Exodus 35-37, Psalm 37:1-22, Matthew 16:1-12, Acts 22

Psalm 37:1-22:

When people attack us, a range of emotions rises up within us. One of the most common is to “fret.” We worry what will happen to us. We are concerned as to whether we are safe. We fret about the impact on our career, or our family, or our own selves.

Over and over again, then, the first half of this psalm that we are considering this morning tells us to “fret not.” “Fret not yourself because of evildoers” (37:1). “Fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out his evil devices” (37:7). “Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil” (37:8). How are we to avoid such fretting?

By instead trusting, committing, being still, and knowing God’s plan. “Trust in the Lord, and do good” (37:3). Take a moment now to tell God you trust him. “Commit your way to the Lord; trust him and he will act” (37:5). Trust God by committing your way to him. Don’t “take the law into your own hands”; trust him by committing to doing things God’s way. “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (37:7).

Sometimes the right thing to do is nothing—but the kind of nothing that is done here is at root a deliberate stillness before God. Slowing down and stopping. And the Lord’s plan? “The meek shall inherit the land” (37:11); “the wicked plots against the righteous . . . but the Lord laughs at the wicked for he sees that his day is coming” (37:12-13); “The Lord knows the day of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever” (37:18). There is, then, a future plan that means that we can fret not, trust, commit, and be still! Fret not!