Hard and perilous life in a barren and wild country developed great principles in men. Living close to earth, under the cold, bleak peaks, on the dust-veiled desert, men grew like the nature that developed them—hard, fierce, terrible, perhaps, but big—big with elemental force.”
–Zane Grey (The Light of the Western Stars)
“Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
“Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
–Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)
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What is the focal point of your life? Don’t rush, but seriously take inventory. Many will respond, “God,” simply because that is the right answer, but if so, what about God? I knew of a man whose focus was his career and money. He made $50,000 a week, but lost his family. I ask was it worth it? It all depends on your focal point, on what is important in and to your life. Everyone, whether they realize it or not, has something or someone at the very core, the center of their lives. Psalm 112 helps us with this for the psalmist shows us what should be our focus.
1 — Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in His commandments.
2 — His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 — Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
4 — Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 — A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion. (NKJV)
“The fear of God is the soul of godliness,” states Charles H. Spurgeon. That is where we should start with our focus. Yet, how many, including Christians have a shallow life, one without the knowledge of the Lord? As Christians our lives should have one dominant pursuit–God Himself. How do we respond to the Word of the Lord? How do we respond when the Spirit attempts to guide us? Are we like the Israelites of old when they left Egypt–complainers, murmurers, angry? Many want to pick and choose what they want from the Bible, but we should delight in all of His commands.
Let me share a story from George O. Wood. He speaks of a “Montana sheepherder who became enormously rich when oil was discovered on his ranch. He promptly bought a Rolls Royce limousine, the kind where the driver sits in front of a glass partition. A friend asked, ‘What do you like best about it?’ ‘Well,’ he drawled,’ I can take my sheep to market now without having them lick my neck.'” The moral of the story is, what would you do if you came into wealth? Where would your focal point be?
This psalm is about “what it looks like for a believer to live a God-centered life, one in which God is the sum and substance of life.” (Steven Lawson) Look at the priorities: reverence, obedience, and then blessings. Lawson states, “You cannot fear God without delighting in His Word.” When that happens, there is a wonderful legacy to be left behind. The person who fears God will have His blessings, both materially and spiritually.
This person is able to see in the darkness because a light is given to him. People around you may be groping in the darkness; they may not be able to see what is actually going on around them, but to the person who is upright and fears the Lord there will be a light to see things that others cannot. He will have spiritual eyes. Then he will respond justly: gracious, compassion, and righteousness will be seen in their lives. Then conform to the standards of God.
What happens if you lose your material possessions? Will you change? It is entirely possible if your focus is not right. “It is a small thing to lose the gifts as long as you possess the Giver; the supreme tragedy lies in losing the Giver and retaining only the gifts.” (F. W. Boreham) Again I would say, take serious inventory of your focus. What is important to you? Check it against the Word of God.
“And must I part with all I have,
My dearest Lord, for thee?
It is but right, since thou hast done
Much more than that for me.”
–Benjamin Beddome
———————————-
What is the focal point of your life? Don’t rush, but seriously take inventory. Many will respond, “God,” simply because that is the right answer, but if so, what about God? I knew of a man whose focus was his career and money. He made $50,000 a week, but lost his family. I ask was it worth it? It all depends on your focal point, on what is important in and to your life. Everyone, whether they realize it or not, has something or someone at the very core, the center of their lives. Psalm 112 helps us with this for the psalmist shows us what should be our focus.
1 — Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in His commandments.
2 — His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 — Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
4 — Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 — A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion. (NKJV)
“The fear of God is the soul of godliness,” states Charles H. Spurgeon. That is where we should start with our focus. Yet, how many, including Christians have a shallow life, one without the knowledge of the Lord? As Christians our lives should have one dominant pursuit–God Himself. How do we respond to the Word of the Lord? How do we respond when the Spirit attempts to guide us? Are we like the Israelites of old when they left Egypt–complainers, murmurers, angry? Many want to pick and choose what they want from the Bible, but we should delight in all of His commands.
Let me share a story from George O. Wood. He speaks of a “Montana sheepherder who became enormously rich when oil was discovered on his ranch. He promptly bought a Rolls Royce limousine, the kind where the driver sits in front of a glass partition. A friend asked, ‘What do you like best about it?’ ‘Well,’ he drawled,’ I can take my sheep to market now without having them lick my neck.'” The moral of the story is, what would you do if you came into wealth? Where would your focal point be?
This psalm is about “what it looks like for a believer to live a God-centered life, one in which God is the sum and substance of life.” (Steven Lawson) Look at the priorities: reverence, obedience, and then blessings. Lawson states, “You cannot fear God without delighting in His Word.” When that happens, there is a wonderful legacy to be left behind. The person who fears God will have His blessings, both materially and spiritually.
This person is able to see in the darkness because a light is given to him. People around you may be groping in the darkness; they may not be able to see what is actually going on around them, but to the person who is upright and fears the Lord there will be a light to see things that others cannot. He will have spiritual eyes. Then he will respond justly: gracious, compassion, and righteousness will be seen in their lives. Then conform to the standards of God.
What happens if you lose your material possessions? Will you change? It is entirely possible if your focus is not right. “It is a small thing to lose the gifts as long as you possess the Giver; the supreme tragedy lies in losing the Giver and retaining only the gifts.” (F. W. Boreham) Again I would say, take serious inventory of your focus. What is important to you? Check it against the Word of God.
“And must I part with all I have,
My dearest Lord, for thee?
It is but right, since thou hast done
Much more than that for me.”
–Benjamin Beddome