In the midst of these chaotic times, it is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed by circumstances and fearful of what the future holds. It is easy to fall prey to worry, discouragement, anxiety and even despair.
Psalm 37:1-8 provides an antidote, and if applied on a daily basis, can lead to the ability to overcome and walk above your circumstances.
Three times in the passage of Scripture the writer says, “Do not fret…” The word, fret, as a verb has multiple meanings. One meaning is “to be constantly or visibly anxious.” Another is “to wear away or destroy gradually.” As a noun, the word can mean, “a state of being nervous, anxious, or irritated.”
In the New King James version of the Bible, the last time “Do not fret,” is included in this Scripture passage it goes on to say, “it only causes harm.”
As is far too common in our culture today, the result of continuing in the constant state of fretting has far reaching harmful impacts on our whole person; body, mind, and spirit, and also can impact our relationships with others in negative ways.
With so much to fret about these days, what can we do instead?
First, in verse 3, we are told to “Trust in the LORD and do good. Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” Verse 4, continues, “Delight yourself also in the LORD. And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
There is so much contained in just those two verses alone. As we trust in the LORD; as we dwell and feed on His faithfulness [instead of a daily diet of negative news on TV or social media]; as we delight ourselves IN the LORD, HE shall give us the desires of our heart. That doesn’t mean that He will give us everything we want, but instead, His desires become our desires, as we take great pleasure in Him. As we fill our minds with the truth of God’s Word, our faith in Him is built which makes what comes next possible.
The next part of learning to walk above our circumstances, is found in verse 5, where it says, “Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. The literal meaning of the word, commit, that is used in this verse is, “Roll off onto.” Isn’t that wonderful!? As we commit [roll off] our way [onto ]the LORD and trust in Him, He shall bring it to pass.
When we are able to trust in the LORD and commit whatever it is that is causing us to fret– to be in a constant state of worry, anxiety, fear– it becomes HIS concern.
At first, it is not unusual to be drawn back into the fretting mode, because it is so ingrained in us. It is a relearning process. Each time we are tempted to fret, we can recommit whatever it is to the LORD and reaffirm our trust in Him. Sometimes, depending on the circumstances of what we are dealing with, it may require an active, minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, or day-by-day act of commitment and trust.
Finally, verse 7 reminds us to, “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him…” As we trust, dwell, feed on His faithfulness, delight ourselves in Him, commit our way to the LORD and trust also in Him, we are to rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him.
Let’s be honest, waiting is hard work and oftentimes it seems that our situation is not changing or what we have committed to Him is not coming to pass as fast as we would like, or if it ever will. There are no easy answers. It’s in the waiting times that faith is strengthened and there is much to learn of Who God really is. True faith is resting in the LORD and believing and holding fast to His promises in spite of it all, and believing that He is at work in our lives, our circumstances, and in the lives of others — moving and working according to His Sovereign will.
We cannot do this on our own and we don’t have to. The Good News is that by choosing to respond to God’s love by placing our faith and hope in Christ Jesus alone as not only our Savior from sin, but also LORD of our life, we are given His promised Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and gives us His overcoming power to face the uncertainties in life knowing that HE is ABLE and is always with us no matter what we face. And because of that, we can rest in Him and not fret any longer.
How to Be Free!
Step one: Acknowledging to God that you are a sinner in need of His salvation.
Step two: Repent, which means to turn away from your old life of sin towards the new life that Jesus offers. Tell God that you are tired of your old ways, that your desire is to follow Jesus and to have Him make you a new creation. Renounce Satan and any hold that he may have on you. Claim the blood of Jesus over your spirit, soul, mind and body and give your allegiance forever to Him.
Step three: Surrender all that you are and have to Jesus. Ask Him to please come into your heart and life and to make you a new creation. Believe that He has answered & has come into your heart & life (all by faith). Even if you don’t feel any different in the beginning, God’s Word clearly states that you are a new creation created in Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:17, Acts 2:21, Romans 10:8-13)
Step four: Ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is given to believers as a seal of our salvation in Christ. The Holy Spirit is the One who leads and guides believers and enables them to live for Jesus alone. Invite the Holy Spirit to have His way in you as you surrender all that you are to Him.
Step five: Give praise to God! By placing your faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ alone, you are now a NEW CREATION in Him! Welcome to the family of God! You have now begun your journey on the road that leads to life! You are now following the only One who can help you truly walk on the heights!
Click the link below for next steps.
How to live a surrendered life