"Fret Not Thyself"

by J. Taylor, Crowborough | Category: General | Apr 1980

The writer of Psalm 37 looks over his past life and its times of adversity and, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, passes on words of wisdom, as relevant today as they were when they were written.

If anyone had cause to fret or worry it must surely have been David. In his early days he was persecuted and pursued over the mountains and hills by Saul and his men. In later life he had the sad experience of being driven out by his own son but through all these experiences he was sustained by the unfailing faithfulness of the Lord in whom he trusted.

It is interesting to notice how many times in this and other Psalms David uses the exhortation, "Trust in the LORD" or similar expressions. There were, as we can well discern from the Psalms he wrote, times when he was in the depths of despair and on one occasion he said, "I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul" (1 Sam. 27:1). However, the Lord sustained and preserved him, and he could say, "The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them" (Psa. 34:7). And so, reflecting on these things he wrote, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread" (Psa. 37:25). But in this Psalm David is not so much dwelling on his own past troubles. Rather is he concerned with the moral depravity of man, and the sad departure from God and His standards. He is concerned with the apparent prosperity of evil men who seem to bring their corrupt plans to fruition. In another Psalm he voices his concern in these words, "Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men" (Psa. 12:1).

Elijah felt something of this too, when in his fit of depression he said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars... and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away" (1 Kin. 19:10). He was to learn later that he was not after all the only one left, for the Lord revealed to him that there were many more faithful ones, of whom he knew nothing. The Lord said to Elijah, "Yet will I leave Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him".

Is it any wonder that we may sometimes feel as this man of old did? Elijah, and David too, were men "of like passions with us" (Jas. 5:17). As we look around us we too see on every hand signs of depravity and departure from God. Things which were once acknowledged to be sinful (a very much ridiculed word in the world today) are now tolerated or even openly encouraged. We see the evil purposes of men being put into operation, and we may feel like saying, with David, that the godly men are ceasing. However, there are undoubtedly many more redeemed souls than we with our limited experience imagine. We can rest assured that, "The Lord knoweth them that are His" (2 Tim. 2:19).

What we see going on around us today should come as no surprise, for the Lord has told us in His Word that "evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse" (2 Tim. 3:13). We are living in the last days (2 Tim. 3:1-8) and very soon the Lord will return to take to Himself all who belong to Him. He will then deal with all that now corrupt the earth, and those who "work unrighteousness... shall be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb" (Psa. 37:1-2).

In the light of all this, what should we be found doing? David, in the Spirit, gives us the answer, "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him. Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing" (Psa. 37:7,8).

J. Taylor, Crowborough | Apr 1980
General