Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong . . . Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:1,3-4
I decided to look up the definition of the word fret: 1. worry: to be worried, irritated, or agitated about something; wear away: to wear away or corrode the surface of something, or become worn away or corroded make hole by constant rubbing:
Are you a fretter? Can you turn thoughts over and over in your mind looking at them from every imaginable angle? Do you find yourself especially susceptible to fretting about offenses that have been done to you or said about you? Me too! Sometimes it feels good to focus on the faults of others. Truthfully it can make us feel better about ourselves to spend time thinking about the nasty things someone else has done. However, look what fretting does. It wears away. It makes a hole by constant rubbing.
Fretting over offenses literally wears away at relationships and makes holes of sadness in our hearts. The Lord reminds us to trust in and delight ourselves in Him. The Life Application Bible notes say this about verse 4: To delight in someone means to experience great plesure and joy in his or her presence. This happens only when we know that person well.
When I compare these two choices I can fret over offenses and evil that wear away at my own happiness and relationships, or I can delight in the Lord allowing Him to fill my heart and my circumstances with His presence.
Father, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, help me to delight in Your presence. Amen.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Thank you for this message. It is good to be reminded to wait on God and refuse to allow the circumstances to unsettle you.