Fret Not and Move Forward in Faith

Fret Not

Psalm 37:1-2

1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

We must remember that God’s word is the final authority. If God says that one day the evildoers will be cut down like the grass, then rest assured that it will happen.

Do You Believe Who God Is?

Psalm 37:3a - Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

In order to trust in the Lord, we must first truly believe who God says He is.

·      In Exodus 3:13-14, God revealed His name, YAHWEH, to Moses at the burning bush experience.  God said, “I AM THAT I AM”.  God is absolutely self-existent, possessing essential life and permanent existence. 

·      In Genesis 22:14 Abraham names the place Jehovah Jireh, “the Lord will provide” after God provided a ram in the bush to use as a sacrifice instead of his son Isaac. 

·      In Judges 6:23-24, the Lord told Gideon “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.  Then Gideon built an alter unto the Lord and called it Jehovah Shalom, The Lord is Peace, signifying God’s desire to bring peace to His people and reminding us that God’s peace is not found in external circumstances, but in the presence of the Lord. 

·      In Exodus 15:26, God says, I am the Lord, who heals you, Jehovah Rapha. 

·      In Psalm 23, Jehovah-Raah is described as the Lord, our Shepherd, who guides, protects, and provides for his flock.  This name highlights the intimate relationship God desires to have with his people.

 

Move Forward in Faith

While belief is necessary, it is somewhat limited.

·      Belief: An intellectual agreement with information, such as believing that God exists.

·      Faith: A commitment to act on what you believe, even if you can't see the outcome.

·      You might believe that God exists because of the evidence you see around you but not have faith in who He is.

Do Good

Psalm 37:3b - Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

While we are trusting God to deliver us from evil and trusting that God is sovereign, in control of all things, we are to exercise our faith. 

·      We not only have a responsibility to trust in the Lord, but we also have a responsibility to do good. 

·      We must exercise our faith.

·      James 2:26 reminds us that faith without works is dead.

·      We are to continue to serve others using the gifts and abilities God has given us to be used according to His purpose. 

·      We are to continue to exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us – love, joy, peace, longsuffering/patience, gentleness, goodness, faith.   

·      When we trust and do good, it is promised that we shall be well provided for in this world: 

Delight in the Lord

Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

·      We are to be captivated with the Lord and all that He is.

·      Think about God, His love, His goodness, His grace and mercy.

·      Meditate on his blessings toward us.

·      Contemplate the awesome sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us on the cross.

·       Rather than focusing on the evil doings in the world, focus on the Lord.

·      In gaining the Lord, you gain everything else you ever need. 

·      Once we look at everything through the backdrop of the cross we can start to see things how God sees them.

·      By delighting in God and drawing close to him through studying His word and through prayer, our thoughts will start to knit together with His thoughts.

·      When we truly rejoice or “delight” in the eternal things of God, our desires will begin to parallel His and we will never go unfulfilled.

·      He gives us the desires of our heart when they line up with His desires for our life.