Whoever does these things will never be shaken. – Psalm 15:5b

Today's Scripture Reading (May 27, 2022):  Psalms 15 and 16

Poet John Keats argued that "There is nothing stable in the world; uproar's your only music." Keats might be right, but we wish that he wasn't. I have been lucky that I have lived in a fairly stable world. I have never really had to fear that someone might get angry and bomb the city where I live. There has been some economic instability during my lifetime. Still, as I look back at long stretches, it hasn't been as bad as the economic downturns through which the generations that preceded me have suffered. Sometimes, mountains have threatened to overwhelm me, but looking back at them, I realize that they were nothing more than bumps in the road.

Nothing was prized more than a measure of stability in the ancient world. And so, as David writes this Psalm, he ends it with a promise of stability. He argues that if you do these things, God will bless you with peace as you move through the phases of life. What items does David include in his list of preferable actions? David includes such characteristics as being blameless, righteous, and speaking the truth from the heart. He argues that we should be the one who refuses to slander and who does no wrong to our neighbors. Those who despise evil and keep a promise even when it is inconvenient. The one who lends money to the poor and refuses to charge interest even if interest is offered. These things are what lead us to a stable life. Or maybe more to the point, do these things, and whatever turmoil might be in your life will not overwhelm you.

But the promised stability at the end of the Psalm does not seem to reflect the question asked at the beginning of the Psalm. At the beginning of the Psalm, David asks God who is it that can live in your sacred tent? Who can live on your holy mountain? And the answer to David's question is the same list of characteristics and activities as David promises us will bring stability to life.

And maybe that is the secret. The only place where we will ever find real stability in this life is if we can dwell in God's sacred tent and live on his holy mountain. Stability is what we receive if we can stay close to the heart of God. John Keats might believe that the only music in this world is uproar. But maybe we know better, and we can cling to the God who inspired Cleland Boyd McAfee to write "Near to the Heart of God."

There is a place of quiet rest,
Near to the heart of God;
A place where sin cannot molest,
Near to the heart of God.

O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God;
Hold us, who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 24