By Brady Roser Associate Pastor The Bridge Church
Sunday, March 21, 2021
1 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
We find ourselves in situations that drive us to a place of looking for God and wondering if he is there or listening. Look internally and be honest with yourself. Look and see where you long for a move of God. When we find ourselves in desperation for a move of God, we have to remember he is constantly moving. We are the ones who are sitting still or moving in the other direction. If we look at the above text, we see a move of God in an unmistakable voice, a desire for God. We see a list of commands that will help us in the desire for God.
Do not fret, and do not be envious. These fit into my situations of social interaction. It states the evil that we as humans are capable of, but do not fret or be envious of these. God has a plan and a purpose for my righteousness and justice. Rather than worry and lose faith, step out in faith. I should ask myself why I am so anxious over people's actions that do not know him.
Fretting will lower my guard allowing envy to move on my heart. Envy is a dangerous place to live that can wreak havoc on my heart and soul, primarily if it is rooted in envy for worldly things. What I need to do is allow God to give me his peace, "peace be with you" is what our Lord breathed over us. As Jesus spoke those words, he meant that he longs for my life to be full of God. To be free from fretting and envious thoughts. This freedom leads me to my next step in a move of God, trust in the Lord.
When envy and fret try to make their way into my heart, I need to fight against them, which is done by trusting the Lord with all that I am and doing good. When I begin to trust God to help me, I can see the necessary actions, the good fight, the good works, the goodness of God that he wants to flow through me.
It isn't about obeying the laws of God, but about dwelling in a place of faith that shows the love I have for Jesus and people; this will result in obedience to God's laws. It is about showing the love and faithfulness God has for me and extending that to others, and an extension of God's love brings me delight that I can commit.
Delight in the Lord and committing my ways to him is the joy of the spirit. When I decide to trust and do good, a joy unimaginable pours out of my life and into others; this is the delight of the Lord – to love doing his work, to love living righteous and holy. I love being a follower of Christ because it brings me the most extraordinary delight that surpasses all things that this world can offer me.
Take time to reflect on these areas in your own life as the reader. Ask God to help you through the fretting and envy. Ask God to help you trust him and do good as you dwell with him in your life. Finally, ask him to help you delight and commit your ways to him; this will bring such a different viewpoint that is freeing and better than life itself, a life following the move of God.
Brady Roser is the associate pastor The Bridge Church.
