Psalm 119:93 - November 21, 2009

Ps 119:93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. NIV

Do you know where your safety is found? Many people live without the conscious awareness of God’s merciful protection that rests over their lives and their families. God is at work constantly to deliver us from destruction and harm and yet there are so many harmful things that touch our lives that could have been prevented if we were living in a constant attention to the word of the Lord. Throughout the pages of scripture promise after promise declares God’s guidance and protective hand to deliver us from evil and harm. From prayers of protection to counsel about how we live our lives the way of the Lord directs the steps of those who are willing to preserve their lives from evil.

Jesus himself instructs the church in the foundational prayer of protection that so many Christians can quote from memory but so seldom apply to their lives as more than a ritual. In Matt 6:13 Jesus taught us to pray over ourselves “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” KJV Are you praying for divine direction AND protection in your life? Psalm 91 is also rich in its assurance of divine protection for those who will learn to abide in God’s presence. This comforting truth is encapsulated in verses 9-11 which counsel us; “If you make the Most High your dwelling — even the LORD, who is my refuge — 10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;” NIV The word of God is overflowing with promise of protection and safety for those who will search out the promises it holds within.

Not only the promises themselves contain the path of protection, the counsels of wisdom that the word of God contains provide values system and way of life that places us firmly on solid ground for a life that is pleasing to God. He has provided wisdom for how to live that is there within the word to direct our decisions and shape our desires. The Psalmist has captured this truth in a very concise way in Psalm 119:93 as he affirms his heart commitment before the Lord by saying “I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.” Oh, that we also might learn that the path to life is found only in the word of the Lord. Choose to hide it in your heart today and as you live by its counsel you will see the fruit of its wisdom and guidance growing consistently in your life.

Psalm 119:58-61 - November 20, 2009

Ps 119:58-61 "I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. 59 I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes. 60 I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands. 61 Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law." NIV

What is going on in your heart? Where are your desires directed? God is looking for whole hearted seekers. God is awakening in the earth a people who will seek after Him with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength. There is a people rising in the earth who will live righteously before the Lord, who love the things of the Spirit above the things of the flesh. Ps. 24:3-6 speaks of this generation. David sees them from afar and declares “3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.” KJV

Psalm 119:58-61 demonstrates the heart that David is speaking of in Psalm 24. How many of us can say with the Psalmist: “I have sought your face with all my heart!”? What a piercing example to all of those who follow after the Lord. Whole hearted seeking is the standard that God is raising up! But what does this look like? How do I live before God with a whole heart? In verses 59-61 the resolve of the psalmist shows us the way. “I have considered my ways and turned my steps to your statutes.” Whole hearted devotion begins with a self-examination that looks deep into the heart. Are my ways pleasing to the Lord? This is the birth place of a whole hearted faith: self-awareness before God. As we make a decision to turn our steps towards God’s word we are making a decision to turn away from other things! Whole heartedness begins with sifting out the mixture that corrupts our hearts before God.

Verse 60 continues to lay out the path of wholeheartedness by saying “I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.” The rebirth of a sensitive conscience and a commitment to instant obedience renews our intimacy with the Lord. When we are not resisting the Lord in areas of our lives we find that the richness of God’s presence rises up in us quickly to embrace our hearts. There is great reward in presenting ourselves before God with a pure heart. Jesus speaks to this in His sermon on the mount in Matt 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” KJV Purity is rewarded with intimacy and intimacy causes spiritual hunger to grow! We are rewarded by our pursuit of God with a hunger to experience even more of Him!

Psalm 119:37 - November 19, 2009

Ps 119:37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. NIV

What are you looking at? This passage is a call to turn away from those things that add no value to your life. The things that we fix our attention on become the central part of who we are if we continue with them in the center of our attention. Because this is true the Lord has given us a clear set of boundaries concerning the focus of our thoughts and our hearts. In Phil 4:8 Paul writes “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”

In Psalm 119:37 the psalmist clearly recognizes that there are many things that call for our attention; things that distract us and call to our hearts. In verse 37 the psalmist has set his heart before the Lord with a desire to focus on those things in life that are of true and lasting value. His cry “turn my eyes away from worthless things,” reflects an understanding that each one of us should pursue. Many people waste so much of their emotional and even physical strength by becoming attached in their hearts to things that are truly worthless. The Psalmists cry is for the Lord to help him discern what is truly of value. Like the Psalmist we can lean on the convicting power of the Holy Spirit to speak into our conscience and turn us from those things that have no life in them. But we must be willing!

Is it really your desire to live a consecrated life? Have you allowed the Lord to establish your heart in holy longings? The more we look upon the things of the world the more our desires become corrupted by mixture. If we are willing God will help us. Paul prayed a prayer over the church of Thessalonica in 2 Thess 3:4-5 “May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.” Give the Lord your heart today and let Him direct it into desires that bring forth lasting fruit.

Psalm 119:18 - November 18, 2009

Ps 119:18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. NIV

Is the word of God only good for helping me distinguish right from wrong? Is the entire nature of God’s intended relationship with me centered around obeying the rules and regulations of a holy God? Certainly not! If God is alive, if His goal concerning mankind is to live in relationship with us then surely He has more to say to us than the does and don’ts of life! So where is this deeper relationship expressed? In what manner does this God of love reveal himself to us so that we can enjoy Him for more than the gift of His salvation? Once again the answer is the word of God!

The scriptures carry within them the very revelation not only of God’s standards but of the person of God himself. Throughout the pages of scripture God has provided a wonderful , intimate, powerful, challenging, thought provoking revelation of who He is and the heavenly realms where He makes His throne. Jesus spoke of the nature of God’s revelation of Himself in regard to the insights that Peter had gained from the Father concerning Christ. In Matt 16:15-17 he said "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” Jesus also spoke of the very purpose of His ministry centering around revealing the Father. In a time of prayer recorded in John 17:6 Jesus states to the Father "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.”

