Today we read Psalm 119:73-80 which is filled with thoughtful meditations that we should apply daily to our hearts and lives. For example, consider that God “made us with His hands” (verse 73). What does that mean personally for us? It means that, in His eternal plan – before the foundation of the world – God knew us and planned for us somewhere in eternity past, and at His appointed time and place, and through His appointed representatives – our parents – God brought us forth and gave us life, in a way similar to an artist or a sculptor who fashions his creation by plan and personal design – “with His hands.” We are not accidents; we are not optional; we are not random things. We are personal men and women made in the image of God. Through the Psalmist, God expresses a high value on us – His image dignifies us – and in spite of our fallen nature, He considers us worthy enough to be redeemed by the blood of His Son. This biblical truth annihilates the contemporary philosophical notion that man is a non-entity. Consider also that God’s “laws are righteous” (verse 75); and that His love for us is “unfailing” (verse 76). The Psalmist himself, who sets our example, reflects, “I will meditate on your precepts … may I wholeheartedly follow your decrees” (verses 78-80). What does all this mean? It means that, in spite of our sin, we are God’s handiwork, and His Word in its entirety is pure and faultless. Everything He says about us is true. His love for us is eternal, faithful, and immutable. God is worthy of our most noble thoughts and our highest worship.
In Jeremiah 46-47, we see that God has a plan not only for Israel, but also for Egypt and the Philistines. We recall from our readings in Isaiah 19 that God called Egypt “His people” and that in the future, He would “bless Egypt” (cf., Isaiah 19:23-25). God is concerned about all nations, and here we see that Jeremiah also had a message for the Egyptians, although somewhat different. Jeremiah says that Pharaoh Neco and Egypt need to prepare for battle, because Nebuchadnezzar is coming (verse 13). “The day of disaster is coming, as the enemy advances against her in force … they will be handed over to the people of the north” (verses 21-24). In chapter 47, Jeremiah had a message for the Philistines, too … "The day has come to destroy all the Philistines … to cut off all survivors … Gaza will shave her head in mourning, and Ashkelon will be silenced … the LORD has commanded it” (verses 4-7). Again, we see that God’s Word is true; where are the Philistines today?
In 1 Timothy 6:3-21, Paul opens this section by stating that “anyone who teaches false doctrine or does not agree with the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching is conceited and understands nothing … he has an unhealthy interest in controversies” (verses 3-4). He states this because he is about to address a sensitive and controversial topic – money. A lot of people have an unhealthy view about money – they always want more of it. However, Paul teaches us here about the proper (i.e., biblical) view of money. Money is a valuable resource, but its purpose must be guided by God’s perspective. The love of money is a snare, and “people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap … the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (verses 9-10). Paul says that “godliness with contentment is a great gain” (verse 6) – of greater worth than an endless, single-minded pursuit of anything temporal or worldly. Sharing what we have is equal to "laying up treasure for the coming age” (verse 19). We are to choose the eternal treasures of righteousness, godliness, faith, etc., for our hope lies in nothing less than a holy God (verse 17). To close this book, Paul tells Timothy to “guard what has been entrusted to your care” (verse 20).
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