I Pity the Fool

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
to declare your faithful love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
with a ten-stringed hard and the music of a lyre. 

For YOU have made me rejoice, Lord, 
by what you have done;
I will shout for joy because of the works of your hands.
How magnificent are your works, Lord!
How profound your thoughts!

A stupid person does not know,
a fool does not understand this:
though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish,
they will be eternally destroyed. 

But you, Lord, are exalted forever.
For indeed, Lord, your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.

Psalm 92:1-9

One of the truest signs of a heart satisfied by God is a spirit of thankfulness. Discontent reigns for the nonbeliever – and can eat away at the joy of the Christian who has been overtaken by comparison and covetousness. 

How is your heart today? Are you thankful? Or are you perpetually discontent, desiring the lives of friends or strangers above your own? This kind of discontentment makes it really, really hard to be salt and light in a world that so desperately needs preservation and illumination. And perhaps even more devastatingly, it makes it almost impossible to enjoy and love God Himself. 

If you’re in the midst of sadness, Psalm 92 has a word for you: God is faithful. His love is faithful. The wickedness of this world – the darkness we see around us – it is temporary. We talked about this last week in Hebrews 11! Even now, the light is overcoming the darkness. One day He will fully overcome, and all darkness will depart forevermore. One of my dearest friends just suffered a heart wrenching loss, and in sharing the news with me, she said this: “We are so sad, but we are not without hope.” We are not those who have no hope. We can – because of God’s faithfulness – still worship Him in the midst of hardship – even if through tears. He will never leave us, and His love is better than life. Continuing to worship in the midst of hardship isn’t just an arbitrary command; it actually draws us closer to life and joy in the midst of pain.

If you’re in a season of abundance, Psalm 92 has a word for you, too! He is the giver of all good gifts! Have you declared His faithful love in the morning and His faithfulness at night? Have you shouted for joy in awe of His goodness? Have you marveled at His magnificent works? 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be classified as a stupid person or a fool. The psalmist doesn’t mince words here! The fool lives and acts as one who has no hope. The fool lives and acts as one who does not trust that God’s love is faithful to the end. The fool lives and acts as if his or her worth and satisfaction depend upon things that pass away. I pity the fool! 

It seems as though the opposite of the fool is the thankful worshipper. So let’s be thankful worshippers this week and always. We serve a God characterized first by His steadfast love. What an extraordinary truth. 

See you Sunday!
Erika

P.S. Stay tuned for an announcement email tomorrow with details about a bunch of opportunities coming up at The Bridge!