The Love of Money? Psalm 49

            As soon as I read Psalm 49 I immediately remembered a class I took at Ecclesia Baptist Church a few years ago.  It was called Managing Finances God’s way.  We don’t like to talk about money in our Christian circles, in church, or among friends when discussing matters of faith.   Some churches may forbid their pastors to talk about money.  It’s interesting this is the attitude of so many when the writers of our sacred text spend a lot of space talking about financial matters. 

            We live in a country where marketing tends to lead people to believe that the accumulation of wealth is the answer to happiness.  If only I had x then I would be happy.  The funny thing is when we get x the bar moves and we then want y. 

            I remember when I first moved away from my parent’s home I lived in a two room apartment above a nursing home.  I didn’t even have a kitchen.  There was a bedroom and a bathroom and the smallest closet you could imagine.  I ate meals from the nursing home kitchen or I had takeout.  Many nights I just ate popcorn.  Throughout the time I lived there I couldn’t wait until the time I could move into a real apartment.  If only I had a kitchen and a separate living room, I would be happy.  Guess what happened?  I moved into a 1 bedroom apartment with a kitchen and a living room and I wanted more.  I said “If only there were a spare bedroom where I could study by myself and have quiet and where I could have guests if I wanted them, then I would be happy.”  

            Friends I Timothy 6:10 states “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.  Some have wandered away from the faith and have impaled themselves with a lot of pain because they made money their goal.”  (CEB) Notice it does not say that money itself is evil but the love of money is.  What the writer of Timothy goes onto say is that rather than pursuing more and more money, what we should be pursuing is righteousness, holy living, faithfulness, lovwe, endurance and gentleness.  (11)  These are the things we should fight for.  Money should be our servant in these pursuits.  We should not be the servants of money. 

            This is what the Psalmist of Psalm 49 is pointing out.  He is pointing out that it doesn’t matter who has more money.  That money does not follow us in death.  What good does it do us then.  Our bodies all have the same address when we die….the grave. 

            I encourage you today to do as the writer of Timothy advises.  Pursue righteous, holy living and let money serve you in that pursuit.  In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

God, A place of safety-Psalm 48

                The words “God is in its fortifications, revealing himself as a place of safety” stand out for me, in Psalm 48.  In this Psalm the Psalmist is Praising God for God’s presence in the Holy City of Jerusalem.  In 2 Samuel 6 David brings the Ark of the Covenant from its place at Obed’s house to a tent he has set up as a tabernacle in Jerusalem.  The Ark of the Covenant contained the tablets given to Moses and was believed by the ancients to also contain the very presence of God.  Jerusalem was a well-fortified town and God’s presence there secures the fortification. 

                We now know that God is always present with us wherever we are and in whatever we are doing.  Like the Psalmist we can gave praise and thanks to God for God’s presence and thus God’s protection.  

                My devotional reminded me this morning that if we ask, we receive; if we seek we will find and if we knock the door will be opened.  Friends when you are tired, weak and worn you need to seek the safety provided in the presence of God.  We need to ask for that safety, we need to seek God through prayer and attention to the Word.  In this passage in Luke describing asking, seeking and knocking we are told that if we ask the Holy Spirit will be given for.  We don’t serve a God who is in the business of looking at our never ending shopping list but is more interested in our ability to receive the Holy Spirit as our guide to safety.  Seek God today. 

Shout to the LORD!-Psalm 47

            When I was in high school my best friend’s mom moved her family from our home church to a local Pentecostal church.   I began visiting that church with her from time to time and there was something different there that fed my soul.  These folks, unashamed, praised the Lord openly and extravagantly.  Hands clapped and raised toward heaven.  Drums played, cymbals clanged.  Joy filled the faces making them shine like the sun. 

            In the model prayer Jesus taught us the very first thing he does is Praise God with “hallowed be thy name.”  I’ve often wondered why it is so easy for us to cheer on our favorite sports team or sing out loud and strong with fists raised high at our favorite concert but we hold back those emotions when we come to worship. 

            Psalm 47 is an example of Praise for our God.  “Clap your hand, all you people!  Shout joyfully to God with a joyous Shout!  Because the Lord Most High is awesome, he is the great king of the whole world.” (vs. 1-2 CEB) 

            Reverence in God’s sanctuary is important and there is certainly a place for that. There is also a place for clapping and being joyful.  Make room for both.  Thanks be to God.