April 27

Psalms 40, 49, 50 and 73 

In the series of Psalms for today’s reading we see different perspectives in the life of the believer. 

Psalm 40 speaks of the wonderful relationship that the saved have with God. It is God who does the saving and rescuing of a person and puts their foundation on the Rock, Jesus Christ. The believer in turn puts continual trust in the saving power of God and has deliverance from the pit of hell and into the heights of heaven in intimate relationship with God. Words like God’s faithfulness, steadfast love, deliverance and mercy describe the actions of God towards us through Christ’s redeeming power. 

Psalm 49 speaks of the riches in Christ that are possessed by the saved contrasted with the riches of earth that are the temporal valuables of the lost. How much value people place on the temporary riches of this earth that in reality provide nothing of eternal value? 
There are things that money cannot buy and one of them is forgiveness of sins. When sin takes place someone has to pay the debt. The justice of God demands payment for transgressions and there are only two people that can pay the debt, either the sinner himself or Jesus Christ. The one who trusts Christ for salvation has had the price for their sins paid by Christ and there is nothing on earth that can compare in value. When we look upon something of value in this world let’s remember the priceless cost that was paid for our sins by Christ so that we could be adopted as children of God.   

Psalm 50 can be summarized by the phrase from 1 Samuel 15:22 “to obey is better than sacrifice”. Sacrifice is easy compared to obedience in the heart. God doesn’t just want outwards works obedience but inward heart transformed obedience out of which works obedience will naturally follow. The Pharisees had an external works based obedience but in reality their hearts were very far from God. God doesn’t need our works but instead wants our hearts in close relationship to Him so that He can carry out His will and we can be “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). 

Psalm 73 focuses on the fact that covetousness and envy of others is sinful. The believer is not to look at the prosperity of others with envy and jealousy but instead to look at the prosperity we have in Christ. Death is the big equalizer because eventually the bodies of both the rich and the poor end up in the same place and their souls in front of the same judge. Prosperity through sinful means is not a blessing from God but the prosperity that has eternal value through Christ stems from the merciful, gracious hand of God. Let’s appreciate the great treasures of heaven that are ours in Christ whenever we are tempted to covet the prosperity of the world. 

What is your perspective on life from day to day? Is it a spiritual perspective focused on the things of God and not on the things of this world? 

Seek an intimate close relationship with your Heavenly Father and meditate on what you have because of Jesus Christ. Give yourself over moment by moment to your King and He will use you in mighty ways to accomplish His desires that will reap works of eternal value.