Psalm 128
Reflect
If we had to rewrite this Psalm as a recipe, it seems to me it would go something like this: Take one cup of fear of the Lord, add another cup of walking in His ways; mix together, and then get ready to enjoy your meal of blessings and prosperity! But we know that rings hollow in our own lives, and in the lives of Christians around us. So what do we do with that? Are we just using the wrong ingredients? In reading the gospels, Jesus really seems to leave out the prosperity bit. There is no guarantee of riches, no house full of children. He spoke of riches in heaven, and a new family with new brothers and sisters. We should receive God’s gifts with joy and gratitude, not as a job well done, but as a free gift from our loving Father. Jesus would have us live out verse 1 not as a means to an end, but as the point of the relationship itself.
Apply
What recipes for life are you knowingly (or unknowingly) living by? Maybe it’s time to exchange them for a new one. For deeper study, the book With by Skye Jethani really explores these different ways of viewing God, how they impact our day to day lives, and Jesus’ new way.
Matt Barker
Pray
- Pray for the Prime Minister, Premier Kenney, Mayor Iveson, your MP, your MLA, and any other government officials God brings to mind.
- Pray for Dave Schneider, our Youth Ministry Pastor.
- Pray for Karen Alksne, our Congregational Life Intern.
- Pray for our Congregational Life Pastor, Mike Bartusek and his family.