Shalom,
We begin Psalm 119 today by reading the first 88 verses. I challenge you to find "the Word" in each verse of Psalm 119. It is there, in every verse! My favorites are:
2Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart.
5Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your statutes [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]!6Then shall I not be put to shame [by failing to inherit Your promises] when I have respect to all Your commandments.
11Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
12Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.
18Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.
24Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.
34Give me understanding, that I may keep Your law; yes, I will observe it with my whole heart.
"I love the Word of God
It fills my heart & soul
Whether morning, noon or night
The time is always right
To hear the Word of God" AMEN!!!
In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul spends the entire chapter talking about marriage. Two verses to keep in mind are verses 6 & 12a:
6But I am saying this more as a matter of permission and concession, not as a command or regulation.
12To the rest I declare--I, not the Lord [for Jesus did not discuss this]
Paul is saying here that none of these are commands and that it is NOT the Lord speaking, but Paul in his own wisdom. The bottom line: Leave people alone to obey the Word and be lead by the Spirit of God. Every believer is going to Heaven and has the responsibility to find out the will of God for their own lives and to live out their lives accordingly. Stop trying to make other people fit into your mold and don't ever let another person pressure you to fit into theirs! Keep in mind verses 17 and 23:
17Only, let each one [seek to conduct himself and regulate his affairs so as to] lead the life which the Lord has allotted and imparted to him and to which God has invited and summoned him. This is my order in all the churches.
23You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for by Christ]; then do not yield yourselves up to become [in your own estimation] slaves to men [but consider yourselves slaves to Christ].
AMEN!
In Joshua 9 we see Joshua and the Israelites making a mistake in verse 14:
14So the [Israelite] men partook of their food and did not consult the Lord.
They were tricked by the people of Gibeon because they didn't take the time to ask the Lord! Make sure you always check the inward witness before you make any important decisions. If it doesn't seem right INSIDE, then stop and don't make a decision until you are sure you've heard from God. It will save you a world of trouble later!
In chapter 10 we see God Himself giving Israel the victory over all of these kings and cities. It is important to remember that these are actually the "Wars of the Lord" and NOT the wars of the Israelites. These nations had had years to align themselves with the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible. They refused to conform to His will, even after seeing and hearing all that He had done for and through the Israelites. They decided their own fate when they made that choice. They worshipped idols and were involved in many evil and occult practices and could not be allowed to exist within the borders of God's "holy" people. Holy meaning separated from the world and separated unto God. Keep this in mind as you continue to read through the Old Testament and you will understand more clearly why God had them do certain things!
Shalom in Him!
