December 28
PROVERBS 24
19 Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
and be not envious of the wicked,
20 for the evil man has no future;
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
– Proverbs 24:19-20
PROVERBS 24 FRET NOT BECAUSE OF EVIL
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As you live in this sinful and corrupt world
You will encounter all kinds of evil around you
Remember that there is a spiritual battle constantly
Guard your heart, mind and soul so you’ll have victory
When you are aware of the tactics of the devil at play
You will not fret over such tricks that come your way
Because Jesus already won the battle on the cross
Be at peace that wickedness will be cut off and not last long.
Solomon reiterates his father David’s Psalm 37:1-6 in these Proverbs. David compares those who do evil to grass that will wither like the green herb. He recommends the antidote to fretting as follows in this Psalm:
• Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
• Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
• 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.
• 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!
• Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
With all the solutions to fretting that David laid out in this psalm, why do we still fret over evildoers? Should we look into our hearts and uncover the source of such fretting? Couldn’t we instead lean more on God since he is our shield and defender?
REFLECTION
• What possible causes are there for believers to be fretting over evildoers?
