
Do you derive any satisfaction from being different?
A rather general question, to be sure, and generally, the answer would probably be “no.” To be different is to be odd, or weird, or awkward, or abnormal, or some other less-than-flattering adjective—and who wants to be so described?!
The Christian, however, is different by default.
If you love the Lord who saved you, you have a different starting point for living than the rest of the world. That will lead you to hold different values, which translates into different desires, goals, attitudes, speech, and behavior. These are all pieces of evidence testifying to the genuineness of one’s profession of Christian faith. And genuine Christian faith culminates in a different destiny.
So again, I ask, do you derive any satisfaction in being different?
As you read Psalm 5, you can’t help noticing that David is a satisfied man, though he’s different.
First, in contrast to the rest of humanity, he prays to the Lord God, whom he recognizes as his King (vv. 2-3).
Second, he recognizes that the Lord finds no delight in wickedness, so by implication he expresses a desire to avoid it (v. 4). This, of course, sharply contrasts with fallen humanity’s insatiable appetite for and pursuit of evil.
Third, he understands ultimate destinies: the foolish, wicked person will not stand in His sight (vv. 5-6), but he himself will enjoy ongoing fellowship with the Lord (v. 7).
Fourth, his passion is to walk in the right paths, those defined by the righteous Lord (v. 8).
Fifth, he sees a marked difference between the speech of the wicked (v. 9) and that of the righteous (v. 11).
Finally, he confidently believes the righteous will experience the Lord’s blessing (v. 12) rather than His wrath (v. 10).
Those are some significant differences! David draws a pretty clear line between the righteous and the wicked. Do you stand on the righteous side of the line? If so, don’t you find a great deal of satisfaction there?
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