Better Than Money

Read Psalm 119:1-176

33. Teach me your decrees, O Lord; I will keep them to the end.
34. Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart.
35. Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.
36. Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money!
37. Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.
38. Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you.
39. Help me abandon my shameful ways; for your regulations are good.
40. I long to obey your commandments! Renew my life with your goodness.
41. Lord, give me your unfailing love, the salvation that you promised me.
42. Then I can answer those who taunt me, for I trust in your word.
43. Do not snatch your word of truth from me, for your regulations are my only hope. Psalm 119:33-43

State lotteries have thrived in this country. Each week, millions of dollars are promised to a handful of winners. For a chance to be set for life financially, just buy a ticket.

Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, discusses something that has much more value than money: God’s law. Almost every verse mentions the virtues of knowing, learning, loving, keeping, and telling others about God’s law. In a word, God’s law is valuable! And where does this leave the yardstick of all worldly value? Read on for some perspective.

Other lessons in this psalm include appreciating the value of God’s Word; appreciating God’s rules; and asking God for insight into his Word.

In today’s world, where advertisements continually entice us to buy things, thinking selfishly comes almost automatically. We can easily imagine that contentment and happiness lie just beyond the next income level. Making the lust for money even stronger is the fact that in our society money represents power, influence, and success.

Certainly, money can buy comforts and offer some security, but it offers nothing that will last or that can ultimately satisfy us. Besides, God determines what we have (see Proverbs 22:2). The Bible, God’s Word, offers far more than money. In Scripture we find direction, guidance, and the meaning to life.

What means more to you? Knowing God or being rich? Make the psalm writer’s prayer your own—that God will give you a love for his statutes and not for making money.