Wednesday, May 16, 2018

The Cares of This Life (Psalm 16:4)

Today's scripture: Psalm 16:4

So many people "hasten after other god[s] ..." The god of success. The god of pleasure. The god of wealth.

They put relationships and things and careers above the one true God. They think, "If I can just get this promotion or marry that person or have a solid retirement fund, I'll be fine. I don't need anything but [fill in the blank]."

The thing is ... none of that matters. No one will find true joy or peace pursuing these gods. In fact, as the psalmist writes, "Their sorrows will be multiplied ..."

Now, you may be reading this and think, "Nope. I have lots of stuff and good friends and take really good vacations. I don't have any sorrow. I'm doing just fine without that 'one true God' you mention."

Well, maybe that's true. Maybe you're living a happy, care-free life. But I wonder. Does the pressure to have the stuff, to have "enough," cause you to work more hours? And do those hours keep you from those you love?  Or does the stress of making certain you have a nice, big bank account keep you up at night?

Maybe, just maybe, your sorrows (the cares of this life) are multiplying, and you don't even realize it.

Something more than the "sorrow" you may feel on earth, though, is the sorrow that will multiply—beyond description—in eternity. If you spend this life pursuing other gods, you'll miss knowing the God of the Bible, the one and only God. If you miss knowing Him now, you'll miss knowing Him forever.

That's true sorrow.

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