Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 62:9 Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.
Psalm 62:10 Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

Let’s remember David’s theme of trust only in the Lord, at all times. He has, even as he has been in himself, considered his situation and active trust before God, and come to a resolved standing before God.

Even as we read this psalm, David’s ability to stand firm has increased. Back in verse 2, he states he “shall not be greatly shaken”, and only 4 verses later, using the exact same words describing our God, he speaks even more assuredly when he states “I shall not be shaken”.

We enter into two verses in our post this morning where David is considering the trustworthiness of men, both ordinary men and the great rulers and champions of the day. His description of them brings us to reality, for we often think our ourselves in terms of granduer and importance, even irreplaceable. David speaks a truth that puts us in our place, a place that reminds us we are but less than a breath.

Think back in your family. If you can remember you grandparents, you are rare. That is two generations. What about your great grandparents? Three generations. Sixty to eighty years.

We truly are but a breath in time. David, in his description of the man of low estate is kind, not relating them to a moral failure. Not so with those who have “made it” in this life. The successful man, the man of high degree is associated with lies and delusion.

Forgive me for being an arithmetic geek, but when combined, both the men of low and high estate are less than the man of low estate, for David describes them when combined as “lighter than breath”! The man of high estate is actually less than nothing in this comparison! Incredible.

If we only consider this thought, it is easy to become disillusioned, fall into despair and depression. What is the use of our lives, if in the end we are “but a breath”. Let us not forget the theme of this psalm, for David is writing of the theme of trusting God.

Though this description of created man is accurate, it is not the intent of David to simply provide this fact for us to wallow in, to be self absorbed into, but to again consider the greatness of God, the importance of shifting our trust from man to God.

Trust in man, who is at best but a fleeting breath makes no sense. This trust is futile and empty, destined for disappointment. Those of power that we trust are liars, full of deception and of themselves, leading us all to the wrong solutions.

Similarly, David exhorts us to refrain from trusting in riches, no matter how attained. Of course if ill gotten, the riches will fly away, leaving your trust disappointed. If riches are possessed through diligence, hard work, and the blessing of God, they still represent a danger, an object that does not deserve our trust, nor will reward the trust we place in them.

Difficult verses to face for the modern believer, for some may look to men for solutions to the mess we find ourselves in as a nation, or as a church, or even as a family.

Men and money are impotent in their ability to bring any salvation to our lives, any permanence, any real value or weight to our existence.

Men and money, when compared to our God, are not worthy of any trust, cannot reward our trust, and actually may become a temptation and snare, a trap that actually destroys instead of delivers.

These short two verses, when considered alone, present a dire situation for those reading them.

As we ponder a passage such as this, we must keep our eyes on the Lord, as He alone has the power to redeem this breath of life from futility.

He is good and He is good all the time!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

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