At some point or another in many people’s lives, they wonder about whether they will receive an inheritance when their parents pass on. This is especially true if their parents were wealthy people. There are financial accounts to divide among the siblings, along with property, cars, and personal belongings. Some people end up with a rather nice inheritance. For the rest of us, though, that’s generally not the case. In our psalm for today, David talks a bit about the type of inheritance he has. Let’s look at what God’s Word has to say.
Though we remember David as king over Israel, he was not from a royal family. David’s father, Jesse, was an owner of a sheep ranch, and possibly also a farmer in the small village of Bethlehem. The family wasn’t poor, but they weren’t extraordinarily rich, either. David had seven older brothers, along with a few sisters, too. As the youngest male, he was not likely to receive much inheritance. According to Jewish tradition in the days of the Bible, the oldest son would receive half of the parent’s inheritance, and the remainder would be divided among everyone else, so David’s portion would have been small.
That might have bothered many people, but it didn’t bother David. Instead of looking at land, bank accounts, or jewelry, David looked at what his real inheritance was. He saw God as his inheritance. Though his brothers may have been given a good amount, and he left with little, David felt he had something even better. He had the Lord (vs. 5-6). His family may have written down a list of who would get what, and if the property was divided, where the lines for each person’s lot would fall. David didn’t care about that, as he claimed God as his inheritance. Though the lines for his portion of Jesse’s inheritance might not have been much, it might have only been pocket change or just a rocky corner of the property, he knew that with God he had a good inheritance.
When all we have is God, we have all we need. The way we view our circumstances is more important than the circumstances themselves. We can be content, because our ultimate satisfaction comes from God, who never changes. This was David’s perspective in life, and is a good one to follow for ourselves, as well. He sought throughout his life to listen to, obey, and follow God. When God is our focus, it is easier for us to hear Him when He speaks (vs. 7). Listening to God is essential to walking with Him.
One of the benefits from David’s inheritance that he was rejoicing over, was a fullness of joy (vs. 11). There are many benefits in a life lived in companionship with God, and one of them is joy. We can enjoy these benefits now and in eternity. True joy is deeper than happiness. We can have joy in spite of our deepest troubles when we have Jesus. Joy is lasting, because it is based on God’s presence with us.
Christians need to refill their tank with joy. We do that by spending time with God in prayer, by reading His Word daily, and getting to know Him more intimately. In order for God to fill us with His joy, we need to be emptied of everything of this world. When we have done that, He can then fill us with Himself. The level of our joy will then determine the spiritual strength we have to face our day (Nehemiah 8:10).
Unbelievers have a sense of hopelessness in life. We see that a lot today, with everything happening in the world around us. They have nowhere to turn and no one to truly put their hope in. However, that is not the case with Christians when we are actively following the Lord. Those who seek God can be confident, and have a sense of security which comes from Him (vs. 8). God will keep us from being moved off of His path.
Where is your inheritance? Where is your joy? Is it in the Lord, or are you looking for a material worldly inheritance and putting your hope and trust in that? David knew what was important in his life, and thus he was able to have fullness of joy in his life.
No comments:
Post a Comment