Shalom,
Psalm 119 is covered in two days in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. We look at the first 88 verses today and the rest tomorrow. I LOVE this Psalm! Every verse refers to the Word of God. Spending time in this Psalm will help your appreciation of God's Word grow! We will look at some of the verses today! Verse 21:
21 You rebuke the proud and arrogant, the accursed ones, who err and wander from your commandments.
Just as we can ask boldly for wisdom, knowing that God will NOT chastise us for asking (James 1:5), we can also ask boldly for understanding of His Word! He wants us to know Him and His Word! The only people that hear the rebuke are the proud and arrogant! Jesus rebuked the religious leaders because they should have known the Truth and been teaching it to the people. They not only didn't want to learn from Him, they also didn't want others to learn either! Verse 24:
24 Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.
A part of "Delighting ourselves in the LORD" (Psalm 37:4) is to delight in His Word, and there are NO wiser "counselors" than the likes of: Paul, Peter, James, John, etc! AMEN! Verse 59:
59 I considered my ways; I turned my feet to [obey] Your testimonies.
"Considered" is the Hebrew word, "chashab", which means: to think about, to make a judgement, to be mindful of. We need to daily consider our lives and make sure that they line up with God's Word and His Ways. Whenever we see something that needs to change, then be quick to "turn", or to repent! That means to change your thinking to agree with God and His Word! AMEN! Verse 63:
63 I am a companion of all those who fear, revere, and worship You, and of those who observe and give heed to your precepts.
Spend MORE time with like-minded believers than you spend with people in the world! You WILL be like those you hang around with! Make your steady companions be born again, spirit-filled believers! Verse 66:
66 Teach me good judgment, wise and right discernment, and knowledge, for I have believed (trusted, relied on, and clung to) Your commandments.
There is no ONE better to teach us God's Word than God Himself! God the Holy Spirit, that is! Rely on that ANOINTING within you to make the Word so clear to you, and then DO IT! AMEN!
We've all sang that song that starts with the first part of 1 John 3:1 from the KJV, but I LOVE this verse in the Amplified Bible:
1 SEE WHAT [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.
HE IS the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible, the God of all the Universe, the God of all creation, the God of our Salvation! And yet, because of His great love for us, He made it so that we would be able to come boldly into His presence as His very own children! Are YOU His child yet? You are His creation, but you can only be His child if you have accepted and received Jesus of Nazareth as your Lord and personal Saviour! If you have never done so, please go to the Spoken Word Church website through the link at the left and find out how to become a part of this extraordinary family! Then verses 2-3:
2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now God's children; It is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God's children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is. 3 And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless).
The world CANNOT, and we will not, totally understand what this means, but we DO know that we WILL see Him and THEN we will be like Him! Now THAT is an exciting promise from God's Word! And when we believe this and expect it, verse 3 says that this very hope cleanses us continually! Thank YOU, JESUS!
Ezekiel 2:1-2:
1 AND HE said to me [Ezekiel], Son of man, stand upon your feet and I will speak to you. 2 And the Spirit entered into me when He spoke to me and set me upon my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me.
At the end of the first chapter, Ezekiel has fallen on his face in the presence of the Glory of the LORD! Many of us have seen and/or experienced this same thing ourselves! But how many have experienced or seen what happened to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 2:2? I have not - YET! Scoffers can accuse people of falling down themselves when they fall under the power of the Spirit of God, but not so much when someone is placed back up on their feet! Our great God of love and compassion continually sent His prophets to give the people opportunity after opportunity to turn back to following Him. He does the same now! He continues to send laborers across the paths of the lost so that they can hear and be saved! There WILL come a time, when the Church is taken up with Him, that this will stop, though! Please don't count on being able to receive Jesus as Lord and personal Saviour AFTER the Rapture of the Church. There is NO guarantee that this will even be possible them! NOW is the time and TODAY is the day of Salvation! (2 Corinthians 2:6)!
Shalom in Him!
