Psalm 62:10

Psalm 62:10

Don't set your heart on riches

The world has always been a prosperity-driven place. Our earth was donated by God, to mankind, to be shared and enjoyed equally by all people. But it was not long before men realised that possession = power, ownership brings privilege and having more than your neighbour gives you much more than just bragging rights. These attitudes have compelled many to increase their wealth by fair means and foul until we have reached the financial measures of success and status that are widely used in today’s world. This verse tells us that we should have nothing to do with extortion or stolen goods, in fact our hearts should not be driven in any way by what we own. Verse 9 tells us why, we are but a breath, our time on this planet will not be evaluated in the next world by what we accumulated while we were here. 

I heard an intriguing story on the Radio recently, I think the programme was called the “History of the World in 100 objects”. The presenter was talking about a map drawn by ancient Indians in the US. Those indigenous peoples never grasped the concept of land ownership, they believed that the land and the fields and the forests belonged to all, so when white settlors moved in and started to claim ownership the Indians had no response, the idea was alien to them. We need, as Christians, to get a better grasp of this, we do not own anything, we are only tenants, or at best managers of our resources, for a short time. “The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof.” Can I therefore get to the point where, instead of trusting in my own devices to get what I want, I can trust in the Lord to sustain me and provide what I need? Now that’s a good question. 

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