Fret not | Psalm 37

Hey there BCU Family!

Typically, you have the option of listening to our podcast, reading the notes or both. For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights

  • Focusing on others causes us to worry, get anxious, and to fret.
  • The word “fret” has several meanings including to be agitated, to be disturbed or to gnaw.
  • While we may initially be disturbed about our situation, consistent fretting has no place in the life of a believer.
  • The Word of God has “built-in” verses to ease the hearts of those who fret.

KJV Scripture references–Psalm 37

1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.

18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.

22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

BCU Fam, as a “recovering fretter”, I completely understand how it feels when you are waiting for God to move on your behalf for the healing, job, spouse, blessing, miracle, situation to clear up or whatever you are trusting God for. As we mature in Christ, it is imperative that we remember God really is in control and that His will, timing and gifts are always perfect. Trust me, (well, trust God) whatever He has for you will be so much better than you imagined, you’ll be so thankful that you waited and did things God’s way. Let’s pray about it!

Father in the name of Jesus, we thank You that rather than fretting needlessly, we can come to you with our anxious thoughts, worries, cares and concerns, and leave them with You. We will no longer be consumed with who is doing what, and seemingly getting by, rather, we will rest and wait patiently in You, Lord. We will rest knowing that our steps are ordered and that we are the righteous, so we will not be forsaken, and we are Your seed, so we will not be begging bread. We bless Your name because You preserve and deliver your saints because we trust in You. Thank You for Your continual care of us, Jesus, and we will continue to give Your name the praise and glory, in Jesus name we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X,and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by. God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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The client, Jesus and waiting….

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • I have been an instructor for many years—–teaching many types of classes and people on a regular basis.
  • In my “housekeeping” portions of class, I verbally and visually outline the criterion to receive credit for the session.
  • One student escalated a request to receive their class credit almost immediately after class concluded.
  • The Lord used this situation as a test for my response to the individual, and to teach me lesson about listening, waiting and trusting what He says.

Scripture references:

James 1:19-20

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Isaiah 40:31

31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Proverbs 30:5

5 Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.

Proverbs 3:6

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Psalm 34:19

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Isaiah 65:24

24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Hebrews 13:5

5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Numbers 23:19

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

BCUFam, I can relate to the client in terms of anxiousness and concern about waiting for a promise. When we feel that way, rather than lean to our own understanding, we can to go back to what the Word of God says and trust He will take care of whatever the situation is. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we come before You, thanking and praising you for Your Word once again! We thank You for the encouragement, the admonishment, and for the correction. Please forgive us for the times we ran ahead of You, and tried to do Your work. Bless us to rest assured that your have heard our cry, and for believing that when You say something is going to come to pass, that it will. Bless us not be be anxious or agitated in our spirit——–and if we do feel that way, please help us to cling to You all the more, knowing that You are able to do exceedingly and abundantly above ALL we can ask or think according to the power that works in us.  We thank You for the rest You give us, knowing that You are taking care of us, Your plan is perfect, Your will will be done and Your name will be praised! In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Also, if you so inclined, join us for our Thursday Night Bible Study––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform BCU is available on. Some of those platforms are Amazon Music, AnchorFm, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify,  Stitcher Radio , and many more of your favorite podcast platforms!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! May God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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A dog that brings a bone..

Hey there BCU Fam!

Typically, you have the option of listening to our podcast, reading the notes or both. For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:
  • When growing up, gossip or talebearing was a normal part of conversations.
  • I noticed that it started trouble in my middle school years.
  • I also noticed that this ungodly habit was prevalent in my adulthood and among some people of God.
  • I was taught that a dog that brings a bone, also carries a bone.

KJV Scripture references

A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends (Proverbs 16:28).

Where no wood is,there the fire goeth out, so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth (Proverbs 26:20).

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. (Proverbs 26:22).

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God (James 1:19-20).

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:43-45).

BCUFam, I praise God for heeding His voice and letting Him take over the situation. So much so, that after praying about it, the Lord blessed me to love on and do good for the alleged offender without even thinking about it—-I had actually forgotten initially wanting to confront the person! By being swift to hear the Lord’s directions, He will handle the talebearers and the alleged offender His way and in His time. In the meantime, God is glorified in my life, the offenders and talebearers see how to walk out the Word in these kinds of situations, AND Jesus identifies me a child of my Father in Heaven! Now that’s something to give God praise for! Amen? Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher Radio , Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.

