Location, Location, Location
Psalms 52:7-8 NKJV
“Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
The title is the mantra of all real estate agents. Where your home is located is what matters the most. Our devotional for today is not about the location of your home but the location of your trust.
This is a psalm of David, and it concerns Dog the Bounty Hunter. Just kidding. It is about Doeg the Edomite. Doeg was the guy who told Saul about David going to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech gave David food and the sword of Goliath. At the command of Saul, Doeg killed Ahimelech and eighty-four priests because Ahimelech had helped David. Doeg also killed the inhabitants of the city of Nob, the home of the priests. Men, women, children, and babies were killed. Doeg was evil and David wrote this psalm about him.
The man who did not make God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches. Trusting in riches defines the person who is looking to riches as the strength of their life. And this man, Doeg, also strengthened himself in his wicked acts. This is a person who has completely blocked God out. At face value, it’s easier to trust in riches than to trust in God. But that is only face value. Riches can vanish. Riches will not solve some of the problems that humanity faces. David contrasts this man, Doeg, with himself.
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. Olive trees were trees of value. Olive oil is still a valuable commodity today, and some oil producers treat the oil as fine wine. So an olive tree in God’s house was going to be strong, flourishing, and fruitful. And here is where David locates his trust. He trusts in the mercy of God forever and ever. Doeg trusted in riches; David trusted in God’s mercy. And in the end, it was David who came out on top. God’s strength is greater than man’s strength and man’s riches. Trusting in God’s mercy builds strength.
APPLICATION
The question we must ask ourselves is, where is my trust? For wherever our trust is, that is where our strength is. It is not only riches that people locate as their trust. We can trust other people, our intelligence, our appearance, skills, and talents, or connections. But when we trust in God and His mercy, we have tapped into the source of strength. The things this life can offer are temporary. Your skills and connections may change in the next ten years. I promise you that your appearance will change, and so will the people around you. The best thing we can do is develop our trust in the One who never changes, fades, or runs out of resources. We trust in God and His mercy. That is what allows us to live flourishing and fruitful.
PRAYER
Lord, I trust in You and Your mercy. You are the strength of my life.