When Charlie and I got engaged as college seniors, we took Psalm 37:1-6 as our life verses. They have meant so much to me in a variety of ways over the years, but this morning as I participated in the devotional time at the Leadership Team meeting for the Ohio Conference this morning, God spoke to me in a fresh way.
1Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Though we generally associate “fret” with worry, a study of the original word is quite different. It has to do with being angry and frustrated. God is telling me not to allow frustration with people who have done wrong to dominate my life, thoughts, and attitude. The word actually means “fueling the fire”…throwing another log on the fire or disappointment and frustration that keeps it going. I know what that means, don’t you? You hear something new about a situation that has already pained you, and instead of dismissing it, you rehearse all the ways you have been wronged, and add this new incident to the list. I may even think “God has shorted me—I have been wronged, and that person is getting away with it!” If I stay there, I can discover before too long that my frustration is fueling my life more than my vision.
I need to recognize that God will deal with people who deal with me, and not be jealous or envious of how he allows others to operate. He says the solution for life involves 3 steps—1) Trust in the Lord and do good 2) Find delight in what delights God 3) Commit my way completely to the Lord.
Paul Walter, the leader who presented the devotional , shared his paraphrase of the famous and often quoted verse 4, “If I want for my life what God wants for my life, I will never be disappointed.” Wow! That puts it all in proper perspective, and keeps me from” throwing more logs on the fire” of my frustration. I need to do like Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane---present my heartfelt desires to the Lord, then from my heart say, “But—the bottom line is, I want what YOU want for my life.”
Help me live this way today, Jesus---fret free.
3 comments:
Good stuff, Mom!
Wow! Nothing like boiling it all down to the very essence of the Word. I think Satan uses worry & fretting, especially on mothers and parents in general, to try & tear from us the peace we need to have and should have. After all, God did entrust the raising of these children He blessed us with to us, so can't we trust Him in turn, and KNOW that He is ultimately in charge-especially if we've dedicated them & given them back over to Him, not just figuratively but literally, as well!! People often ask me if I don't miss my children & grandchildren, my mother & my church family. I have to admit I do miss each one of them a lot. But that longing for them reminds me to daily & faithfully place them back in the precious hands of the Lord for safekeeping and want what He wants for each of them.
Thanks for the great reminder, Bren!
ANita, thanks for the encouragement. I love you much!
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