Thought for February 23rd. “WHEN THE CARES OF MY HEART ARE MANY …”

What a personally stirring Psalm we have today in No. 94. The name of the Psalmist is not given but it “feels” very much like one of David’s. “When I thought, ‘My foot slips,’ your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”

[v.18,19]

One of our greatest consolations come when we read God’s word every day and share our thoughts and fellowship with others who do the same. The next verse asks an interesting question, “Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute?” The answer is plain in the verses which follow – but today, not only injustice, but ungodly living is framed and allowed and put into the statute book of many nations – many of whom used to be relatively godly.

In our chapter today in 1 Corinthians, Paul bluntly tells the believers there, “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, not idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” [6 v.9,10]

Paul later states, “the body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” [v.13-15]

Now there is an even greater factor to put this alongside that last statement! Paul asks, “… do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own …” [v.19]

Once again the broad and narrow paths are spelt out for us – and what they mean in practice. But meditate on the ways in which we are not our own, it also means, we suggest, we are not alone, “for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’” [Acts 17 v.28] which is what Paul told the Athenians of the God that was unknown to them..

We come back to the last 2 verses of our Psalm and it’s powerful concluding declaration, “But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out.”

Do you have cares in your heart? What has become – or is becoming – your stronghold?