Worthless Things.

There were worthless things then. There are worthless thing now.

Bible book of Psalm, chapter 119, verse 37. "Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your word." I could start making my list of the things that I deem to be worthless things and it could immediately begin to create a good, solid pocket of guilt for you and me as you hear me deeming this thing and that thing worthless. And that's not the point.

Thousands of years ago, the Psalmist was seeking the help of Yahweh about worthless things being a part of his life. I think there is a subtle tendency to think that this is the 'hell in a hand basket' part of history. Now is the primary debacle of worthless things. But the Psalmist was singing about worthless things then and I'm writing about worthless things today. Worthless things have always been part of the story, post Eden.

I don't have to start a list and let you hear it. Most of us have a waving awareness of the pull of worthless things. It is pretty remarkable just how much this theme is woven into daily living. The theme of worthless things is running in the background of most of our waking hours. We're either numb and unaware that our lives at the moment are marked by worthless things due to their anesthetic charm and Satan's blinding or we're relationally aware that the Trinity is calling us to more than the web and net of the world's worthless things. Anesthetized or alive, this is a constant theme.

The Word shoots straight. Many times we're all about the charm of worthless things and not all about the path to real life that Trinity has invited us to.

Don't miss that today. You are invited.

Listen to the theme. "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life. (book of John). "This is what the Lord says, 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for your souls.' But you said, 'We will not walk in it.' "(book of Jeremiah). "This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel says, 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.' But you would have none of it." (book of Isaiah)

"You refuse to come to Me. We will not walk in it. You would have none of it." I do submit to worthless things. I can't evade this truth about me. About us. It is part of the battle in our relational heritage. Real relational heritage is worth battle.

There is capacity in me to submit to worthless things. Trinity creates capacity in alive hearts to submit to the Words of God. The verse before worthless things says this. "Turn my heart towards Your Word." Before the words 'worthless things' are sung from Psalmist lips, the words 'Your Word' are sung. The Psalmist song is singing about submission. Help me to submit to Your Word because submission to worthless things is real and possible. Then and now.

I can submit to worthless things. We can face that together as the church.

I can submit to God and His Words. How?

My friend TM says, "Only a work of God can lift us beyond our puny, sinful, self-centered aspirations into the joy and rejoicing of life in the Word of God."

There's more.