Do Not Fret Yourself

These are the words of the opening verse of Psalm 37. The entire verse reads “Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; do not be jealous of those who do wrong.” Through the years, this psalm has never spoken more loudly to me than it does now. I find that I must confess that, even through the lens of faith, I am one that worries and frets. I fret over the state of our world and our nation; over evil leaders who demonize immigrants and the poor to distract from their own sins; over concern that the sick and dying may not get the care and relief of suffering that they need and deserve; over the ravages of aging; over the emotional and financial strain put upon those who can least bear those burdens. Yes, I said it: I’m a fretter/worrier. Are you, too? Misery loves company, you know. If we fret, does this mean we lack faith? Does it mean that God gave us too fragile a constitution? Is it possible that he made us that way for a purpose? He seems to have a way of doing that, you know: giving us a purpose/mission without us always knowing exactly how to fulfill that mission. What to do, then? This is where our faith should take the lead. God has proven himself to be faithful time and again. May he help us to rest in his care for us and help us to remember that, despite the current state of the world, the justice of his eternal kingdom will eventually reign over evil. Below, I offer the words of Psalm 37, as the composer Felix Mendelssohn rendered them in his song “O Rest in the Lord” from the oratorio Elijah.

Peace,

John

O Rest in the Lord

O rest in the Lord, wait patiently for him, and he shall give thee thy heart’s desires.

Commit thy way unto him and trust in him; and fret not thyself because of evildoers.

O rest in the Lord, wait patiently for him.