Fret Or Follow

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He knows you. Listen to His voice. He will lead you to eternal and abundant life beyond what you could imagine. 

“At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it…Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him. Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures from the temple of the Lord …He carried all Jerusalem into exile: Only the poorest people of the land were left. It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence.” 2 Kings 24:10-20

The people were taken captive. They surrendered to the enemy and were led away, having lost everything. Their treasures taken, their land lost, they were thrust from the holy city, which was where they experienced the presence of God. This is the greatest consequence anyone can experience.

Is this just an ancient story of an ancient people, or is this relevant for today? Why should we care about people three thousand years ago being conquered and taken captive? History is full of stories of war, but something is different about this story.

This is the story of the people of God who were taken to a pleasing land and meant to dwell with God. These are people who had eaten manna from heaven and been rescued from Egypt. Why does it matter? Because as people of God, truth tells us that what happened to them can happen to us. We can lose our way. We can be taken captive. The enemy can destroy our lives.

God has a blessed life of abundance and freedom planned for you. He wants you to daily delight in Him and do good. We were made to walk by the Holy Spirit and hear His voice. Is this your experience? Do you feel at peace or feel like a prisoner? Are you free, or do you find yourself captive to fear? Many people forfeit the inheritance God wants to give them by following other gods and listening to the voice of fear or the false.

“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight 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 do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn…Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, do not fret—it leads only to evil…the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just. The law of their God is in their hearts; Hope in the Lord and keep his way…a future awaits those who seek peace. The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.” Psalms 37:1-40

The order in which an instructor teaches matters because each truth is a building block. Before David ever gives guidance on how to live as God’s faithful people, he says do not fret. He says this three times to emphasize how important it is. The word fret in Hebrew is fascinating because it means both not to be anxious and, at a deeper level, not to allow your heart to burn with anger.

Fret seems like a nicer word than fear, but the implications of fretting are far-reaching. Fretting does not lead to following Jesus well. Fretting is the opposite of experiencing freedom. If you read the news or spending much time online, odds are you will find a reason to fret. What is on your mind and within your heart today? How are you fretting?

David said trust in the Lord and do good. This is great on a T-shirt, but how do we do it? How do we measure trust? What does trust look like in how we use our time, activate our talents, or steward our treasure? Start by listening to the voice of the Shepherd and asking who He made you to be. How could you know what to do if you do not know who you are? Who does God call you? What is your identity? What are your strengths and passions? How were you made to bring love to the world?

David said delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Don’t we wish this phrase was reversed? Don’t you wish God would give you all the desires of your heart and then you could delight in Him? How many times have we said, God, I will follow you when, or God, I will be faithful if my prayers are answered? Where is the faith in that approach? Without faith, you cannot please God.

David said commit your way, be still, and wait on the Lord. Why would he say this? Is it possible that the Good Shepherd wants to give us instructions and speak to us to guide us in following Him? It is hard to hear God if you are in a hurry or fretting over your latest worry. God designed us to live in a way where we hear His voice and walk by His leading. Do you have to be in control of everything, or are you committed to hearing the voice of Jesus and following Him wherever He leads?

God’s desires are often very different from our desires. He loves justice, mercy, peace, generosity, and community. He wants His people to live according to His purposes by His presence. How often do we go through life acting like we don’t need God’s help? Learning to listen to God’s voice and delight in Him all day long unlocks heavenly blessing. Stop and listen. Quiet the noise. He is with you, He knows you, and He is for you.

“Listen, my son! Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. It is not for kings…to crave beer…Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family…She sets about her work vigorously; She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:2-30

What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten? The king’s mother gave great advice in this chapter. She says be careful what you crave. Your desires will drive what you do. If you crave beer or fleshly pleasure, you will find yourself wasting your life and not making a lasting impact. The king’s mother said you were made for more.

