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His pleasure is not...

             His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. (Psalm147:10-11)

There are videos about horses and other animals that lead us to say, “Oh, wow!” Animals can be gorgeous, spirited, and powerful, and we admire them - quite often - in their displays of aggression and domination. As the Olympics have shown us this past week, we are equally impressed with displays of human power. Who wouldn’t be impressed by Simone Biles, or the woman who won all those swimming metals? And even if we somehow don’t find ourselves impressed with those functionally beautiful bodies, there’s no end to the magnificent specimens who seek to entertain us.

Scripture tells us we shouldn’t judge others, especially on appearances. Society tells us the same thing. We probably scold ourselves for judging others who don’t live up to those almost impossible standards while we fault ourselves for not measuring up. It could be that we don’t pick those specific impossible standards but others that are equally unattainable. We may not even notice ourselves doing it. Something that should warn us is the word “too.”

What matters more to God than anything else - according to these verses is for us to fear (respect) Him and to put our hope in His unfailing love. We choose what we think is the easier path, only to discover that it’s impossible. Perhaps it’s time to choose what we are afraid is the impossible path.

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