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Psalm 119<\/strong><\/span> Whoo-hoo!\u00a0 Today we read Psalm 119, the longest Psalm and chapter in the Bible! This Psalm is a beautiful meditation on God\u2019s Word and how it helps us stay pure and grow in faith. Almost every verse in this Psalm mentions God\u2019s Word<\/span>.\u00a0 I pray that this Psalm is encouraging to you as you read through it today!<\/span><\/p>\n Today in Psalm 119 verse 11 we read: \u201cI have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.\u201d<\/em> Have you hidden God\u2019s word in your heart? So that you might not sin against God? Do you realize that all sin is indeed a sin against God? Are you memorizing Scripture on a regular basis? And, more importantly, reflecting on Scripture? <\/span><\/p>\n Wow.\u00a0 Psalm 119 verse 29 is powerful: \u201cKeep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your law.\u201d<\/em> Do you ever lie to yourself? If you answered no, are you lying to yourself now?\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 I think that lying to ourselves is part of our fallen human condition.\u00a0 I think we\u2019re probably pretty good at it.\u00a0 And I think that maybe the cure for this is even found in this same verse \u2013 the prayer of \u201cgive me the privilege of knowing your law.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0It is a privilege to know God\u2019s Word.\u00a0 It is a free privilege, but a privilege that I think we can often take for granted or simply ignore.\u00a0 Through our study of God\u2019s Word let us pray that we allow God to show us any area of our life where we might be lying to ourselves.\u00a0 And let us allow God to redeem that area and give us the clarity of Truth.\u00a0 Like this Psalmist, will you pray to God and ask Him to keep you from lying to yourself?\u00a0 Will you pray this prayer often?<\/span><\/p>\n Today in Psalm 119 verses 47 & 48 we read \u2013 \u201cI delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.\u201d <\/em>Do you believe it is possible to delight in God\u2019s commands? Why might this be a good thing? Do you believe it is possible to actually love God\u2019s commands? What are God\u2019s commands? Where can we find them? (okay, I\u2019ll give you a hint \u2013 the answer is all over Psalm 119 \ud83d\ude42 \u2013 God\u2019s Word, the Bible is where we can find God\u2019s commands) Do you meditate upon God\u2019s decrees as found in the Bible? Do you love the Bible? This seems like a strange question to ask in some regards. . . but, maybe ask yourself this \u2013 do you love books in general? I think many of us would say we love books. (Maybe using the term loosely. . .) So, if we were to consider just one book that it would really make sense to invest our time in; to meditate upon; to read for all of our lives; to love \u2013 what would that book be? Why would it be that book?\u00a0 Are you a bookworm when it comes to the Bible?<\/span><\/p>\n Today in Psalm 119 verse 37 we read:\u00a0 \u201cTurn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Are there currently things in your life that you are spending time on \u2013 focusing your eyes on \u2013 that are worthless?\u00a0 What are these things?\u00a0 Do you want to turn your eyes away from these things?\u00a0 Will you?\u00a0 Do you believe that your life can be preserved by the Word of God \u2013 the Bible?\u00a0 How will you continue to preserve your life according to God\u2019s Word on a daily basis? Do you consider the Bible literally to be a \u201clife preserver\u201d for you in the midst of the raging rivers of life?\u00a0 Will you hold onto this life preserver each and every day?<\/span><\/p>\n Wow.\u00a0 I love Psalm 119 verse 54 today \u2013 \u201cYour principles have been the music of my life throughout the years of my pilgrimage.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 What a beautiful metaphor \u2013 God\u2019s principles being the music of our lives through all our years as we are on our pilgrimage.\u00a0 Great stuff!\u00a0 How might God\u2019s principles actually become the music of your life?\u00a0 Do you think you\u2019d need to be reading God\u2019s Word frequently to tune into his frequency?\u00a0 (did you catch that \u2013 frequently & frequency? \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 \u00a0I commend you for reading the Bible each day this year as we go through the One Year Bible.\u00a0 I pray you\u2019ll continue to read the Bible daily in all of your years to come.\u00a0 I pray God\u2019s principles are and will be the music of your life.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Verse 59 today is a great verse for each of us to consider \u2013 \u201cI pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statutes.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Have you ever reached a mid-life or maybe even a quarter-life crisis where you pondered the direction of your life?\u00a0 Do you like the direction your life is heading now?\u00a0 Do you want to change that direction?\u00a0 Will you turn to follow God\u2019s way?\u00a0 God\u2019s Truth?\u00a0 God\u2019s life for you?\u00a0 Do you believe that God\u2019s plans for you are so much bigger than any plans of your own that you could dream up on your own?<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Psalm 119 verse 71 has an interesting take on suffering \u2013\u00a0 \u201cThe suffering you sent was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your principles.