"(Aleph) Joyful are people of integrity,
who follow the instructions of the LORD.
Joyful are those who obey His laws
and search for Him with all their hearts.
They do not compromise with evil,
and they walk only in His paths.
You have charged us
to keep Your commandments carefully.
Oh, that my actions
would consistently reflect Your decrees!
Then I will not be ashamed
when I compare my life with Your commands.
As I learn Your righteous regulations,
I will thank You by living as I should!
I will obey Your decrees.
Please don't give up on me!"
(Psalm 119: 1-8)
who follow the instructions of the LORD.
Joyful are those who obey His laws
and search for Him with all their hearts.
They do not compromise with evil,
and they walk only in His paths.
You have charged us
to keep Your commandments carefully.
Oh, that my actions
would consistently reflect Your decrees!
Then I will not be ashamed
when I compare my life with Your commands.
As I learn Your righteous regulations,
I will thank You by living as I should!
I will obey Your decrees.
Please don't give up on me!"
(Psalm 119: 1-8)
Dear friend,
I've had a series of blogs on my heart and mind for a few weeks now, and as I feel it's the Lord's nudging, I am going to begin here today. (The "nudging" isn't necessarily directed at you or your needs; I process by reading and writing. But you can benefit with me, right?)
Are you familiar with Psalm 119? It's almost exactly in the center of the Bible, and it's the longest chapter of the Bible. It is an acrostic poem: stanzas are labeled with letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and each verse in the stanza begins with that same letter.
What is even more interesting...if you (or I) were to choose the theme to be the longest chapter (and in the center) of the Bible...what would we choose? Mercy? Love? Forgiveness?
Psalm 119 is a poem about God's Word; the Psalmist praises God, declares the truth of His Word, and rejoices--yes, rejoices--in the law that has been given. Throughout the Psalm, God's Word will be described with various words, such as "commands," "decrees," and "regulations".
I'm going to study this Psalm and make notations of what I learn. I'll share my notes with you, and I invite you to do the same and share your insights with me.
Notes from "Aleph": Why do we obey God's Word?
I am always in prayer for you!
Heavenly Father, We thank You for Your Word, and for teaching us that joy comes from obedience, not from having our own way. Will You guide us as we study this Psalm? We want to know You, to love you, and to walk in Your ways.
I've had a series of blogs on my heart and mind for a few weeks now, and as I feel it's the Lord's nudging, I am going to begin here today. (The "nudging" isn't necessarily directed at you or your needs; I process by reading and writing. But you can benefit with me, right?)
Are you familiar with Psalm 119? It's almost exactly in the center of the Bible, and it's the longest chapter of the Bible. It is an acrostic poem: stanzas are labeled with letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and each verse in the stanza begins with that same letter.
What is even more interesting...if you (or I) were to choose the theme to be the longest chapter (and in the center) of the Bible...what would we choose? Mercy? Love? Forgiveness?
Psalm 119 is a poem about God's Word; the Psalmist praises God, declares the truth of His Word, and rejoices--yes, rejoices--in the law that has been given. Throughout the Psalm, God's Word will be described with various words, such as "commands," "decrees," and "regulations".
I'm going to study this Psalm and make notations of what I learn. I'll share my notes with you, and I invite you to do the same and share your insights with me.
Notes from "Aleph": Why do we obey God's Word?
- We learn from God's Word about who He is and what He is like; as we know Him more, we obey Him more;
- We become like Him when we obey Him;
- We obey His Word in order to thank Him for what He has done for us;
- We obey His Word because joy comes from right living;
- We obey His Word because we still need His help.
Wow! Following the law of the Lord brings joy--obedience and integrity lead to joyfulness. This is such a different message than what we perceive in our rebellious and independent society. The world would have us believe that joy comes with independence, we'll only be happy when we have our own way. Yet, the Bible indicates that the truth is otherwise. Dependence on God and submission to His will bring true joy to our lives; rebellion and independence will not.
If you want to share your takeaways, send them my way.
I am always in prayer for you!
Heavenly Father, We thank You for Your Word, and for teaching us that joy comes from obedience, not from having our own way. Will You guide us as we study this Psalm? We want to know You, to love you, and to walk in Your ways.
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