God’s Hope for Your Heart from Psalms 15-16
GOD IS YOUR STABILITY
He who does these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15:5b)
I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. (Psalm 16:8-9)
We live in a changing world.
Maybe you’ve felt it before, the frustration of counting on something, only to have it shift underneath you or be taken away entirely. Foundations you expected would hold you suddenly collapse or turn in to something entirely unforeseen.
Look, then, at how the actions prescribed in Psalm 15 are a pattern for a stable life. David describes a life that is connected to the surrounding world in ways that look after the good of others instead of being focused solely on personal advancement. It’s a life of truth, honor and integrity, and David says that’s the hallmark of a life that “shall never be moved.”
Does he mean there will be no change in that life? Of course not.
He means that a life lived according to God’s word will have a steadfastness of heart that will not be subject to the changing seas of the world outside, because that person’s inner world will be stable and secure.
How does this happen, then? How do we have such a life? Is it in checklists and perfect performance?
While personal discipline is always a good thing, the Psalmist knows that our own efforts will only take us so far before they fail, and he has an answer that makes all the difference.
“I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”
When you keep your mind focused on Almighty God in the person of Jesus Christ, He becomes your stability. Like fixing your eyes on a point on the shore when you’re out on a troubled sea, having your mind and your heart set steadfastly on Jesus will help the rest of your life be steadfast, too.
Keep His Word in your mind. Keep His praise on your lips. Keep His people around you. Keep His goodness before you.
As you do, your heart will be stable, no matter how turbulent your circumstances become, and your life will be filled with the hope that comes from this truth: God is your stability.
-Pastor Phillip
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