Thank you SO much for stopping by. God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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Your current wait time is…

Hey there BCU Fam,

You have the option of listening to our podcast (click the BCU avatar below to listen), reading the notes or BOTH. In any case, we pray the podcast blesses you. If so, please thumbs up or leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy your study! 

Who out there in the BCU community really enjoys waiting? How about waiting on the Lord to answer a prayer request? Right. Let’s talk about that.

When I got saved, I was under the erroneous impression that  I could “name and claim”, “blab and grab”, and “it’s my blessing so I should get it now” for anything I wanted and did not have to wait on it. After all, the King’s kid should have whatever they want when they want it, right? 🙄 Not always. There are times where God does move on our behalf swiftly and suddenly–and of course we love when that happens. Many times, the reason He does is because our petition lines up with God’s perfect will at that time. Other times, maybe we are reaping what we have sown. Still again, the righteous are never forsaken, nor His seed begging bread, so God will take care of us no matter what. The point is, that God’s perfect will and timing are in effect. We believe that when things happen suddenly. Do we believe it when we have to wait?

For many of us, once we make out requests known to God, there is that hopeful expectation and faith that He will answer, and in our minds mostly, pretty soon. But sometimes it is God’s perfect will for some wait time before He fulfills our petition. That is when we need to settle in and enjoy the process.

According to Strong’s Concordance (4037),  the word “wait” in Greek is a compound word, perimènō. Perí, meaning all around, and mènō, meaning remain, abide. In essence, waiting is staying steadfast or enduring through challenging situations.

Many times, when the wait time is extended, our faith in God can grow weak. Then the adversary comes in to let you know you that the Lord is taking too long, God has forgotten you, if you are so faithful why hasn’t He responded, or you may need to do things yourself, rather than wait on God. When we choose to mediate on these lies, we become consumed with the fact that God hasn’t answered yet–and begin to doubt and question our faith and trust in God. In fact, because we are so concerned with what it looks like God is not doing, that very request will be our focus point so much so, we will talk (aka complain) to anyone that will hear us and not hear God’s voice at all. Very often, our lack of faith will prolong the wait time even more. Or cause us to miss out on the blessing altogether. 

When the Lord freed the children of Israel from the bondage of the Egyptians, it’s been said that their journey to the Promised Land was about 250 miles, which could take about 11 days to a month or so, depending on breaks and such. The Word of God tells us that the trip took 40 YEARS, mostly due to murmuring, complaining and disobedience against God! On top of that, out of approximately one million people, only TWO from the original trip were able to enjoy the blessing? That is NOT the testimony God wants us to have! Rather, His Word is here to help us. Let’s take a look at a few of my favorite Scriptures.

We need faith and to believe God. Hebrews 11:6 says:

 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

We should not give up on God. Proverbs 24:10 says:

 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

If we feel weak, though, there is help! We continue waiting. Waiting should produce strength vs weakness. *Isaiah 40:29-31 reminds us: 

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

There is a purpose in waiting–it produces the fruit of patience and matures us. James 1:2-4 says:

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect (mature) and entire, wanting nothing.

And while we wait, we should be thankful. I Thessalonians 5:18 says:

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

BCU Family, I might add that the Scriptures in *Isaiah indicate that waiting is active versus passive. When nothing else in on your heart or mind except what you are waiting for God to do, the anxiety of wondering when is it coming, why is it not here, what’s the holdup, etc., can stop us from continuing to serve the Lord.  Isaiah mentions flying, walking and running as we wait, so that tells me that we ought be busy for the Lord WHILE we wait. Hmm…I may talk about that in an upcoming podcast…stay tuned.

I can testify to the fact that I have been waiting on the Lord for quite a few things..some requests put in yesterday, some for months, and yes, some for years. I would not be telling you the truth if I told you I always followed the Scriptures I listed above. The Lord was  (and still is) really patient with me as I cried, complained, murmured, shut down, and eventually allow/ed patience to have her perfect work.  This perfect work is designed by God help us be more like Him here on Earth, so we can make it into Heaven. Amen? Amen!

