Shalom,
The last day of the year! This is day 365 of blogging The Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan! Today we have all of Psalm 119. I absolutely LOVE that every verse of Psalm 119 refers in some way to the wonderful Word of God! For a few of the verses you have to search other translations to find it, but searching the Word is a big part of meditation! See if YOU can find the Word in every verse, then pick out your favorites! I have shared mine on a previous blog, but I will share one here. Verse 2:
2 Blessed (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.
To me, this verse is a very key verse for the entire Bible! First of all, we don't always realize what it means to be "blessed"! This is the Hebrew word "`ashre", which means: the state of prosperity or happiness that comes when a superior bestows his favor (blessing) on one. The Amplified Bible does a great job of describing this when it says "(happy, fortunate, to be envied)"! And just who receives that wonderful fullness of blessing? Those who "keep", the Hebrew word "natsar", which means: to guard, protect, obey, observe; His Word! They also "seek", the Hebrew word "darash", which means: to seek, inquire, require, Him with their whole heart, or all of their being! Why do I like this verse? Because I KNOW that IF I pay attention to and obey the Word of God, and desire with all my heart to know Him and spend time in His presence, THEN I will be, of all people, MOST BLESSED! YOU can be, too! IF! Amen!
Philippians 4:4:
4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!
"Rejoice" is the Greek word "chairo", which means: to be cheerful, calmly happy or well-off; to be glad or full of joy. Why should we rejoice? Nehemiah 8:10b:
10b for the joy of the LORD is your strength and stronghold.
We MUST continually remind ourselves of the promises of the Word of God so that we can maintain our joy, which causes us to remain strong and within the stronghold of God's protection, provision, and safety! Do you see that? Do whatever is necessary for YOU to stir up the joy of the Lord that is IN you; and do it every day! You are much stronger than you even realize! Amen!
We finish the year with the last two chapters of the last book of the Old Testament! Whenever we think of Malachi 3-4, we usually think of and speak about the tithe! That is NOT what we are looking at today. First we will look ate Malachi 3:16-18:
16 Then those who feared the LORD talked often one to another; and the LORD listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the LORD and who thought on His Name. 17 And they shall be Mine, says the LORD of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him. 18 Then shall you return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who does not serve Him.
During the approximately 400 years between Malachi and Matthew, we do not have anything recorded that God spoke to the people. But, these verses tell us that HE listens when WE speak! He pays attention to those who pay attention to Him and His Word! It WILL be unto us according to God's Word! It is vitally important that we find out what God says, and then agree with Him! Malachi 4:2 says this:
2 But unto you who revere and worshipfully fear My Name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings and His beams, and you shall go forth and gambol like calves [released] from the stall and leap for joy.
What a great picture of joy and freedom! It CAN be yours, IF! Be a DOER of the things you see in the Word of God, then you can be a RECEIVER of all the promised blessings! Amen! Let's end 2011 with Hillsong's "This Is Our God";
Shalom in Him!
