Fret not thyself against evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.–Psalm 37:1
Nearly every American can remember where they were twelve years ago today. 9-11-2001 is a date we will never forget. I don’t need to explain what happened because it is deeply imprinted in our minds. The only question about that terrible tragedy is “Why?”. That’s something people wrestle with to this very day. They want an explanation. They want answers to their questions. They want to know, why would a good God allow a bad thing like this to happen?
Not only are they confused, they are enraged at those responsible for the cowardly attacks. For some it goes far beyond anger— they have bitter hatred in their hearts toward the perpetrators. They want revenge. And their bitterness bleeds through and shows itself in numerous ways.
In light of all this it is difficult for some people to take the words of our text serious–“Fret not thyself–neither be thou envious–“. They even resent being told to “Cease from anger; and forsake wrath: fret not—“( vs. 1,8) If that describes you, you need to read this entire Psalm. Here’s what you will learn—God is still good, and still in control, and will use the bad for good, and will judge the evildoers, and will reward the righteous.
We need to remember everyday that no evil goes unpunished and no good deed goes unrewarded. Regardless of what is happening, God will balance the books and make all the wrongs right. Because that is true you should “Trust in the LORD”(vs. 3), “Delight thyself also in the LORD”(vs. 4), “Commit thy ways unto the LORD”(vs. 5), “Rest in the LORD”(vs. 7), and “Cease from anger”(vs. 8). Embrace this precious promise and you will be encouraged—-“And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him”(vs. 40). “He is their strength in the time of trouble”(vs. 39). We never know what a day might bring — what hardships we will be forced to face, but we can always rely upon God to keep His promises. —HDS
