Let those who favor my righteous cause shout for joy and be glad. Yes, let them say continually, “May The LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”
–Psalm 35:27
One benefit in a free market economy comes from the element of competition.
When businesses compete with each other, this often makes for better products or services. If the other guy makes improvements, you better up your game if you want to make a profit. In this way, the customer benefits from higher quality goods and services.
But this culture of competition can creep into the way we approach life. If our neighbor buys a new car, we might feel we should, too. If our co-worker gets promoted over us, we might fume and wonder why.
Sometimes, a culture of competition leads us to resent the success of others.
In this way, it’s possible to feel like you’re in competition with God — to resent Him in his high and mighty place, and certainly, to assume that He takes no pleasure in you rising higher in life. But this Psalm reveals a different picture. The Lord takes pleasure in your prosperity. When you join Him in His righteous cause, He wants you to succeed!
If God is your competitor, perhaps a merger is in your best interests. Join God in the business of life, and you’ll profit in ways far beyond what’s in your bank account.
Reflection
Do I believe God wants me to succeed? I will pray for insight to see from the Scriptures how much He values me personally and cares for my welfare. I will also consider what goals I have that may or may not align with His righteous cause.
Prayer
Dear God, Thank You for taking pleasure in my prosperity. Today, I thank You for all my many blessings: for what health and wealth I have, for my family and friends, and for the greatest treasure of all — Your Son, Jesus. In His name I pray, Amen.