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 devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.Â
Psalm 37:1-8
While reading this psalm this morning, through my memory I heard my mother’s voice saying, “I am so fretted!” I picked up the tendency to fret and fume about this, that or the other thing. The repetition of “fret not” in this psalm is God’s grace to my heart. While “I am so fretted” seems to be the preset station on my emotional radio–today, I am conscious that God’s preset is “fret not”!
“It is one thing to say “fret not, ” but a very different thing to have such a disposition that you find yourself able not to fret. Fussing always ends in sin. Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way! All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God.”
Oswald Chambers
Father God, by disposition I will live today hitting the fretful preset button. By faith, quietly trusting in you, I have hope that “fret not” will replace my spoiled disposition! What delight comes to my heart as I ponder the possibility of this day! AMEN