“I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.” (Psalm 119:14 NKJV)
“I find more joy in following what you tell me to do than in chasing after all the wealth of the world.” (Psalm 119:14 TPT)
“I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches.” (Psalm 119:14 NLT)
“I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.” (Psalm 119:14 AMP)
“I rejoiced in the way revealed by Your decrees as much as in all riches.” (Psalm 119:14 HCSB)
“I have loved the way of your testimonies more than all riches!” (Psalm 119:14 ABIPE)
Time for a “gut check.” My “religious nature” easily echoes the words of Psalm 119:14. It is so easy to proclaim, “I love You Daddy more than anything else in this world.” In Church on Sunday morning the words to the songs come bellowing out of my mouth as I boldly proclaim that Jesus is all that I need. I quickly shout “Amen,” and “Hallelujah,” when the preacher proclaims that God’s Word is to be esteemed above all other words. But what do I do when the offering plate crosses my path? Who is first in reality when it comes to the money that I have worked all week for? Who comes first when I must choose between the building fund or my new boat? Now I’ve gone to meddling. Again I say, “gut check.”
Do I really “find more joy in following what you (God) tell me to do than in chasing after all the wealth of the world?” Solomon, the richest man to have ever lived, started out chasing after the Word (God’s wisdom). When God gave him the choice of anything that he desired he chose wisdom. God gave Solomon the wisdom that he had requested and as Solomon lived out the wisdom that he was given it produced extreme blessing in every area of his life. Sadly, little by little as Solomon grew in status, wealth, and power, he shifted his affections and started chasing after wealth. In the end, this blessed man became a broken man and found his life to be completely empty and void of the joy that comes only from the Lord. As he looked around himself at the bounty of his life he proclaimed, “Everything is meaningless, says the teacher, completely meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2 NLT)
“The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow to it.” (Proverbs 10:22 NKJV) When Solomon rejoiced in the Lord’s decrees, and chased after wisdom, he was made rich in all aspects of his life. When he began to seek his joy in the things that he had accumulated, and chased after wealth, his life became empty and without the joy of the Lord. As I learn from his experience, and perform my “gut check,” I am able to recommit myself to embracing joyfully the testimonies, laws, and decrees of my Daddy more than all riches.
I am reminded of where to set my affections by…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 288: Clean Living (Psalm 119:9-16) – Part 7 – Verse 14