Worrying and fretting about matters seems to be a favorite pastime of many people. I will admit that I have had my share of times when the worries just took over my day. I enjoy looking at words and word origins, and English is an interesting language to do that with, as throughout its long history, the English language has borrowed words from many sources. Real quick, let’s look at the origins of the words “worry” and “fret” Worry comes from the Old English word “wrygan” of old Anglo-Saxon origin, and means to strangle, to grab by the throat and tear. The word “fret” comes from the Old English word “fretan”, also of Old German origin, and means to devour or consume. To strangle, to devour. When we are worrying and fretting about problems, we are letting them strangle and consume us. As we look into our psalm today, the first several verses of Psalm 37, we are repeatedly told not to worry or fret. Let’s see what the Lord wants to teach us today.
Psalm 37 was written by King David. If anyone had reason to worry about matters, it was King David. On the run for his life for several years, then the worries that come with being king and keeping the country safe, along with the problems his children gave him. However, David learned to turn his cares over to the Lord. Several times in this psalm he tells us not to fret (vs. 1, 7-8). It is the opposite of trust, and has ill effects. Fretting and worrying can take a toll on our physical and emotional well-being. Feeding worry can lead to wrongdoing. We may miss God’s best solution to our problems. Fretting also undermines our witness for the Lord. We do not reflect His peace or show to the lost that we feel He is trustworthy.
One thing that David mentioned that sometimes causes us to be upset and fret is when we see ourselves and other believers going through difficult times, while the unsaved and wicked seemingly have it easy (vs. 1, 7). But as God’s Word says, the wicked may prosper for a time, but it is only for a time. Don’t spend your time looking at them, but rather look to the Lord, and put your trust in Him (vs. 3).
Our psalm then gives us four keys to leading a victorious and worry-free life - Trust, Delight, Commit, and Rest. These can help us counter worry, pessimism, and discouragement. First, trust in God, do good, and feed on His faithfulness (vs. 3). Believe that God will take care of us, and that He has our good in mind. God calls us to do good to others, so that they might see His kindness in us, and know that He is faithful.
David tells us to delight in the Lord (vs. 4). When we do, He will give us the desires of our heart. This is a divine promise, but comes with human obligations. It isn’t just a golden ticket to getting all we want. The first requirement is that we are to delight in Him. Delighting in the Lord means to take pleasure in discovering more about Him, and following His will. We all need to spend more time with God, learning what pleases Him. When we do, the Holy Spirit will align our hearts to desire what He desires. Then we will set ourselves up for receiving His blessings. When we make the Lord our joy, the desires that grow in our heart will be the ones He plants.
The third key is to commit our life to the Lord. (vs. 5). When we are dedicated to God, when we commit our way to the Lord, we allow His will and His Word to shape our thoughts, lifestyle, and goals. When we commit to His plan for us, commit to obeying His Word, God will give the perfect answer to our prayers.
The fourth key is to rest in the Lord (vs. 7). Sometimes it is hard to wait for God to answer prayer. However, when we rely on Him, He will work out our problems for our good. I picture a little child, just resting in their parent’s arms. They don’t have a worry in the world. They are safely trusting in their parents to take care of everything. They don’t worry about the bills, about world politics, etc. They are trusting. That is the way we are to be with God. Parents aren’t omnipotent. They can’t take care of everything. But our Heavenly Father can, and we need to trust in Him.
When we follow the steps that God laid out for us in the early verses of this psalm, we can be free from the strangling worry and the devouring fretting we have. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.
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