PRECIOUS

“My precious . . .” In the Lord of the Rings films, Gollum has a maniacal obsession with the “precious” ring of power. In many ways he has

become something of an icon for greed, addiction and even insanity.
It’s also a troublingly relatable image. In his tormented love-hate relationship with both the ring and with himself, Gollum’s voice echoes the needs and desires we all have. Whether it’s directed at one thing in particular, or just a general need for more, we’re sure that once we finally get our own ‘precious’, we’ll be satisfied. But instead, what we thought would make us whole leaves us feeling even emptier than before.

There’s a better way to live. As David explains in Psalm 16, when we feel like we’re on a desperate hopeless hunt for satisfaction (PSALM 16:4), we can remember to turn to God for all we need (V.1). Apart from Him we have nothing (V.2).

And as our eyes stop looking for satisfaction ‘out there’ to look instead at simply who God is (V.8), we find ourselves finally finding true, lasting contentment—a life of the “joy [of God’s] presence”. And we can enjoy walking with Him each moment in “the way of life”—now and forever (V.11 NLT). Nothing’s better!

To pray about . . .

God, forgive me for thinking I can find what I need in other places. Thank You for always being there even when I forget to look for You. Help me to stay close to You and to enjoy just knowing who You are.