So what about you, BCU Fam? What is your current wait time? Have you been waiting on something specific from God for awhile? How have you constructively occupied yourself while you wait?  Or has there been more complaining? We have no judgement for you here–let’s talk in the comments section.

If you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, Twitter,  and Instagram! You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher Radio , Google Play, and Apple podcasts!

Thank you SO much for stopping by. God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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I can’t wait!!!!

Hey there BCU Family!

You have the option of listening to our podcast (click the BCU avatar below to listen), reading the notes or BOTH. In any case, we pray the podcast blesses you. If so, please thumbs up or leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy your study! 

You know, the phrase “I can’t wait” is normally used when something good or exciting is about to happen. The get-together, the date, the long-anticipated vacation–we tack that phrase in anticipation of the goodness coming our way. And there is nothing wrong with that.

Well, mostly nothing wrong with it.

Let me give you an example. Let’s say you are expecting something wonderful–like a a 7-day cruise taking off in July. Even though we’re in the month of March (at the time this was published), and you “can’t wait”, you rest assured about the trip because you know exactly when it’s coming, right? That kind of wait is exciting and not too hard.

On the other hand, there are times where we have asked God for something in faith believing that He is indeed able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). Thus we leave the prayer room CONFIDENT that God heard us and will answer right away. The thing is, sometimes God has a way of having us to wait awhile before He answers us. So in between “He may not come when you want Him”, but “He’ll be there right on time”, is where the anticipatory “I can’t wait!” can turn into a frustrated Sigh!”I CAN’T wait!”

So now, in the meantime and in-between time, the enemy will bait you with a “random” thought around how LONG you have been waiting. If we entertain that thought for any amount of time, he will throw in more bait in the hopes of tackling you. Here are some examples:

  • You really  deserve_______________.
  • You have been patient long enough.
  • God must not want you to have it. You’ve been so good.  That’s not fair.
  • God must not love you like He loves_________. Why should you keep waiting on Him?
  • Doing things the right way like God says takes too long. It’s already been _____ (days, months, years).
  • Look at __________. They do not serve God like YOU do and they are blessed.
  • Why would God make you wait this long? He knows you need______________________.
  • If you do not act soon, you’ll miss out. Far too much time has passed already.

By this time, you’re all worked up in your mind and agitated in your spirit. Then the enemy sets up the “perfect situation” where your request suddenly is in front of you–all you have to do to get it is just disobey God, “a little”. Tell the lie, take the money, treat this one without love, cheat on the spouse–after all, you’ve prayed, been patient, things are not changing and it has been a long time. Once you take the bait, you may enjoy the spoils initially, but eventually you will discover that what you WENT outside of the will of God for, you have to STAY outside of His will to keep. Think about it, the enemy baits for keeps–that thief comes to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10), so why risk your blessings here and, if your are not careful, your eternal life with Christ?

From firsthand experience, it can be very difficult to wait on God. Sometimes it feel like everyone else gets to go ahead, or that God does not hear you or care about you. Let’s counter those thoughts with the assuring, soothing and always true Word of God.

 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). 

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord (Psalm 27:14).

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him (Psalm 62:5).

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17).

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord (Lamentations 3:26).

 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it (Romans 8:25).

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

BCU Fam, when God has us waiting, it is for a reason–perhaps to develop the fruit of  long-suffering, to help you when dealing with others, build your hope on Jesus, or so that God will get the ALL the glory out of the situation because of the miracle He’s performing on your behalf. Regardless of the reason, when it’s all done and said, we will be MORE like Jesus. And being like Him NOW, ensures our place in Heaven LATER, so with the help of the Lord, I CAN and will wait! Amen? Amen!

You know, from time to time, The Lord reminds me to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure,  lovely, are of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy.  If I stay focused on the all of those things, I’m less inclined to get/stay frustrated while waiting. What about you? How do you keep from being discouraged while waiting? Please head down to the comment section so we can continue our conversation!

If you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, Twitter,  and Instagram! You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher Radio , Google Play, and Apple podcasts!

Thank you SO much for stopping by. God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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