S44P2 – The blessings of the Psalms: trust brings reward
Psalms 40:4
Blessed is the man that maketh Jehovah his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
My parents had their rules, and their rules were clear. In their house, what they said was law. As a teenager, this was a tough pill to swallow. I was being pulled in two directions as I could follow my parents or follow the other influences in my life that tried to take me in a different direction. When making decisions on whether I would trust in my parents’ instruction, I usually had only one criterion. My choice was based on what I would receive. If I succumbed to the pressure from my peers and followed their ways, then I would gain their friendship and their favor. It was the desire to be important or envied among my peers instead of being the one he was just a little different from them. We must weigh the same options when deciding whether to trust in God.
Today’s culture is clearly focused on self. People want to be seen and heard and known. Every offense must be vocalized and publicly countered. Those who stand against the moral and social trends of the world are ostracized and called out. People take a stand in support of sin under the guise of equality and non-judgement. It is a great deception that twists the truth and tempts us to stand not for what is right and just but for what opposes God. We can choose to follow the proud and the liars, or we can choose to trust God in the midst of our being outcasts in this place simply for the sake of standing for truth and holiness. And while we risk being unpopular and even hated for trusting in God, we cannot make our decision based on how the world will respond to us. We must make our decision based on where the real reward lies.
When we follow the deception of the world, we have the chance to gain the world’s friendship and favor. This, however, is no blessing. When we trust in the Lord, that is when we are truly blessed. You see, God’s blessing and God’s friendship are eternal. They are secure and meaningful. They will not fade away with time. If we are to seek favor somewhere, we are wise to seek favor with the Lord because that favor is the lasting reward. When we decide to rest our lives on the foundations of pride and deception, the pillars of the world, those foundations will crumble, and we will fall. Father, make us people who do as your word instructs and trust in You in all our ways, knowing that your perfect blessing awaits.