A Word of Encouragement

It is good to realise when God provides encouragement for you, it can also be for others.  By God's grace we can be His messengers to encourage, exhort and edify others by freely sharing what God has shown us.  When a person is excited about a good book, quality service or an amazing experience, their enthusiasm draws our interest.  This is also true as the LORD speaks to us through the Bible in our time of need, and we ought to be most excited and blessed to hear from God.

After being greeted with troubling news, I was delighted to open God's word and find refreshing water for my needy soul.  As the words cascaded upon my parched mind, the scripture brought unexpected joy and rest.  While God's word is true and timeless, it can also be most timely.  My eyes fell on Psalm 37:1-8 and my heart drank it in:  "Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. ² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. ³ Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. ⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. ⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. ⁷ 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 brings wicked schemes to pass. ⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret--it only causes harm."

Several times in these verses David exhorted the reader not to fret.  To "fret" means to wear away with friction; to chafe; to trouble, agitate, disturb.  Fretting can be subtle because it occurs slowly over time.  There are no shortages of situations and people that rub us wrong, circumstances that trouble us as we worry without realising it.  The light of God's word revealed to me I had only been up a few minutes but I had been fretting in that short time, and it was doing harm rather than good.  I appreciate God does not only point out our sins and lack of faith but also directs and empowers us by the Holy Spirit to do His will instead:  to trust in the LORD, delight in Him, commit our way to the LORD, rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him.  There is nothing boring or dull about following Jesus, for there is much He desires to do in and through our lives.

Had I already faithfully put into practice the "do's" of Psalm 37, I would not have been fretting.  My perspective and countenance would have been marked by satisfaction in the LORD, delight, confidence in God, patience, attitudes free of frustration and worry.  The word "fret" is repeated three times in this passage, and "LORD" is repeated four times.  The one who remembers the LORD and honours Him with faith and obedience will endure, unlike the workers of iniquity which will be cut down--though they flourish for a season.  The righteousness of Christians is received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone who gives us salvation, redemption and eternal life.  Why should we fret when we know the LORD who reigns on high who delights in us?