Judges 16, Psalm 89:1-18, Mark 7:24-37, 1 Corinthians 12:14-31

Psalm 89:1-18:

Do you want to give your life something that lasts forever? So many people down through the years have attempted to make a name for themselves that lasts beyond the merely temporal and immediate. Great works of art. Military conquest. The list goes on. And yet the sands of time give the lie to the ability of humans to carve out their own destiny with any degree of permanence. Perhaps the most famous reflection on this temporality of our efforts is the poet Shelley’s poem called Ozymandias:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.

However “mighty” works appear now, soon they will be little more than dust. But, there is an exception. And that exception is described in this psalm. If we align our life with the purpose of the eternal one, then what we do will truly have eternal significance.

“I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever” (verse 1)

“Steadfast love will be built up forever” (verse 4)

“O Lord God of hosts who is mighty as you are, O Lord?” (verse 8)

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you” (verse 14)

And because of this nature of God and his purposes, therefore:

“Blessed are the people who…walk, O Lord, in the light of your face…by your favor our horn is exalted” (verses 15-17)

If you want your life to count for eternity, align that life with the eternal purposes of God.