What does a God-honoring legacy look like? It stands up for those who cannot stand for themselves and is generous to those in need. It involves a lot of hard work with a heart that is humble, selfless, confident, and caring. Forget gender for a moment; think about these words in terms of living as the bride of Christ. As people of faith, we should exemplify the faithfulness of the wife of noble character. What do you most admire about her? Notice how instead of fretting about the future she laughed. A heart that trusts God does not focus on where things could go wrong or how others have fallen short. A heart that trust God can laugh at the future because of the rest that has been found in the safe pasture of the Shepherd. How seeking the peace of the pasture release more rejoicing from your lips? How could listening to the Holy Spirit help you be clothed in the likeness of Christ as you pursue your kingdom calling?

“When the priest Pashhur son of Immer, the official in charge of the temple heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks…For this is what the Lord says…I will give all Judah into the hands of the king of Babylon, who will carry them away to Babylon or put them to the sword. I will deliver all the wealth of this city into the hands of their enemies…the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail…for to you I have committed my cause. Sing to the Lord! Give praise to the Lord! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked. Why did I ever come out of the womb” Jeremiah 20:4-18

The prophetic passage from Jeremiah aligns perfectly with what we saw occur in 2 Kings. God’s word will always stand, and His plans come to pass. The people were led away as captives, and all the treasures that they had worked for were lost. The truth is, none of us are going to take any of our money or valuables with us when our time on earth ends, so why do we orient our lives around things that are temporary instead of eternal?

Imagine how frustrating it would have been for Jeremiah, who was serving the Lord, to be put in stocks while trying to protect people by warning them against their wicked ways. Following Jesus does not give us a guarantee of a pain-free life. We live in a broken world, but God promises to be with us and work ahead of us wherever we go.

Do not feel bad if you have doubts today. Even Jeremiah, God’s chosen prophet, asked out loud why he was even born. This question can come in times of praise or pain. Regardless, God wants you to know you have a unique identity that you can hear when you hear His voice. Sometimes it’ll be a time of silence, like it was at the end of the chapter for Jeremiah, but God always speaks eventually.

“Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full…I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand…no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” John 10:7-30

Can you hear the voice of Jesus today? Can you hear it in your heart and in your ears? Learning to listen to His voice is like learning a foreign language. There is a simple filter that can help you discern which voice is His and which is the enemy’s voice. If what you hear or think makes you afraid, ashamed, or anxious, that is from the enemy and is a lie. If what you hear gives you life, peace, joy, aligns with Scripture, and is true, that is from God.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who came looking for us before we ever went looking for Him. He entered our broken world, laid down His life for His sheep, and rose again so that we could receive new life empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Have you chosen to follow the Shepherd wherever He leads? Is He in control?

You have an enemy to your life. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus came that we might have life to the full. Abundant life. The greatest inheritance is not land, possessions, comfort, or success. It is life with Jesus, learning to delight in His presence, hearing the beauty of His voice, and finding meaning in all that you do with the time you have on earth.

The people of Judah lost their land, their treasures, their freedom, and the presence of God. The same things can happen in our lives if we fret and fear and pursue a foolish life of pleasure. Jesus came to set us free and lead us in seeking peace found only in His pasture. Peace in our hearts and peace in our minds.

David told us not to fret, but to trust in the Lord, do good, delight in Him, commit our way to Him, be still before Him, and wait patiently for Him. We do not have to be controlled by fear, anger, envy, offense, disappointment, or the craziness of the world around us. We can live with the awareness that the Shepherd knows us and is with us.

It is difficult to hear the voice of Jesus when our hearts are burning with worry, fear, anger, or offense. Quiet the noise and be still before Him. Jesus knows you. He knows what you need, where you are going, and who He created you to be. Ask Him what you need to know and where He wants you to go. Ask Him who He is calling you to love, who you can help, and what good He has prepared for you to do.

Listen to Jesus and simply follow. Delight in Him and He will give you the desires of your heart. Fully commit to Christ and He will clothe you with strength from on high. Wait when He tells you to wait and move when He tells you to move. Jesus gave His life so you could find yours.