Psalm 119:37

Psalm 119:37

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;

and give me life in your ways.

 

Only the life that pursues God's commandments is a life worth living. Saints are called to give up everything for the obedience of God. There is nothing in this world which has so great a value that it can be placed beside the gospel. All that is not according to the ways of God is worthless.

 

What are these worthless things? Evil things? Yes, but not only those. This world will pass away; everything worthless will burn up (2 Pet. 3:10). But treasures in Heaven will never pass away. What is done for the love of God and neighbor, for the care of orphan and widow, for the peace of enemy and friend, for the benefit of the Church - those will remain.

 

It is only walking in the ways of Yahweh that will allow us to do these things. Only by His grace can we remove our eyes from vain things and set them on Christ (Heb. 12:1-2). We are dead when left alone; God is the Giver of life. For more of Him, we must turn to Him. We must take time to turn off the TV and stop looking at our phones, and we must see Christ. And in seeing Christ, we will live.

Psalm 49:7, 15

Psalm 49:7, 15

Truly no man can ransom another, 

or give to God the price of his life...

But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,

for he will receive me.

Ransom of a life is far too high a cost for the resources of mortal man. An atheist once declared, "No deity will save us; we must save ourselves." Yet if we were forever separated from God's grace, none could ever be saved at all - by a friend or by himself. The cost is too great.

"But God" is the best news in the Bible. In these two words, hope begins. They mean that we are helpless but He is not, that we are sinful but that He did something about it. That man is not sinless as is God is terrible news. But that God is not sinful or helpless as is man is the greatest news ever.

In His mercy, God ransoms us from the power of death; in His grace, He gives us eternal life. WE are not left without a savior; we are given a Redeemer. Having been delivered from the dominion of darkness, we are accepted as children of light. No evils or powers can stand against us because God is for us (Rom. 8:31). We have been ransomed on Earth; we will be received in Heaven.