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  WAITING RATHER THAN FRETTING
  by A.W. Tozer
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Summary: Deliverance from a fretting spirit comes through humility,
self-abnegation, and a patient carrying of the cross, with God's
sovereignty over all things.

Topics: "Patience", "Trust in God's Deliverance"
Scripture References: Psalm 37:35

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DESCRIPTION
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A.W. Tozer emphasizes the inevitability of external stimuli that cause
vexation in our lives, suggesting that true deliverance from a fretting
spirit comes through humility, self-denial, and patience. He
acknowledges the apparent success of evildoers and the struggles of the
righteous, warning that a prayerless Christian may misinterpret their
circumstances and succumb to fretfulness. Tozer encourages believers to
adopt a heavenly perspective, recognizing that while the wicked may seem
to thrive temporarily, their success is fleeting. Ultimately, he
reassures that the salvation of the righteous is secure in the Lord, who
serves as their stronghold in times of trouble, providing peace amidst
turmoil.

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CONTENT
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Of one thing we may be sure; we can never escape the external stimuli
that cause vexation. The world is full of them and though we were to
retreat to a cave and live the remainder of our days alone, we still
could not lose them. The rough floor of our cave would chafe us, the
weather would irritate us and the very silence would cause us to fret.

Deliverance from a fretting spirit may be by blood and fire, by
humility, self-abnegation and a patient carrying of the cross. There
will always be "evildoers" and "workers of iniquity," and for the most
part they will appear to succeed while the forces of righteousness will
seem to fail. The wicked will always have the money and the talent and
the publicity and the numbers, while the righteous will be few and poor
and unknown. The prayerless Christian will surely misread the signs and
fret against the circumstances. That is what the Spirit warns us
against.

Let us look out calmly upon the world; or better yet, let us look down
upon it from above where Christ is seated and we are seated in Him.
Though the wicked spread himself like "a green tree in its native soil"
(Psalm 37:35), it is only for a moment. Soon he passes away and is not.
But "the salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their
stronghold in time of trouble" (verse 39). This knowledge should cure
the fretting spirit.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/waiting-rather-than-fretting/
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