“… TO THOSE WHO ARE UPRIGHT IN THEIR HEARTS” Thoughts from today’s Bible readings – March 14th
“… TO THOSE WHO ARE UPRIGHT IN THEIR HEARTS”
It is said that the group of Psalms we are presently reading, which carry the introductory note, ‘A SONG OF ASCENTS’ were sung by those going up to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. While we cannot definitely say this was so, they appear to suit this purpose. We can see some comparisons for us as we prepare to remember our Lord each week.
Psalm 125 starts, “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.” May we fully trust, removing all doubts from our minds, most of all when we are meeting together to remember our Lord, being able to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.” [Heb. 10 v.22]
Verse 4 in this Psalm is particularly meaningful – and ‘thought challenging’ for us! “Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts!” We saw today in the teaching of Jesus as recorded in Luke ch. 6, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
[v.45]
“Those who are upright in their hearts” have a precious treasure. There is very little of such “treasure” in our world today – instead, an abundance of the opposite!
Our next Psalm (126) describes, to some degree, the joys to come in the kingdom for “those who are upright in their hearts!” In the kingdom such will say, “ The LORD has done great things for us”
[v.3]
We also meditated on v. 5, ” Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” Such “joy” is truly the reward for all “who are upright in their hearts” and have an “abundance” in their hearts of the words of God, in contrast to the words of man – knowing there is no middle way.
