![]() ![]() It echoes three times, reminding us that work without God is meaningless. What’s the key word in these verses? ‘Vain’. ![]() That’s the point that the first two verses of this psalm clearly make. This psalm is about life at work and life at home. But this psalm finds its unity in its description of the main arenas where we live out our faith. At first glance, these two sections seem to have nothing to do with each other. The Christian pilgrimage encompasses all life, and what Solomon wants you to learn from this psalm is that life without the Lord is empty. Being a Christian pilgrim involves much more than just showing up for worship on the Lord’s Day. We do not, however, spend most of our life at church. Each week, we gather under the means of grace to re-energize and reorient ourselves spiritually. Never underestimate the role of Scripture, the sacraments, and the Sabbath for the Christian life. The Christian pilgrimage is much the same. Why would a pilgrim headed to Jerusalem sing this song? For this reason: to remind him- or herself that most of life is not spent on the road to Zion but at work and at home. He draws from common, everyday experiences to focus the light of truth so that we may see the glory of God.Īt first, you may wonder how and where this message fits with the Songs of Ascents. Solomon wrote this wisdom psalm not to focus on praise or thanksgiving, not to lament sin or distress, and not to recount Israel’s history, but to help us see how life is or how it should be. It’s wasted effort, vanity, the kind of life this psalm describes. No one ever caught the wind and found it worth the effort, because it’s impossible to catch what you’re chasing. Living with these kinds of motivations is like chasing the wind, the kind of empty life Solomon describes in Ecclesiastes (see 1:14, 17 2:11, 17). If it’s self-glory that gets you moving in the mornings, you’re bowing at the altar of pride. If it’s guilt, you’re idolizing your desire to be in control. If you’re motivated by greed, you worship money. Motivations pull back the curtains to let you see into your heart. Maybe today I will get the promotion or the compliments I deserve.’ ‘Perhaps today someone will finally notice how wonderful I really am. ‘I’ll feel like a failure if I don’t do what I think I’m supposed to do.’ And glory motivates others. ![]() ‘I want all I can get and then some!’ Guilt drives others. What gets you out of bed in the morning? What makes going to work, caring for the kids, or studying at school worth it? What motivates you? Sure, you’ve got bills to pay, meals to cook, and exams to take, but what is it in your heart that gets you going? When he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Dodson‘s new book, Marching to Zion.īehold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The following article is taken from chapter eight of Rhett P. ![]()
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