Sunday Psalms;

Shin

Rulers oppress me without cause, 

but my heart honors what you've said.

I'm overjoyed at your word, like someone who finds great treasure.  

...

Psalms 119:161-168 CEB

Sometimes it's systems that are the oppressor.

The Hebrew word here is "sahr" which is derived from "to have dominion or rule".

In our context that might be the government, the power exerted by other countries, global systems, our institutions, or "just the way things are" that we can feel powerless about (like how unaffordable housing is for so many people right now).

In the face of whatever the writer of this psalm was facing, he does two things;

In the inner most part of who he is, that part that no system or ruler or oppressor can touch, he honours God, trusts Him.

And he holds on to God's truth like treasure.

I wonder if there's something here for us, to check that trust we have for God is at the centre of us, & this picture of having a treasure that we go and check on, make sure it's there, secure, because it is the thing of real value.

We're being invited to place our trust in treasure that won't change, or lose it's value, because it is the real thing.

People & systems decide what is treasure, but God is outside those things, His is a Bigger Story, and it is in Him that we can place our trust and our hope - He is our treasure.

#psalms

#psalm119

#itsaheartthing