MEASURE YOURSELF

Psalm 37:1-4

Psalm 37 begins with a personal and practical admonition: Do not fret. Have you ever been fretful? Fret means: to feel or express worry, annoyance or discontent. How do we calm a fretful spirit and bring peace to a troubled heart? "Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity" (v. 1). Why do we envy the wicked? They seem to be prospering; they seem to be so happy. But what do they have that we need? In God we have everything we need. Whenever we find ourselves fretting, it's probably because we are measuring ourselves against others. That's the wrong thing to do. Instead, measure yourself against yourself. You're not competing with others; you're competing with yourself. Also measure yourself against the Lord Jesus Christ, because He is the One you are to be like: "The measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13).

David reminds us: "For they [the wicked] shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good" (vv. 2,3). When you fix your eyes on the Lord and trust and obey Him, that fretful spirit quiets down, and peace comes to your heart. Whenever I stop trusting the Lord for my needs and for His help, my heart becomes heavy and burdened, and then I become fretful and worried. So "trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness" (v. 3). God takes care of His own.

We find a third admonition. "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (v. 4). When we delight in the Lord, we learn to appreciate the delights of the Lord. Our desires become His desires, and we pray and live in His will.

Don't fret today. Look to the Lord in faith, trust in Him and delight in Him.

Competing with others and comparing yourself to them can lead to fretting. Measure yourself only against yourself and against Jesus Christ. Consider your needs. Are there any the Lord cannot provide? Place your trust in His provision. He is faithful.