SCRIPTURE: Psalm 62:1-12
OBSERVATION:
Starts with statement of faith, then applies it to his own personal situation.
As he faces instability, he speaks to himself, reminds himself that he can trust God, not in the world powers.
He may be facing betrayal, problems within his family/community (words that bless, hearts that curse)?
This is self-talk in midst of crisis.
God is both powerful AND good (vv.11-12), most are one or the other – absolute power corrupts absolutely!
Rewarded for what we do (v.12)? then I am in trouble!
Works (not words) reveal the heart, God reviews the works of the heart, to see where heart is. He can tell what kind of ‘tree’ we are by the ‘fruit’ that grows on our branches (Matthew 7:15-20). This is why we will be judged by what we do, because what we do reveals where our heart is.
APPLICATION:
I need to imitate David’s example of self-talk in midst of battle/crisis, to motivate myself to stand firm!
God is both able and willing to help me, His power and love ensure that He is doing everything the best way (for me, others and His kingdom).
What do my works reveal about the direction of my heart? about what matters most to me?
PRAYER:
Lord, often in the midst of crisis I do not express my faith, but my doubts. Help me to imitate David in reminding myself how powerful and good You are. Show me what realy lives in my heart, and help me to live a God-oriented life, no matter what happens around me. Amen.
I can definitely apply this passage to P. Norm’s questions about “How much does it cost to follow Christ?” It looks as though the initial choice to follow Christ is free, it costs nothing. There can be situations that arise out of our choice which can lead to loss of friends, financial problems, etc. however, the cost entirely depends on how far we want to go with our decision. We can be Christ-followers with little price to pay if we go to church on sundays, do our mealtime prayers, etc. or we can be Christ-followers with a huge price to pay if we decide to put our entire faith in God, go wherever He wants us to go, and do what He wants us to do.
I realise that this is not what the whole passage is about, but the last verse really stood out to me while thinking about that question. When it says “You will reward each person according to their works”, I get the picture there are different levels of our walk with Christ we go through, as hard as it may be to accept, as there are many debates of wether or not all Christians are equal. I agree that God loves His children all the same, but when it comes to rewards, it’s another ballgame.