Slow Burn

“Do not fret because of evildoers” (Psalm 37:1)

Why do we watch the news? I’m one of those who likes to know what is going on in the world, but after watching the news I rarely feel better. I am usually depressed when watching what other people are capable of, as the news usually contains the story of what a person has done somewhere that leaves me shaking my head over how people can be that evil. The general state of the world can be so depressing.

Back when David wrote the Psalms, he didn’t have a worldwide network to watch and see what was happening elsewhere, but seeing and knowing what was going on in his personal sphere was enough for him to see the evil in men’s hearts. David knew what it was like to not just be surrounded by evil men but to be pursued by them. He was anointed king as a teenager but then had to spend his twenties running from King Saul who wanted to kill him.

David even spared his life because he knew that all authority came from God, and he knew it wasn’t his place to kill Saul, yet after Saul returned to his palace David lived in a cave.

David must have spent a lot of time wondering what God was up to, so when he wrote this Psalm he knew what it was like to worry about evil men, wondering when God would set things straight.

“I have been young, and now I am old…” (Psalm 37:25)

When he wrote this Psalm, David was reflecting back on his life. He was using the lens of his personal history to look back and see how God had moved in and around him. One of his observations was that evil men will “wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.” (Psalm 37:2) He was reminding Israel that while things may look dark at times, in the end God will prevail.

The Hebrew word “fret” in verse 1 means to burn, and one commentary translates this verse as “Don’t work yourself into a slow burn” when you see evil men. In verse 8 David reminds us not to fret because “it leads only to evildoing.” When we get fraught over something that we think God isn’t taking care of, we are in essence starting to think that we know better than God what should be done. We’re saying, in effect, “God, I don’t like the way You’re running things!” rather than trusting and resting in Him.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

God sees and is aware of what is happening. While He certainly doesn’t condone evil or relish in it, He knows how to turn the plans of the enemy around for His good and glory.

I find it somewhat fascinating that when we look around us we can’t imagine a time darker than ours, yet I would venture that David felt the same thing. Many others through history have certainly also felt the same. Evil has always existed in the hearts of men, and in men have continued to show how depraved they are within the context of their times. Every generation has known evil that seemed to push the boundaries of what they thought man capable of doing. As time marches on each age demonstrates to itself just how evil man can be. I’m not minimizing the evil we see around us today, but simply positing the thought that those who lived before us has thought man has reached the limit of how evil they could become.

With that thought in mind I see David reminding us to keep our hearts and minds set upon God.

When the bad guys seem like they are winning, submit to God, be content in Him, and do rightly, trusting the Lord to judge righteously.

Faith.

Does.

Not.

Fret.