Today’s 333 Devotional: “Why Fretist Thou”

King David tells us three times in Psalm 37 not to fret. The word, “fret,” is not a word that is often used today. You don’t hear people say, “Why fretist thou?” But if we put this in today’s language we’d say, “Why are you getting so frustrated?”

Life is frustrating. We all have these longings in our hearts, but due to life’s circumstances they aren’t coming out the way we hoped. And these unfulfilled desires foster frustrations.

Solomon said, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

King David said, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

But with life’s problems and frustrations, this is where faith meets the promises of God.

We know we’re to trust in verses like these, but if we were honest, we’d say for the most part that behind our smiling faces lay a frustrated interior of unfulfilled desires.

So how are we to reconcile that God wants to give to us the desires of our hearts, and we have yet to receive them. It may just be found in what King David says.

“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5)

But what’s God going to bring to pass?

“He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” (Psalm 37:6)

God will give us the desires of our hearts when we delight ourselves in Him rather than in what the world offers and commit ourselves to fully following Him.

God will give us the desires of our hearts when the desires of our hearts match His, that is, when it brings forth righteousness and justice.

God will give us the desires of our hearts when the desire of our hearts is in accordance with His purpose for our lives in making a kingdom impact.