“Dependence on God governs your ability to rest and wait on Him.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 30, 2026
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; … Do not fret—it only causes harm. Psalm 37:7-8, NKJV
My momma, in her matter-of-fact way, would sometimes say to her three sons, “Can’t fret over that, boys.” She might have been referring to the weather, the clothes we wore, or whatever hardship we were facing. In Momma’s country, common-sense way, she meant, in today’s terms, “Chill out, focus on what you can change, and don’t worry about people and things you have no control over.” My momma was echoing Jesus’ famous words, “Do not worry” (Matthew 6:25). Yet I forget Momma and Jesus, and I sometimes fret and worry. Why? Because I forget what I’m responsible for and what the Lord is responsible for. I am to focus on today, full of its own challenges and opportunities for good, and God will handle the murky matters, the issues and people that call me into the future with an urgent invitation to fret.
David had his own opportunities to fret: a jealous adversary, a broken family, and fear of the future. Yet in Psalm 37, he reminds himself and his readers to rest in the Lord, to wait patiently for Him, and to cease fretting, for it only causes harm. Fretting, which some translations say leads to evil, is to be replaced with trust, rest, and waiting.
Oswald Chambers, the gifted devotional writer of the late 1800s and early 1900s, writes about fretting and resting: “Fretting means getting ourselves ‘out of joint’ mentally or spiritually. … It’s easy to say, ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him’ (Psalm 37:7) until our own little world is turned upside down and we are forced to live in confusion and agony like so many other people… Resting in the Lord is not dependent on your external circumstances at all, but on your relationship with God Himself.”
Are you trusting in your unchanging Lord, or are you striving amid ever-changing circumstances?
Dependence on God governs your ability to rest and wait on Him. Rest is a state of mind free of worry, with a heart erupting in gratitude. It means blessing the Lord in song, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, bless His holy name,” and praising Him with a thankful heart, “God is so good… He’s so good to me.” Peace is the fruit of praise. Fretting forfeits the joy of experiencing God in ways that are not your ways, while patient trust rests in the reassurance that the Lord is at work. Glance at what’s around you, then gaze intently on God. Blessings invite us to enjoy God, and sufferings invite us to really know God and trust Him.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2, NKJV).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, my heart gazes on Your goodness as I trust, rest, and wait on You, through Christ’s love and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
What situation or person do I need to see with eyes of empathy while trusting God to work all things out for His good purposes?
Related Reading
Psalm 40:1, 62:5; Lamentations 3:26; Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6
Worship Resource
Hillsong Young & Free: Peace
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