Mind Meld of A Different Kind

PSALM 16
A psalm of David.
Keep me safe, O God,

for I have come to you for refuge.

I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!

Every good thing I have comes from you.”

The godly people in the land

are my true heroes!

I take pleasure in them!

Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.

I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood

or even speak the names of their gods.

Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.

You guard all that is mine.

The land you have given me is a pleasant land.

What a wonderful inheritance!

I will bless the Lord who guides me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

I know the Lord is always with me.

I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.

My body rests in safety.

For you will not leave my soul among the dead

or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.

You will show me the way of life,

granting me the joy of your presence

and the pleasures of living with you forever.

My Heroes
Society supplies a long list of potential heroes, living and dead, real life and fiction. Many get on the list just because they are famous actors, musicians, or athletes. I admire and enjoy the entertainment of many such people. But they haven’t done anything that qualifies them as heroes.

Some would have me look to those who have sacrificed either life or limb in the wars our nation has fought. Our government recognizes many of these as heroes worthy of special honors such as the Purple Heart. As much as I appreciate what these men and women have sacrificed and the tremendous price they have paid, they aren’t my real heroes either – though these are far more deserving of hero status than the merely famous.

I like the heroes David selects; godly people. For me these are people who are rather different from most deeply pious Christians or those most would identify as especially spiritual. For me godly people are those who have fully devoted their lives to Jesus Christ and have experienced years of being formed, often through pain, in his likeness.

I think of Alice, who had an alcoholic husband and chronic back pain. She modeled trust in God. Then there’s Ina. Admitted to a nursing home when her body needed the extra care, she modeled selfless servanthood as she cared for others around her rather than complaining about her state. Bud was one of my college professors who modeled a searching Christian mind. And there is Dennis. A 50 year old downs syndrome man, he modeled the purity of loving Jesus with all his heart.

The God of people like these will be my God. And they are the men and women I give thanks for, admire, and want to be like the most.

Thanks God, for allow godly people to enter the pages of my life story! - Mike Leamon

A big inheritance
Your inheritance is important. It is what your parents worked hard to earn or preserve so they could pass it on to you. I grew up on a farm where inheriting things was critical to the family farm surviving from generation to generation. Each generation passed down the land and the equipment allowing the next generation the chance to build upon what was given to them.

In America we highly value our inheritance. It is something many of us will work our entire lives to procure and pass along to our children.

David has a different perspective. Sure he participated in the culture mindset of passing things on to his children, but his inheritance was not found in money or lands. His inheritance was found in God. What a wonderful concept to declare all we want to possess, all we want to be given is God. No wonder God describes David as a man after his own heart. David was not perfect but he had the ultimate pursuit of life nailed down. God was his goal.

How different we might live if we adopted this perspective in our lives today. Our greatest possession would not be our house or retirement account. Our greatest desire in life would be to know God. Am I looking forward to some kind of inheritance from my parents? Honestly, yes. But more important than any of that is what God has in store to give to me. For me, I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sufferings so that somehow I might attain the resurrection from the dead.

Giver of all good gifts both immediate and eternal, I want you more than anything else in the world. You are more important to me than the farm, the land, money, or prestige. You are my inheritance and I long to receive more of you today. - Dan Jones