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>Do you believe suffering can be good for you?\u00a0 Can it teach you to pay attention to God?\u00a0 Christianity Today magazine had a great article on Suffering a while back, which you can read <\/span>at this link<\/span>.\u00a0 (Note that the article starts out with this provacative statement \u2013 \u201cGod loves you and has a difficult plan for your life<\/em>.\u201d) Also, I did find some reflections on Suffering & Grief on ChristianityToday.com that are worth reading <\/span>at this link<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n I love the imagery in verse 81 today \u2013 \u201cI faint with longing for your salvation; but I have put my hope in your word.\u201d <\/em>I faint!\u00a0 I long! I hope!\u00a0 And Verse 83 \u2013 \u201cI am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, exhausted with waiting. But I cling to your principles and obey them.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 I am shriveled!\u00a0 I am exhausted!\u00a0 I wait!\u00a0 I cling!\u00a0 I obey!\u00a0 \u00a0I love this Psalm\u2026\u00a0 Verse 95 is powerful: \u201cThough the wicked hide along the way to kill me, I will quietly keep my mind on your decrees.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 How can you quietly keep your mind on God\u2019s decrees?\u00a0 Will you make this a habit to quietly keep your mind on God\u2019s decrees?\u00a0 Would this be a good habit?<\/span><\/p>\n Psalm 119 verse 105 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible! \u201cYour word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.\u201d <\/em>Do you believe God\u2019s Word, the Bible, is a lamp for your feet?\u00a0 A light for your path?\u00a0 To help put this in perspective \u2013 without God\u2019s Word, the Bible, is it possible that we would have no lamp for our feet?\u00a0 \u00a0No light for our paths?\u00a0 That we\u2019d essentially be groping in the darkness without God\u2019s Word, the Bible?<\/span><\/p>\n Verse 111 wow\u2026\u00a0 \u201cYour decrees are my treasure; they are truly my heart\u2019s delight.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 What is your treasure?\u00a0 Where is your treasure?\u00a0 Is God\u2019s Word, the Bible, truly your heart\u2019s delight?<\/span><\/p>\n Psalm 119 verse 114 is beautiful a beautiful reflection on our relationship with God and his Word, the Bible \u2013 \u201cYou are my refuge and my shield; your word is my only source of hope.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 This ties in so well with the reflections on false teachers above.\u00a0 The Bible is clearly a refuge and shield from false teaching!\u00a0 Is God\u2019s Word your only source of hope?\u00a0 And remember, Jesus is the very Word made flesh, so Jesus would clearly be your only source of hope too, if the Word truly is.\u00a0 Let us take refuge in God\u2019s Word each day of our lives!<\/span><\/p>\n Verse 127 today is powerful \u2013 \u201cTruly, I love your commands more than gold, even the finest gold.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 I think this is something each of us needs to ask ourselves.\u00a0 Do we love God\u2019s commands \u2013 his Word \u2013 the Bible \u2013 more than we love any and all material possessions?\u00a0 Do we value the Bible above all the money this world could ever offer us?\u00a0 This is an important decision to make\u2026 I pray we realize the eternal worth of God\u2019s commands compared to the passing and transitory nature of \u201ceven the finest gold.\u201d\u00a0 Let us always remember the great peril of ignoring God\u2019s Word and instead chasing after the world\u2019s \u201cfool\u2019s gold\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Verse 138 is just one more incredible verse from this incredible Psalm \u2013 \u201cYour decrees are perfect; they are entirely worthy of our trust.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Do you believe that God\u2019s Word, the Bible, is perfect?\u00a0 Is it entirely worthy of our trust?\u00a0 Would you consider the Bible to be a perfect book of counsel for your life?<\/span><\/p>\n I love verse 130, which I used to have at the top of this blog in the NIV translation:\u00a0 \u201cThe unfolding of your words gives light\u2026\u201d<\/em> <\/span>Do you believe this is true?\u00a0 Does reading God\u2019s Word, the Bible, bring light into your life?\u00a0 If you did not read God\u2019s Word would you be in darkness?<\/span><\/p>\n I think the last 3 verses of Psalm 119 are worth us camping out on here for a moment.\u00a0 In verses 174, 175 & 176 the author of Psalm 119 closes out the Psalm with what I think is a prayer and a confession all in one \u2013 \u201cO LORD, I have longed for your salvation, and your law is my delight. Let me live so I can praise you, and may your laws sustain me. I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Wow\u2026 not a bad prayer and confession, eh?\u00a0 Is God\u2019s Word your delight?\u00a0 Do you wish to live so you can praise God?\u00a0 Does His Word sustain you?<\/span><\/p>\n Worship Video:<\/strong> Today\u2019s readings remind me of Matt Maher\u2019s song \u201cChrist is Risen:\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \n
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