Psalm 119:162

Psalm 119:162

What is real wealth?

In v14, the psalmist “Rejoices in following God’s statutes as one rejoices in great riches;” in v72 he states, “The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold;” and in v111 he talks about his inheritance; “Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.” Now the author takes another angle, on this occasion he is part of a conquering army that is rummaging through the spoils of war, the valuable possessions of a defeated army, but despite his good fortune there is still something that gladdens his heart more. There’s no hiding from reality here, whichever way he looked at it, the author found more wealth in the Word of God than in all the riches of the world!

After many years of working in offices with people of all ages, nationalities, levels of achievement and success, and gender, I can say that there was one subject that was common to all. Everyone had time to speculate on what they would do if they had a big win on the Lottery. They probably all speculated also about being left a large inheritance, but to talk about this would be improper, whereas the random and arbitrary nature of a lottery prize was something they could all dream about! Interestingly, wealthy folk were just as keen to be winners, which just goes to show that most people are convinced that they never have enough, that wealth is the panacea for all ills. 

Our psalm writer didn’t agree, and you and I can learn from him. He considered a promise, or a statute, or the law from the Lord God as being more valuable and more precious than any amount of worldly wealth. This was heavenly treasure, these were riches that poured down from God Himself and had far greater significance, greater impact, value and consequences than anything that could be paid into a Bank account. Is it time to revalue our own wealth and what actually matters in the long term? 

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