Knowing God - Psalm 37:1

(from pastor)

Do not fret ...

Psalm 37:1

 

I know someone who is worried. Recently they counted how many "fear nots" are in the Bible. It occurs at least 120 times -- not counting today's "fret not."

 

Many of the "fear nots" occur when humans have an encounter with God. Meeting the creator of heaven and earth ought to cause us to shake. Fortunately when we encounter the God-of-Fear-Not, he's usually planning to bless rather than to haunt. (God is good!)

 

But I'm intrigued by the word "fret" here. Fretting means to gnaw at, to wear away, to erode and corrode. It reflects agitation and uneasiness. This Psalm is not describing a God-encounter. This is an encounter with the world when we don't have the confidence that God will comfort, protect, and save. The Psalm naturally suggests the alternative -- trust in the Lord and take delight in him.

 

What has you fretting right now? What might you need to do to take more delight in the God-of-Fear-Not?

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who doesn't want to be a rodent

(why? because rodents gnaw and fret)

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I looked up other translations for this and found:
Do not be upset, worry, bother your head, be angry, be preoccupied, be agitated.


Basically - chill out!!  What has me fretting? Me? Where to start? I worry about making it through this journey, what the other side holds, really making connections here, retaining what I am learning from God/about God...


What do I need to do to take more delight in the "God of the fear not?"  Basically - trust Him more.  Stop being afraid.  easier said than done.