My Hero

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Hebrew Word of the Day Kotel(Western Wall) Hear Translation » “I say of the holy people who are in the land, ‘They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” —Psalm 16:3 So who are your heroes? Sports figures? The latest box-office star? The president of the United States, or some other world leader? Maybe an innovative business magnate, such as Bill Gates? Or a trendsetter and opinion-maker such as Oprah? We live in a hero-worshipping culture, where the image of the person de jour can be found everywhere we look — the Internet, Twitter, Facebook, television, celebrity-based magazines. We’re attracted to those people who are the richest, the most attractive, the most skilled, or most successful at what they do. We want to know all about them. But then, as so frequently happens, we are disappointed and discouraged when our hero falls in disgrace because of some scandal or personal indiscretion. We learn that they’ve cheated on their spouse, or their income taxes, or took performance-enhancing drugs. And so, we wait for the next hero to come along so we can admire and delight in him or her. In Psalm 16, look at who David admires the most — “the holy people who are in the land,” or as another translation puts it, “the godly people in the land are my true heroes” (Psalm 16:3, NLT). They are the ones who don’t run after other gods, but rather put their trust in God. And for good reason. As David puts it, “apart from [God] I have no good thing” (v. 2). And as David outlines throughout this brief psalm, the good things God provides for him are many — God makes David’s lot secure; He gives David a “delightful inheritance.” God counsels David throughout the night, and with God at his side, David is never shaken. Because of this, David is filled with joy — the type of joy that sustained him even in the darkest of times because it was not tied to something fleeting, but Someone eternal. And ultimately that is the greatest benefit when God is our hero. He will never disappoint. He will never let us down, even in the darkest of times, because He will never abandon us. With God as our hero, we can say wholeheartedly with David, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (v. 11). Certainly, that is a hero worth our admiration, our worship, and our faithful allegiance. With prayers for shalom, peace, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein President