Thoughts on Psalm 4

This morning, as I read, I came across this question from Psalm 4. I think it's the first time this question has caught my eye. Here is David's question,

"How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?"

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Wait, I thought...what did he ask? A question that challenge our affections and priorities. Affections and priorities are the main issues of life. What do you love? What do you want? Those are things we focus on. Through David God asks a question that focuses on both of the issues we care about most.

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What do you love?

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What do you want?

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Great questions! I wonder, though, about this verse. I wonder....what do we love that is worthless? What do we aim at that is deception? It seems that the New Testament clears these up nicely. Here's how John describes this in a different way,

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1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

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The world is quite busy.....busy about loving worthless things and aiming at deception....things that will keep them busy so they don't have time to think about God. Things that are worthless for eternity and deceptive in their promise of happiness. The promises are big, but they offer a complete lack of any substance.

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Be aware that our affections and desires can be undermined by the world around us. Be aware that your loves and desires should be looked at often to make sure they are of eternal worth and substance. It's easy to fall into loves and desires that look good, but miss the mark and have nothing to offer.

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David's question in Psalm 4 is quite haunting, "How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?" How would you answer his question?

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