Meditate. Reread all of Psalm 119. Consider what the Lord is saying to you through that Psalm and how you can apply it to your life.
Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. ...Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word. Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. ... Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart. ... Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. ...Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope. ... Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. ... Give discernment to me, your servant; then I will understand your laws. ... O LORD, I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight. Psalm 119:1, 17-18, 34, 37, 49, 105, 125, 174
We just finished looking at Psalm 119, written in a format that each line with a section begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet as an alphabetic acrostic. We lose something in the translation. Can you imagine describing the Lord and your relationship to Him almost poetically in each of several stanza starting with the same letter of our alphabet? Describe God using the letter A: Awesome, Astonishing, Almighty, Adventurous, Anchor, Available, Authoritarian, Adoring, All-knowing.
Ezra, as he wrote Psalm 119, focused
on God’s word and understanding it. He repeatedly pleaded with God to allow him
to know His sweet words, help him keep his attention on God’s commandments, and
to fight his enemies. He expresses his love for God’s word. Like Ezra, I love
God’s word—I love to dig into it and see the relationships between Old and New
Testament passages. What do you see that you identify with and can apply to
your life?
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| Model of Herod's Temple in the city of Jerusalem. |
Prayer ~ Lord…just as was written in a psalm of the descendants of Korah. Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world! High and low, rich and poor--listen! For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight. I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp. Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me? They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough to live forever and never see the grave. Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind. The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves, but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals. Psalm 49:1-12. I have no fear of death when You are with me, Lord—and You have promised to always be with me. Thank You.
Verses of Salvation ~ Understand
this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to
speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness
God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly
accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save
your souls. James 1:19-21 (Underlined for emphasis.)
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Start your mid-year with a family devotional focusing on God's word.
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