PSALM 37

“Fret not thyself...Trust in Him.” These are the first three words of the Psalm and the last three words of the Psalm. While there is much more revealed in this Psalm, 40 verses in all, these six words frame a very simple outline of the Psalm.

I. Fret not thyself

Fretting encompasses grief, anger, envy, discontent, etc. In the Old Testament when it speaks of leprosy, it is a type of sin. In Leviticus 13, twice it references a fretting leprosy which applies to a malignant leprosy and once means fret inward. The emotion fretting that we sometimes see in our own lives often begins as we fret inward in our thoughts. If allowed to remain, it can spread to our words and finally our actions. It can also become contagious as we come in contact with other people.

II. Trust in Him

Trusting in Him is the remedy to the condition of fretting. It means to confide in Him or find hope and confidence in Him. In 37:40 it refers to fleeing to Him to take refuge or shelter. If we take our eyes off of the natural concern, we can fix our eyes upon the Lord and thus trust in Him. It is impossible to please God without faith and it is His Will for our lives that we walk by faith and trust in Him.

There is much in these few words and in their ability to summarize the Psalm. May we take these six words and apply them to our thoughts and words and deeds. Praise God for His precious Word and the impact it can have upon our lives as we dig into its depths and grasp hold of its heights.

by Linda Shepard