PSALM 37:1-8 (NKJV)
1. 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.
I have been meditating on and memorizing these verses from Psalm 37 for a few weeks now. They have brought me much peace lately. I find myself fretting over a few decisions that will need to be made. The Ukraine and Russian war saddens me. I have a intense desire to know what next semester will look like and what I will be doing. But amidst all this, God holds the future. I do not need to worry about next semester or fret about what could happen with the war. Nor worry about what I will be doing next year or where I will be. Instead, I am commanded to “trust in the Lord, and do good,” to “dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” This Psalm lists three commands consecutively: trust, delight, and commit. Action verbs requiring me to undertake. Along with these commands, there is also the command not to fret, or as the Christian Study Bible reads, not to be “agitated.” “Do not be ‘agitated’ because of evildoers” (CSB). There is no reason to waste time and energy fretting about the “man who brings wicked schemes to pass.” Fretting comes with no benefits, nor does it change anything. Fretting will only cause my hair to fall out, stress to build, and anxiety to increase. It does not bring any positive benefits – only harm. Thus, I choose to trust in the Lord. I choose to wait patiently, expectantly for Him. Even though it feels hard at times, I remind myself that He hears my questions. He understands my decisions. He sees next semester. He knows the outcome of the war. I can truly rest in Him because He holds my future.