Shalom,
We have looked at Psalm 119 a couple of times this year! The most important thing to remember about Psalm 119 is that it is ALL ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD! Every verse refers to the Word in some manner! Do you get the message that we are to highly value, treasure and appreciate, know and USE the Word? Hallelujah!
Philippians 4:6:
6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
That is so abundantly clear that we have to be totally ignoring it if we don't "get it"! There is not one thing that could ever happen in our lives, as believers in Jesus of Nazareth, that our "thinking" (stewing, fretting, worrying) about it can change! Our responsibility is to "cast that care" (1 Peter 5:7) on HIM and HE will do the delivering! Once we have gone to Him in prayer over any given situation, THEN we can stand on Philippians 4:13:
13 I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].
Just as a tea bag infuses the tea into your cup of water, so the Father will infuse you with His strength, by the Holy Spirit Who lives in you!
We have used Malachi 3:8-10 many times to teach on the benefits and responsibility of believers to be tithers. We have looked at Leviticus 27:30 that says the tithe is "holy" (separated from the world and separated unto God) to the LORD! When we obey what God says BECAUSE God said it, we are blessed! When we obey what God said BECAUSE we LOVE God, we are MOST blessed!
As we begin the New Year, make a new commitment to go through the Spoken Word Bible Reading plan from a different translation, reading with someone else, listening along on CD or mp3, writing YOUR thoughts in a journal to share with others, or any number of new and different ways of studying! I guarantee that you will learn some things you never knew about the Word before! See the Word of God as YOUR vital necessity and devour it! THAT is how God meant for it to be!
Happy New Year and:
Shalom in Him!
