Graybeard Wisdom: Don't Fret

Introduction

is attributed to David, who by his own declaration in verse 25, is “old” as he writes. It an acrostic; each two-verse stanza begins with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. So, it’s kind of hard to outline. It is a string of proverb-like statements, imparting the wisdom of a mature man of God.

We’re going to spend this week and next letting this mature wisdom speak to our current situation.

Thankful for rain. It’s been so long we nearly forgot what it was. Maybe you felt like Chicken Little...

“The sky is falling!” Do we have any Chicken Little’s here today? Do you tend to draw the worst conclusions and get worked up into a contagious frenzy? Or maybe you tend to get increasingly angry? Or restless, inwardly and outwardly.

It’s difficult not to fret. The daily news is troubling. Your aches and pains might be your age, but you can convince yourself it’s more likely to be far worse. Financial uncertainty. Our children—we fret for them more than for ourselves.

We tend toward a r

Occasionally we need

In your more fretful times, who do you turn to (or wish you could turn to)—parent, grandparent, etc. We need mature wisdom, sometimes called “graybeard wisdom.”

Illustrate the need for mature wisdom

is graybeard wisdom. It is attributed to David, who by his own declaration in verse 25, is “old” as he writes. We’re going to spend this week and next letting this work of mature wisdom speak to our current situation—today, to our tendency to fret.

Psalm 37:8 ESV

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

Ps. 37

Don’t Fret

We lean in close to listen to the old king and he says:

“Do not fret—it leads only evil.”

“Don’t give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble.” GNB

“…cool your pipes—it only makes things worse” (The Message)

It’s kind of a funny thought to imagine and old man saying: “cool your pipes”.... but that’s not too far off. The word translated “fret” has to do with “getting heated”—hence, “Simmer down! Cool it!

Be cool. Fretting won’t do any good, only harm.

How to “be cool” (biblically speaking)

It an acrostic; each two-verse stanza begins with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. So, it’s kind of hard to outline. It is a string of proverb-like statements, imparting the wisdom of a mature man of God.

Restlessness.

Read

What: Don’t fret

Long-run perspective.

Why: God’s justice and righteousness prevails in the end, and your fretting is pointless.

Describe fretting / Don’t fret = Be cool! Simmer down! Chill out!

How:

How? To those of us who tend to get all worked up, he instructs us:

1. Trust

Psalm 37:3 ESV

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

In a word, the remedy for a life of fretting is trust. We’ll consider this more in a few moments, but for now:

God is trustworthy.

Trust is not idle.

1 Timothy 1:5 ESV

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

“Doing beats stewing.”

“Doing beats stewing.”

“The human heart is like a millstone in a mill; when you put wheat under it, it turns and grinds and bruises the wheat to flour; if you put no wheat, it still grinds on, but then ‘tis itself it grinds and wears way.” Martin Luther

“The human heart is like a millstone in a mill; when you put wheat under it, it turns and grinds and bruises the wheat to flour; if you put no wheat, it still grinds on, but then ‘tis itself it grinds and wears way.” Martin Luther

Not “busywork,” but activity that “shepherds faithfulness.” (protect / keep)

1 Timothy 1:5 ESV

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Matured confidence in God (trust) does not come merely by having believed God for a long time, but rather by having obeyed God for a long time. Living faithfully fosters the kind of trust that—in time—pens a psalm like this one.

2. Delight

Psalm 37:4 ESV

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

This is a favorite verse of many; it is also a greatly misunderstood verse. This doesn’t mean that God will give you all the silly or foolish things you desire. It means, rather:

What truly satisfies the human heart is found in God. It is in delighting in him that you find real satisfaction.

“You have made us for Yourself; and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” - Augustine

God is delightful.

God is the sovereign, awesome, holy God not to be trifled with, yet also “the perfection of grace, compassion, mercy, kindness, patience, and love.”

Where are you currently looking for satisfaction? (relationships, possessions, accomplishments, entertainment, experience) The more we expect these to deliver, the more frustration, angst, anxiety, and even anger surfaces.

Boice, J. M. (2005). : An Expositional Commentary (p. 317). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

We have a tendency to over-consume things that can never deliver what we wish.

I read something interesting last week about technology. It’s where we go when we are bored, right?

Andy Crouch: “Boredom is actually a crucial warning sign—as important in its own way as physical pain. It’s a sign that our capacity for wonder and delight, contemplation and attention, real play and fruitful work, has been dangerously depleted.”

When we turn to technology, we engage in an over-consumption of distraction. It is as unsatisfying as over-consumption of junk food.

That’s not to make you feel guilty about your devices. It is to remind you that your Creator knows you better than Apple. He is more creative, more beautiful, more engaging, more lasting.... Go for a walk. Talk to him. Be more aware of and engaged with the things that draw you to him or reveal his goodness, his heart, his splendor.

In a passage that mirrors the fret-fighting wisdom of this psalm, Paul says:

Philippians 4:8 ESV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Delight yourself in the Lord.

3. Commit

Psalm 37:5–6 ESV

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Here we pick up the idea of trust again, with very practical instruction:

Psalm

“Commit your way to the Lord” - What does that mean? We certainly should be committed to following him… dedicated to him. That is biblical, just not precisely what this is getting at. Literally: “to roll one’s way onto God.”

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Philippians 4:6–7 NIV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil 4

Take time in prayer to give God your concerns. He is not too busy to concern himself with your anxieties.

Peace comes in the praying, not just in the fixing.

There is peace from God that comes even where issues are unresolved.

But, you can be sure, he will act and in the long-run his ways will prevail.

4. Be Still

Psalm 37:7 ESV

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

Ps 37:

Now which is it; do good or be still?

This stillness / quietness is not idle inactivity. It is not motionlessness. It is contentment with not being in the driver’s seat. It is trusting God with the outcome of your prayers. It is trusting that God’s timing is better than mine.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

uses the imagery of the soul as a weaned child. It is a mark of maturity when one is content with God’s presence, not just his gifts.

Video of a soldier’s return home. His son was opening a gift when his dad walked in. There was no question which was the greater gift.

These videos give good perspective to those of us who are parents. But they also serve as little parables, I think, reminding us that we have a Father in heaven who is beyond compare.

Conclusion

Conclusion

Remember when you were “too cool” for your dad. (Insisting that Dad not drive me right up to the front steps of the Jr. High). It’s not quite the same with God, but (if we’ll listen to the graybeard wisdom this morning) the only way to “be cool” (in the biblical sense) is to be with God.

trusting him, doing good

delighting in him

rolling your concerns onto his shoulders

Resting content with him, even while we wait for the outcomes