Psalm 119:72

Psalm 119:72

What is of most value?

In verse 14 of the Psalm, we read that rejoicing in God’s statutes is like rejoicing in great riches. In verse 57 we saw that the Lord is seen as the “portion” of the author, a portion being an inherited share in the land. This thought is repeated in verse 111 where the statutes of the Lord are the writer’s heritage. And in verse 162 the promise of the Lord is likened to the spoils of war, it’s an unexpected reward.

We live in a culture that measures most things in financial terms, success is quantified by what people own, by the house they live in, the car they drive, the lifestyle they can afford. It’s very hard to be unaffected by this, the advertising industry ensures that we are all bombarded, almost by the minute, with the lure of things that we want but don’t necessarily need. It’s time to step back and consider for a moment, do wealth and material gain have to be the driving forces, the most important things in my life? It’s easy for us Christians to point the finger at the world and accuse them of being driven by the desire for wealth and riches and yet most of us are caught up in the same pursuits! So, it’s time to stop, think hard and ask ourselves what matters more, the trappings of wealth in this world or the law that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord? Most of us will squirm at such a question, but think about it, if the Lord did not exist for us, if there was no written Word, if we had no moral guidelines and it was every man for himself – what would be the point of living? Isn’t it better to be rich in spiritual terms, than to stockpile things that will not accompany us on our journey beyond this world? 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more

Psalm 51:4

Psalm 51:4 Deliberate sin In Genesis 20 we read the story of Abimelek and Abraham. The latter had passed off his wife Sarah as his sister and Abimelek had taken her with a view to her becoming his wife. The relationship was not consummated, and the Lord used a dream to reveal to Abimelek just what was going on. The insulted king pleaded innocence,  “I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands ” he said, to the Lord. And God agreed,  “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me.”  This is a big subject but there is clearly a difference between sinful intentions and deeds where the participant knows that he/she is doing wrong, and those occasions where an action is carried out in innocence.  David knew all along that every detail of his relationship with Bathsheba was sinful, as were his actions in the cover-up. Therefore, he sinned against the Lord God and broke the commandments which said that  “Y...
Read more

Psalm 106:30

Psalm 106:30 Well done Phineas! As we saw in the previous verses, it was Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron the High Priest, who intervened and brought God’s wrath upon the couple who brazenly had a sexual liaison in an Israelite’s tent. The judgement of Phinehas was brutal, he rammed a spear through both bodies and brought instant death upon them. But his actions stemmed the wrath of God, the plague that had killed 24,000 Israelites ended and peace and normality returned to the Camp. The Lord said to Moses that  “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites.”  (Numbers 25:11) The Lord then vindicated Phinehas for his actions.  “Since he was as zealous for my honour among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honour of his God and made atonement f...
Read more