Psalm 19 - Part Two

So yesterday I was sitting in our house, marvelling at the South American mindset. I was planning on going into town in order to get this next blog posted for all of you readers out there, but unfortunately there was a "bloquero" all day yesterday going on all over Sucre, and quite possibly Bolivia. The only road between our house and the city was blocked so we couldn´t leave the house at all yesterday... we watched about seven movies, haha. Our house is on the road to the airport above Sucre so I have no idea what the protesters were trying to prove/get from the government by blocking our road, but whenever people are dissatisfied with things around here they love to block the roads with rocks, vehicles, and other handy, various rubble strewn about. Anyway, onto other news: I got word from my boss, Trent, that we are most likely going on our first trip into the communities on Monday. I believe we are going to be in the villages for at least two months so please be praying for us during that time for patience while learning the language, Quechua, and open hearts among the people we are going to living with. I am really excited about finally getting to be able to go on a trip!
Psalms nineteen... did you think I would forget why I'm writting this blog for these three times? :) The second part of the psalm reads: "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." Just reading this section of the chapter lifts my spirits whenever they are low. It may not always be easy to follow Him, but it's here, plain as day, why. All of the different parts of God are perfect. This part of the chapter is very poetic (very astute, I know, this is after all the book of Psalms...). David loves to write about the Lord and His attributes; over and over, he praises different parts of God.
I have to admit that the second to last sentence is hard for me at times. I have to consciously remind myself that this earth is not our home, and therefore I need not the material goods that are so highly sought after by my home culture and society as a whole. My focus should be on the real treasure which is obeying God and glorifying His name throughout all the earth. Part of Jesus' teaching dealt with this Psalm as well it seems; in Matthew six he talks about treasures and the eye as being the light of the body. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness." As the Psalm says, following the commandment of the Lord will bring light to your eyes and make your whole body healthy as a result. I like the imagery of the Psalm and Jesus' teaching because it's very easy to picture how important the eye is, and if it's unhealthy how it afects the rest of your body. We must keep our eyes healthy by keeping them fixed on the truth that is Jesus Christ.
In the last verse, we are told that we have been warned and have no excuse for not obeying God´s law, but at the same time we are rewarded by following it. Paul says in Colossians: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." This verse is one that I will keep in my mind as we go and work among the Quechua for however long we can. I must let my life be the witness to others in the beginning since I´ll have no idea how to communicate with them until I learn their language.
I will definitely try to get the last part of this series out before I leave on Monday. I´ll also include some more information on where we´re going and some more specific ways you can pray for my partner and me.