Our faith in God has inherited benefits. Through the vehicle of fellowship we are given access to his throne of grace to aid us in our times of need (Heb 4:14-16). We run to him for shelter from life’s storms as he is our refuge. We recognize (by his Spirit) that God is all we need to satisfy us in this life, for he is our portion. These blessings are needed to effectively navigate our present. In this Psalm, David magnifies the Lord for these truths as celebrated his fellowship with God:
He trusted God alone. David learned about the character of God by experiencing his preserving power through his hardships. Because of this, he did not put his trust in the wisdom and the ingenuity of men, but in God alone, thus he says, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you’” (v2). We should take comfort that Jesus is Sovereign Lord over our lives. Further, He is not oblivious of our problems, nor does he make mistakes. Rather, all things in our lives are orchestrated by providential will. We are always in God’s hands no matter what happens. In fact, we can’t even rip ourselves from his clutches with any human power we possess (Jn 10:28-29).
He delights in the presence & fellowship of saints. The community of believers was a means of grace to David. He called them, “…the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight” (v3). God did not design us to love, serve, and worship him alone. He has gifted us with a fellowship of saints that helps us prosper in the benefits of God. Sometimes believers experience being detached from God. This occurs (partly) when we separate ourselves from the provision of such a community, like a hungry person who pushes back from a dinner table before they actually eat. To do so is to cut ourselves off from a measure of God’s presence and benefits in our lives. Through fellowship with the saints we are gifted with experiencing our common need for God and each other. Whether we realize it or not, our spirit is in desperate need of God’s soul strengthening alms (like beggars in need of food and money), which sets us free from the many sorrows of a self-centered living (1 Tim 6:9-10).
A trust in God and in the community he has provided helps us realize what a true inheritance really is. It is not found in houses, cars, bank accounts, and social status, for all these things perish with this life. But rather, It is God and each other. These are our wonderful lot in which God blesses our lives now and eternity, for David extols, “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Amen.
Blessings,
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D
www.springoflivingwaters.com