March 27, 2020 -- Psalm 119:139 -- Consumed with purpose

My zeal consumes me,

because my foes forget your words.

Psalm 119:139 English Standard Version

The Psalm writer is jealous for the honour of God. He is so committed to living with eagerness and joy in the ways of God that those who reject Him spur him on to even greater heights of obedience and service. In Psalm 69:9 the writer of cries out:

For zeal for your house has consumed me,

and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. (Ps 69:9 ESV).

Here the writer so identifies with the worship of God and the joys and awesome privilege of service that he willingly endures the insults and mocking and hatred such service brings to him. It is Jesus’ disciples who see His dedicated service to God His Father and they quote the first phrase of Psalm 69:9 in reference to the works of Jesus.

Last night I was scrolling through some memes related to the Corona virus pandemic and came across this one:

For once of the future of humanity

is in the hands of those who stay at home and watch TV.

Let’s not mess this up.

I laughed at it. And then became sad. This certainly reflects the world’s view of how purposeless our lives are. For us as Christians, more than ever zeal for the LORD our God consumes us. We pray for our unsaved neighbours. We can call our friends and reassure people who are afraid, we have Rock-solid confidence in God—to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). We can guard our eyes and our hearts from the onslaught of worthless shows and mind-numbing movies that are being offered. Now is the time to renew our zeal for the LORD and to grow in our trust in Him.

O God our Father let our zeal for You and Your glory consume us. While we hear more and more bad news from all of sources, may we turn with greater ardor to the source of all Good News, Jesus Christ and His Word. Let Your Spirit fill us with renewed hope and joy. Spirit of the Living God increase our capacity for dedicated service to Jesus Christ. Forgive us, God of mercy, for the vast amounts of wasted time and the tears we have spilled over non-eternal things, such as finances and stock-market nose-dives. Triune God, holy and forever blessed, renew in us an awareness of our purpose as Your beloved sons and daughters living as the fragrance of hope among the people of this world who are stuck in the stench of fear. Be glorified Living God, great and glorious! Amen.