Do Not Fret
Life can be really hectic and even chaotic. I am not just talking about having too many hobbies or busy holiday schedule. I am talking about worries and burdens like severe illnesses, family feuds, depression, burn out, excess work load or lack of work, aging parents, and financial struggles. Sometimes we just don’t know how to make it through the day. What to do then? How do we manage when there is too much on our plate?
For me there is only one way: turning to God. He is my strength. He is my portion. He is my joy.
Okay, you say. It sounds sweet but how do you do it in real life? It’s really simple: Enter into God’s presence in prayer and take the words of God in by reading the Bible. Even a few verses will do. The main idea is to chew on God’s nourishing words. They will transform us. They will feed us the energies of salvation. They will empower us to keep on keeping on.
Just this morning I was tempted to skip reading the Bible knowing I had an extremely busy day ahead of me. But I took the time to pause before the Lord because after a sleepless night my strength was really low. I knew only God could help me. I turned to Psalm 37 and the first words I read were “Do not fret!” I was stopped right then and there. My heart rate slowed down and I could feel God’s care. Here’s the collection of exhortations to patience and trust from Psalm 37:
Do not fret.
Trust in the Lord.
Commit your way to the Lord,
trust in him, and he will act.
Be still before the Lord,
and wait patiently for him;
do no fret.
Our steps are made firm by the Lord
when he delights in our way;
though we stumble,
we shall not fall headlong,
for the Lord holds us by the hand.
Do I need to say that I was encouraged, refreshed and empowered? I gained far more than I gave. I laid my burdens at the foot of the cross. I lifted up the joy of salvation. God is so good. He is always with us and his love never quits. He will strengthen us as needed. He will hold us by the hand.
I will continue to meditate these words during the day. When I feel overwhelmed I will repeat “do not fret”. I will trust in the Lord. I will commit my day to the Lord and he will act. My steps are made firm by the Lord. He is my strength. He is my portion. He is my joy.
Gracious God,
I come to you with empty hands
and a heart full of worries.
Take my burdens,
fill my heart with your joy.
I commit my day and my life to you.
Restore, renew and refresh.
Be my strength, my portion, my joy.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Q4U: How do you manage when there is too much on your plate?
Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you go through your day. No matter what God is with you!
#991 God is our strength
#992 God is our portion
#993 God is our joy
#994 God’s word refreshes us
#995 God’s word nourishes us
#996 Our steps are made firm by God
#997 God will guide us
#998 God will hold us by hand
#999 God will empower us to keep on keeping on
#1000 God is more than we ever need
Image courtesy of Jessica B. Linking up today with Linking up today with What’s on Your Heart Tuesdays, Wordfilled Wednesday, All Things Heart & Home , God-Bumps and God-incidences ,Work in Progress.a
2 thoughts on “Do Not Fret”
Thank you so much for your post. I am visiting from In Your Heart Tuesdays and I love your post since at this time in my life I so need to be reminded of the need to not fret and trust in Him through whom all things are possible. Have a blessed week and thanks again for your words.
Thank you very much, Gisela! I love your name, so beautiful. May God continue to bless you and keep you in his grace!