Freedom From Fretting
SCRIPTURE - PSALM 37: 1-40
Do you ever fret? The word fret means to heat up, to be burned up about something, to worry, to be angry. Fretting is an emotional strain, something that makes you uneasy, or active restlessness. In Psalm 37, David gives us some of the greatest advice found anywhere in Scripture. King David was fretting. He looked around and saw that those who were wicked seemed to be doing better than those who were following God. What David was writing about, he had experienced. Now older, he reflects on how to respond when it appears the ungodly are doing better than the godly. Also, David had been the recipient of ungodly attacks, vicious gossip, and rumors. He understood how that reality invites fretting into the life of a believer. His advice in Psalm 37 gives us a road map for dealing with that today.David gives us Seven Steps to Overcoming a case of the “Frets:”I. Trust in the LordPsalm 37:3aTrust in the LORD…This is simple yet profound advice. “Trust” means faith, and faith cures fretting. “Trust” means without care, or freedom from fretting. Trust is positive surrender to God’s sovereignty. When you place your faith in the Lord and release your worries to Him, your worries are replaced with hope, anticipation, and positive expectation concerning the future.II. Do the Will of GodPsalm 37:3b“Do good.”That means do the right thing. When you do the right thing, a sense of freedom comes over you. Freedom and fret cannot survive in the same house. David is telling us to get busy for God, be active for Him, do His will in spite of your circumstances. Determine that you will do the right thing no matter what.III. Delight Yourself in the LordPsalm 37:44 Delight yourself in the LORD…The word “Delight” means to get your joy from, to focus on, enjoy the presence of, to spend time with. David invites you to redirect your emotions. Instead of fretting over what is happening, start delighting in the One Who can change it. Seek your joy through Christ alone, focus on Him and His Word; enjoy His presence; and daily spend time with Him. When you do that, God plants His desires within you and then gives you those desires as a gift. What an awesome God!IV. Commit Your Way to the LordPsalm 37:5-65 Commit your way to the LORD,Trust also in Him, and He will do it.6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the lightAnd your judgment as the noonday.The word “Commit” literally means to roll over. It is a picture of taking your burdens to the Lord, rolling them over on Him, and leaving them with Him. You surrender and entrust everything to Him. Notice what happens when you commit your way unto the Lord—“He will do it.” God begins to act on your behalf. God intervenes. God will even protect your character and reputation. The Lord has multiple ways of revealing the truth of the matter to those who have believed otherwise.V. Be Still Before the LordPsalm 37:77 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.Be silent before God. Get away from your phone, computer, media, or anything that would distract you from focusing entirely upon the Lord in that moment. This is the picture of waiting expectantly upon the Lord, believing He is at work even when it may seem like He is not.VI. Believe the Lord Is Directing Your Every StepPsalm 37:23-2423 The steps of a man are established by the LORD,And He delights in his way.24 When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.When you delight in the Lord, He directs even your steps. God leads you step by step. It is important to remember that God does not shine a huge spotlight on the next hundreds of steps. God instead shines a pin light to give you only enough light for the next step. That keeps you dependent upon Him and requires faith. David was now an old man. He had faced unbelievable troubles and difficulties, yet he makes this confession.Psalm 37:2525 I have been young and now I am old,Yet I have not seen the righteous forsakenOr his descendants begging bread.God will never turn His back on you. He will provide for you and keep you safe and secure, holding your hand every step of the way.VII. Don’t Forget That Time and Truth Are On Your SidePsalm 37:23-2423 The steps of a man are established by the LORD,And He delights in his way.24 When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.Even when it seems like you do all the right things and still find yourself in adverse circumstances, keep walking in the will of God. Keep doing the right thing. You have two allies: truth and time. Truth will win out—what God says He will do. The truth sets you free. Time is also on the side of the one who walks in the will of God. “Time is the friend of the people of God” (Phillips).