Not Be Shaken

Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
5 who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

This was one of the more rebuking passages I've read in a while. Recently, it feels like I've been stumbling in my walk in so many different ways- I've struggled with lust and pornography, I've been constantly angry and annoyed with people, and due to several layoffs at work, my overall outlook has been one of increasing discouragement and anxiety in the office. In short, it's been a long, frustrating last few weeks...

Upon reading this chapter in Psalms, it occurred to me how convenient it is to choose to do the wrong thing in so many different situations. When I'm frustrated while playing basketball, it's easy for me to yell and curse at other people (sometimes even teammates). When I'm exhausted from a long day and/or feeling lonely, it's easy for me to turn to the wrong things when I'm browsing the internet. And when I'm hit by feelings of inadequacy or insecurity, it's easy for me to shut myself off from others to prevent myself from being hurt further.

But then the passage concludes with the sentence, "He who does these things will never be shaken". Given my present situation, that statement seemed to make so much sense to me. A man whose life is blameless and righteous will ultimately point to God, and in turn, the foundations that this man's life is built upon will in turn be rooted in the strength and power that He possesses. Being holy and set apart from the world grants a man that much more intimacy with God, and as such, brings him that much closer to the center of God's will.

And as I said, this was a tremendous rebuke to me- why do I not have a greater desire to be at the center of God's will? Has intimacy with the very Lord and Saviour of my life become such a trite concept to me that I no longer possess the passion to live out my existence in a manner that reflects this joy? And even though I know full well that God takes care of His own, and that His love is more substantial and permanent than anything this world has to offer, why do I so often contort myself to satisfy the latter...only to wind up broken emotionally, spiritually, and mentally?

Please pray that I'd seek to be increasingly set apart for His purposes, and that my foundations would be rooted in God and God alone.