Psalm 37:1-9 NIV Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 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, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those

who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Psalm 46:1-11 NIV God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

1. Faith the response of hope (we are certain; we expect; we know).

2. Fretting to be consistently or visibly worried or annoyed; to be eventually worn out or worn away. To be forced into action that is usually ill advised.

3. Fear unchecked, this ultimately leads to ho pelessness and paralysis.

A. “To glow with anger, to become inflamed with passion.”

B. 1 Samuel 25 Two Spirits that met David

1.Abigail Source of Joy

2. Nabal Foolish, wicked, vile

C. Revelation 2:2 – The Church at Ephesus

“Cannot bear those who are evil”

A. Matthew 25:24 25 NIV “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. 'Master' he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground.

B. 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

C. 2 Timothy 1:14 NIV Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

1. Faith isn’t always about receiving the impossible. Usually it is about trusting His promises.

2. Fear can be the result of trauma, failure, betrayal, circumstances, or unbelief.

3. Fretting is usually the result of fatigue, frustration or a sense of helplessness.

• Psalm 37

• Nabal's foolishness

4. Fear is defeated by the training of our inner man.

• Martin Lloyd Jones: “When a Christian is discouraged, he usually makes the mistake of seeking encouragement. He doesn’t need encouragement he needs DOCTRINE.”

5. Fretting is defeated by wisdom.

• “What is the wise thing to do?”

• Abigail’s counsel

• Proverbs 26:4,5 NLT Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are. Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools, or they will become wise in their own estimation.

• Asaph in Psalm 73

6. Bondages can be caused by systems of the flesh, or by spiritual strongholds.

1. Some bondages need to be crowded out by counsel.

2. Some bondages need to be cast down by Scripture.

3. Some bondages need to be cast out by the Holy Spirit.

1. Move against unforgiveness.

2. Stop feeding the beast. (“What you feed grows; what you starve dies.” V.C. Miller)

3. Renounce and resist the enemy.

4. Return to full obedience to the Lord.

1. Scars from trauma

2. Scars from disappointment or betrayal.

3. Scars of despair or hopelessness

4. Scars from relational or emotional exhaustion

5. Scars from a wounded self-image

6. Scars from family wounds/dysfunction