the hard way that fretfulness sometimes makes us run and hide. Fretfulness can turn us into feeble Christians as our souls “heat up” with agitation over some disappointment or distressing situation. When this happens, we tend to look for the exit route as David did once, and we no longer walk by faith. Instead, we walk feebly in fear.
To counter this negative reaction to life, how can we instead respond to God’s nature? First, when fretfulness tempts you to run away in fear, remember the words of our Savior. Jesus said, “do not fear, are you not worth more than the sparrows?” (Matthew 10:31) Jesus spoke to Peter, “do not fear, from now on you will be fishers of men.” (Luke 5:10) Jesus announced to the crowd, “Do not fear daughters of Zion, for Your King is coming, riding on a colt.” (John 12:15) Second, as you remember what Jesus has said, remember the spirit God has given you as His child: “We have not been given a spirit of fear, but a spirit of adoption, whereby we cry out ‘Abba Father’.” (Romans 8:15) Third, courageously and without hesitancy obey God with every thought, word, and deed. Philippians 1:14 appraises the commitment the early Christians practiced: they obeyed God and spoke the Word of God without fear.”
So, Fret not! Remember what Jesus has said (“fear not”), remember who you are as adopted by God (full rights as His child – John 1:12), and be ready to obey and please your Father in Heaven at every turn in life.
Returning to a testimony from Jill Briscoe (please see her story from the February 12th devotion copied below), notice that even in the midst of frustration and resentment, she did not react, but responded to the nature of God. In her situation she described as a spiritual desert, she responded simply and poignantly: “the desert made me O so thirsty for a cup of cold water from the Spring of living water – Jesus.”[1]
Herein is the secret to overcoming a fretful spirit: thirst for Jesus and His presence and truth for your life. Truly listen to Jesus. Courageously trust Him. And, when tempted to fret, rest in the fact that your Savior has you. You are under His favor.
Blessings,
Ken
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In the book Desert Experiences, Jill Briscoe authored a chapter titled “You Should Have Come Sooner.” Concerning the struggles of a missionary’s wife, she writes,
Trouble came to me in a series of difficult things. First, I came through the painful season of my dad losing his battle with cancer. This was incredibly painful – seeing a loving parent slowly disintegrate before your eyes takes its toll. Then, our daughter broke her arm the day Stuart left for a long trip. I hurt my back quiet seriously, and on top of all this we had a series of dangerous threats from some neighborhood kids we had been working with in our ministry. One of these doubtful characters had just been released from jail and insisted on knocking on our windows at night to scare me and my children. The long absence of my husband away on ministry assignments became overwhelming, and the accumulated pressure became unbearable. I found out to my chagrin that I was not the good little missionary’s wife I thought I was. Resentment that had been festering in my heart began to surface, and I realized a whole lot of issues lay unresolved.”[1]
[1] Briscoe, Jill. You Should Have Come Sooner. The Desert Experience – Personal Reflections on Finding God’s Presence in Difficult Times. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001, Briscoe, p.34.