Verse 18 of Psalm 119 is a moving and insightful prayer that is rich in its implications to us. “Open my eyes so that I may see wonderful things in your law.” There are two primary principles revealed in the Psalmists cry. First is the understanding that the law contains many wonderful insights and truths that we can build our lives upon. The second vital understanding found in this passage of scripture is the knowledge that we can only grasp the abundant life that is found in the word if the Father reveals it to us. Paul prayed over the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 1:17-19 that the church would receive a Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they might know Christ better. Our hearts need to grasp onto this truth that it takes God to know God! Ask for insight, cry out for understanding. As you read the word of God seek the Lord for the revelation of God’s person and presence to become alive within you and for the Spirit of God to open your eyes to know the abundance of God through the revelation of the scriptures.

Psalm 119:11 - November 17, 2009

Ps 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. NIV

This passage is such a clear follow up to verse nine. It is the action plan that follows the counsel provided in the preceding verses. In verse nine of this Psalm the psalmist identifies the act of living by the word as the means to living in the purity God desires. Verse eleven follows that principle up with a concise illustration of how to work out that concept. He declares confidently in verse eleven, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

This passage is such a clear revelation of the power of the word of God. The author of the book of Hebrews declares in Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Verse eleven of Psalm 119 demonstrates the living nature of the word of God. Hebrews teaches us that the word is living and active. When we hide it in our hearts it is not passive facts that we have stored up in our memories. The words of scripture are alive with the power of God to convict us and to direct our hearts and lives.

Hebrews continues on to say of the word that it is sharp and able to work in us to separate between the voice of our soul and the voice of our spirit, judging our thoughts and attitudes. Consider this reality for a moment. The Psalmist demonstrates the work of the Word of God in the life of one who hides it in their heart. It speaks to us and enables us to detect the voice of the flesh pulling us in the direction of sin and to identify the work of the Holy Spirit leading us to righteousness. The scriptures are alive with power to judge out thoughts and attitudes and as we let the word speak to us something wonderful happens. Because the scriptures are alive with the Spirit of God they do not sit passively inside of us only working if we happen to reflect upon the right principle at the right time. The word of God is actually proactive and works through our conscience and our spirit to speak to us and “remind us” at that timely moment of the standards of God. This living voice works in us to protect us and guide us away from sin and death. Hide the word of God in your heart diligently and let it become a stream of life watering the garden of your heart.

Psalm 119:9 - November 16, 2009

Ps 119:9 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word." NIV

Every one of us has struggled against sin and temptation in our lives. There is no person besides the Lord Jesus who has ever lived a sinless life. From the fall of the very first man and woman in the Garden of Eden all of humanity has been tainted by the stain of sin. This stain of sin has so marked the human race that the Apostle John writes in 1 John 1:8 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” NIV. It is self-deception to deny the claims of the scripture that all men are guilty of sin. But this is not the end of the story. John continues on to give us hope by writing a few verses later in 1 John 2:1 “if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” NIV.

So, I am a sinner but I can easily be forgiven. But does this mean that I am destined to constantly fall short of God’s standards? What hope is there of staying clean in both word and deed? Surely there must be a means of maintaining a pure heart before God? Psalm 119:9 provides a simple answer to this question. “How can a young man keep his way pure?” There is so much temptation in this world what hope do I have of living pleasing to God? The psalmist points us to the light, to the way of hope. Live by the Word of God! The Psalmist calls us to build our lives and personal decisions upon the sure foundation of the word of God. As we obey the word of the Lord purity reigns in our hearts and our ways please the Lord.Psalmn

Psalm 119:4-8 - November 15, 2009

Ps 119:4-8 "You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. 5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! 6 Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. 8 I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. " NIV

This verse is written by someone who is mourning their lack of consistency before the Lord. This passage is written by someone who knows the pain of their personal failures before the Lord. He understands that the Lord’s intention is complete obedience not a negotiated relationship and yet he acknowledges by his words that he has failed to live up to this high standard.

The Psalmist speaks with conviction of the precepts of the Lord “that are to be fully obeyed.” There is an unquestioning certainty about his knowledge of the Lord’s intentions in regard to the commandments laid down in scripture. This same certainty is the source of the Psalmist’s grief as he recognizes the great gap that exists between the Lord’s standard and the Psalmist’s obedience. He speaks of the conviction that He feels in his spirit when he meditates on the commands of God. Truly disobedience brings shame upon our hearts and this shame robs us of joy and confidence before God. For many this knowledge is more than they can bear. The moment conscience is violated is the beginning of a season of separation from the Lord as their sense of guilt drives them further and further from the Lord. Instead of turning to the Lord for restoration they move further away.

Psalm 119:4-8 is a picture of a right response as the Psalmist provides in his words a right concept of the both the Lord’s convicting righteousness and His redemptive purpose. Unlike the many people who are unable to turn to the Lord in their brokenness and failure, the Psalmist is able to embrace the Lord even in his sense of personal failure. Instead of running away in guilt he makes a declaration of commitment to learn the ways of God instead of being judged by the ways of God. Instead of wallowing in his failure this man of God makes an affirmation of faith “I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.” His determination is to live thankfully with a heart directed towards growth rather than guilt! Oh that the church would get this revelation. God is more interested in transformation than judgment. His word is a call to change not an opportunity for His wrath. The Psalmist makes it clear by His response to God that he is living in a revelation of a merciful God.