Thursday, April 9, 2015
Psalm 72 was written by David at the close of his life and reign and bible teachers know it as “A Psalm For Solomon.” Quite clearly it is a father’s prayer that God would equip his son and successor with justice and righteousness. Few things comfort those who are about to leave this world to go to the other more than the thought of their children praising God on earth at the same time that they will be praising Him in Heaven. At the same time, the psalm addresses a present common issue as well as the reason for it, namely the corruption in many of today’s world governments. Think about this: Do you think certain countries of the world would be in the deplorable condition they are in if leaders with integrity were running it, and do you think people from their countries would so desperately want to come to ours if their leaders were governing with justice and righteousness? Proverbs 29:2 says: “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.”
In this psalm, David was mostly praying that his son would govern Israel, after he was gone, with the same faith, dedication, reliance, and love that he had for God. When you think about it, is that not what all true Christian parents want for their children? Whether it is a country, state, city, organization, church, or even a family unit, the success of all of these depends on the decency, fair mindedness, and integrity of the leader, in particular their faith and love for God.
Whether it is to one person or a thousand, I wholeheartedly believe that all of God’s children are leaders in one capacity or another. That being the case, it is very important how we live our lives for we are all in a position to either improve or worsen the quality of life of those who follow, depend, or look up to us. Have you ever made a sincere and conscious effort to make things better for those around you, especially your family and friends? The Bible says in Romans 8:34 that Christ today is at the right hand of God, forever making intercession for us. Isn’t it comforting to know that He is praying for you and me continuously? In fact, I would not be surprised if one of those prayers is exactly like the one David prayed for his son, that is, that we will deal in righteousness and justice with those around us. Knowing that, leads me to believe that this particular prayer will be answered. Now, that is something we can all rejoice in.
Memory verse for the week: (John 15:13) “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Note: I encourage you to read, reflect, and meditate upon Psalm 72 at your earliest convenience. You’ll be happy that you did.
