Psalm 36:8 — They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your delights.
Psalm 36:8 is a companion verse to Proverbs 11:25. It uses some of the same Hebrew words. The word for abundance is the same word for “enriched” or “made fat” in Proverbs 11:25. The word for drink is the same word as “watered” in Proverbs 11:25. Having plenty to eat and drink has always been important for people of all cultures. In Psalm 36:8, David praises God for His loving generosity toward the human race.
Does God love people? Indeed, He does! How much does He love people? Psalm 36:8 uses an interesting word that is translated as “river” above. In the Hebrew, the word means a torrent, like the flash floods that occur in the dry wadis of Israel when the rainy season comes. A flash flood can sweep a person off of his or her feet and wash them along in its strong current. This is how David describes the love of God.
When I was a boy, my mother wanted us kids to stay outside and play during the summer vacation so she could get some housework done (and take a break from our rowdy, loud play). If we asked to come inside to get a drink of water, she told us to drink from the garden hose outside, and so we did. The water pressure from a garden hose is mild enough to drink from, but the water pressure from a fire hose is too powerful. How could David say that people can drink from a torrent, a flash flood?
I think that David wanted to emphasize that God’s love is abundant and powerful and available to all who are thirsty and willing to quench their need for real love. God’s love is like a river that has an unending flow. We can drink as much as we like of God’s life-giving, healing water, and jump into its flow and be carried along in His delight. Be swept off your feet by the love of God!
11/10/2024 Devotional
"God’s love is abundant and powerful and available to all who are thirsty and willing to quench their need for real love."
The widow whose income was barely adequate to feed and clothe her six children. Every week, she had been faithfully placing four dollars into the offering plate. A deacon goes to the widow and assures her that she could put the money to other use for her family's benefit.
The widow responded with great sadness. " You are trying to take away the last thing that gives me dignity and meaning, she said. She knew a key to giving, which she was clinging to at all costs. The main benefit of giving is in its effe…