"Don't Fret: It'll Only Lead To Evil"

Have you ever it happen when something's been going on in your life and it's all you can focus on, and then you open your Bible and read something that seems completely written for you in that exact moment on time? I don't know about you, but when that happens to me, it just plain old rocks! This morning, I'd been very angry and agitated with a friend and basketball teammate. Lately, he's been cocky, arrogant, and disrespectful to me. I'm sort of an unofficial team captain, and so I expect respect when I call a play on the court. Sometimes, a player or two will disrespect my leadership, but I didn't expect the first friend I made in Tennessee to begin to compete with my leadership position and disregard my play calls. To put it bluntly, I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, and a face load of fist.

This morning, I opened my Bible. Deciding to read Psalms, I thumbed to one of my favorites areas of the Bible: the 30s chapters in Psalms. I read a few random sections of 34-36, and was unimpressed and bored. Then I read 37. Psalm 37 always gets me excited, but my eyes grew wide with amazement when I read the first dozen verses this morning. The first several verses are incredibly profound and at the same time, very plain, but I won't quote them for time's sake, but I advise you to look them up. Here's what caught my attention:

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

Do you see that?! King David advised that we shouldn't get put out when people get their way or when their evil schemes succeed. I love that he simply says, "Do not fret- it leads only to evil". Fretting was all I was doing. My mindset was a "righteous pouting", but it was still sinful and selfish.

This particular chapter makes me feel that if I remain quiet, live in His presence, wait for His guidance, and trust that He will deliver, that will be the place God wants me to be and won't forget about my obedience. But anyway, it's obvious in the Bible that the evil people will succeed on earth. It's also obvious that evil people won't succeed in eternal life. It's also obvious if Christians put our hope in Him, wait for Him, and keep our eyes off the successful evil people, we'll be delivered into a glorious relationship with Jesus.

King David also wrote in Psalm 37, "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." I honestly cannot say it any better than David here. Commit to God and trust in Him and this is the guaranteed result: He'll make your righteousness shine like the dawn and the justice of your cause will be as obvious as the sun. In other words, trust in God, and not only will He keep you safe and secure, He'll even raise you up in glorious victory over your enemies!