Well, here I am one year older, today, so I am praying to also be one year wiser! Please Jesus! Each one of us has the potential to be wiser every day, because as we grow in the Truth of Christ’s love, we grow in Wisdom. Let’s spend some time, today, in the Truth.
In our passage today, the psalmist asks the readers to honor and glorify God’s name no matter what we face in life. We need to learn how to abide in God’s peace even when life leaves us hurt and feeling unappreciated. As we learn in verse 3, we must accept God’s loving plan in this life or we may find ourselves in a state of inward bitterness and pain. Our perspective has everything to do with finding genuine peace.
This psalmist exposes the foolishness of idolatry. We can make idols of anything, can’t we? Our possessions can become so dear to us we make gods or idols out of them. We can value the things we have accumulated more than our spiritual growth, transformation, and the time we spend loving others. Even a wrong perspective of the people we love can make gods out of them; which is wrong to do as only God deserves certain places in our hearts.
We become what we worship. If we worship God who is Love, we become like Jesus. If we worship the false gods surrounding us, we become superficial like the fleeting things of the world. When we place our trust in the Lord, we are covered by the shield of his Love and grace. When we place our trust in the world, we are sorely disappointed because it cannot and will not protect us or comfort our hearts.
Only the Lord can bring increase to our lives. So, today, let’s seek to praise God, allow his righteousness to be worked out in our souls, and receive the blessings he alone can bring to us. May we praise God now and forever!
Psalm 115 NLT
1
Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your name goes all the glory
for your unfailing love and faithfulness.
2
Why let the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3
Our God is in the heavens,
and he does as he wishes.
4
Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,
shaped by human hands.
5
They have mouths but cannot speak,
and eyes but cannot see.
6
They have ears but cannot hear,
and noses but cannot smell.
7
They have hands but cannot feel,
and feet but cannot walk,
and throats but cannot make a sound.
8
And those who make idols are just like them,
as are all who trust in them.
9
O Israel, trust the Lord!
He is your helper and your shield.
10
O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord!
He is your helper and your shield.
11
All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!
He is your helper and your shield.
12
The Lord remembers us and will bless us.
He will bless the people of Israel
and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
13
He will bless those who fear the Lord,
both great and lowly.
14
May the Lord richly bless
both you and your children.
15
May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
16
The heavens belong to the Lord,
but he has given the earth to all humanity.
17
The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord,
for they have gone into the silence of the grave.
18
But we can praise the Lord
both now and forever!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us see things through the lens of your love. We trust you and know you love us. Help us place our love and value in spiritual things. Forgive us, Lord, if we have placed anything above you. May we stop caring so much for the things of the world, that we cease to desire the spiritual gifts and grace you have set aside for us. We hold onto our fear of the Lord and seek to glorify your name, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.