Psalm 62:10

Psalm 62:10

Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

Back in verse 5, we thought about some of the things that we might put our hope in. I doubt that 'stolen goods' were top of your list! But riches (or, at least, 'things') probably come quite near the top for most of us. Are we confident because the cupboard and the fridge and the bank account feel full enough? Or are we anxious because they are not? 

These things are good gifts from God for which we can be thankful. But David warns us not to 'set our hearts' on them. Not to let them be the things that we long for and cling to, that determine our happiness. Why? Because, though they seem solid and lasting, they – like us - are only a 'breath'. However much we hope or work for material things, we’re not guaranteed to get them. And if we do get them, they probably won’t last. They will rust or rot, get lost or stolen, or be eaten up by inflation. And even if we keep them and our riches increase in this life, they will never fully satisfy people who were designed to find our ultimate joy in relationship with God.

The only thing secure enough to set our hearts on and not be disappointed by is God himself, our rock and refuge. Let’s pray that we will set our hearts on him.