"'CAN I TRUST GOD REALLY, NOW?'
'Fret not... Fret not... Fret not...'
Three times in eleven verses this simple, almost archaic word addresses our most common tendency. We wrestle with our rivals, compete with circumstances, fight for survival, rather than learning to Trust, delight, commit and rest (Psalm 37: 3-7). We're conditioned to a 'law of the jungle,' 'survival of the fittest' approach to life. We tend to believe there is little hope for a glorious tomorrow if we personally don't secure it today.
That kind of philosophy takes a serious toll on health, on relationships, and produces an absence of peace. God has a better idea. It begins with trust which stands in the confidence that there is nothing He cannot master; and nothing in my life takes Him by surprise. In other words, there is no such thing as chance. He may not have designed the difficulty, but He did forsee it. All of our life is essentially a setting in which we learn to follow our Lord and do it trustingly. As the hymnwriter said: 'Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus - but to trust and obey.'
Being committed to committing our daily life to the Lord is a discipline essential to growth. Many well-meaning people seek to ritualize discipline into their life. But buying diet books, ordering pre-packaged foods or taking nutritional courses won't overcome a weight problem. Joining a health club or getting a bargain buy on 112 sessions at a spa won't get your body into shape. Purchasing books, tapes, or a correspondence course won't make you a genius. And neither will attending church make you more trusting. You cannot institutionalize righteousness, discipline, or maturity. To lose weight, you eat less; to tone your body, you excercise; to learn more, you study; and to grow yourself in godliness, you live in the Word of God and walk in His ways.
If I plan not to fret, I must answer this question: 'Can I trust God - really, now?' I say, even when things look like they may not turn out right, I've decided to find rest in His faithful, loving hand. They say 'you're in good hands with Allstate,' and I'm sure you are, but doesn't this sound like a better way?
Learning not to fret,
Ron Mehl'