“Of David.
Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself 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 act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil desires!” Psalm 37:1-7
I want to encourage you right now to stop reading, get a Bible, and read the rest of Psalm 37. It is important for you to have the entire context of this Psalm. After you read it then come back for a few comments.
As we behold the events of our world, it can be difficult not to fret and yet the Psalm begins by saying, fret not. The contrast between the evildoer and the one who seeks after righteousness could not be clearer.
Haiti is a nation that has been fraught by the rule of evildoers. Gangs roam the streets creating anarchy. The recent earthquake only adds to the chaos there. We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ and for the missionaries who are serving there.
The situation in Afghanistan is heartbreaking. The humanitarian crisis is great. We are placing more of our military in harms way. The great struggles of the past two decades seem for naught. But God is sovereign still. And we also pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Afghanistan today as well.
Someone posted a sad but often true statement on social media this week: “Church in Afghanistan ‘We will gather and likely die.’ Church in America ‘We will gather (unless there’s a cookout, birthday party, or if it’s a nice day, or there’s a chance of rain, or I’m a little tired or something.)”
I hope that makes you say, ‘ouch!’
The division we see in our own land and the propensity toward evil is progressing at breakneck speed. Things can and often do look discouraging from day to day. The news is not often uplifting. But I hope as you read Psalm 37 your heart was lifted up. Fret not. Trust in the LORD. When we cannot see the end from the beginning know that our God is working, and that He will work out all things according to His glorious plan. Here at home we also pray for fellow believers in Christ.
“In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.” Psalm 37:10-11