ORIGIN OF A SONG
My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right. Psalm 119:172
It’s pretty hard to sing when your internal song is absent. Take it from me; I did concerts this way for nearly a decade. The light had gone out of my spirit; the song was absent. Yet, I honored the engagements on my calendar and forced myself to sing and pretend that life was good. This was no way to live or do ministry. Continue reading “Origin Of A Song”
NEED INFLATES THE VALUE
My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes. Psalm 119:171
There should be no such thing as a casual Bible student. Yet tragically, many hear good Bible teaching on a certain subject, then shrug their shoulders and say, “That’s nice.” They are unaffected. Their reaction is as if someone revealed a piece of news that had little value to them. Continue reading “Need Inflates The Value”
DISCERNING WHAT I REALLY NEED
Let my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your Word! Psalm 119:169
Do you know the frustration of trying to buy a present for someone who has everything? If you ask them what they want for their birthday, they sit casually; look off into space and try to think of something that would amuse them. When money is tight for the buyer, this is a hard pill to swallow. Continue reading “Discerning What I Really Need”
MAKING APPLICATION
Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules. Psalm 119:164
Praise is reserved for Sunday morning worship. It does not characterize a fraction of most daily prayers. Knowing this, and reading of David’s frequency to praise God for His Word, I can be motivated by guilt to do better in order to be more like David. I can start building ‘prayers of praise’ into my day’s calendar, consciously making an effort every hour to say the words. How long can I perform under such pressure? A while. Eventually though, I’ll burn out because the problem wasn’t my schedule. It was my heart. Continue reading “Making Application”
STREET-SMART ABOUT THE POWERFUL
Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words. Psalm 119:161
Unfortunate is the adult who still has the magical thinking of a child. He expects that life will always be fair and that there will always be a human being to fight on his behalf. His parents, most likely, shielded him from all bias, any trace of corruption, and perhaps, even how godly power worked. Continue reading “Street-Smart About The Powerful”
NEVER SKEWED
The sum of your words is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Psalm 119:160
With people, we are called upon to make judgment calls as to whether or not their track record with personal stories and interpretations of events are 100% true. Versions of what happened to them, what they witnessed, and what others said or did can be skewed. What is the sum total of their words? Is it truth? Or, might others say, “You can’t trust him/her on that subject.” Continue reading “Never Skewed”
DELIVERANCE IN PERSPECTIVE
Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love. Psalm 119:159
David seems quite frail here as he asks God to save his life for the ninth time in this psalm. He pleads for his life based on how much he loves the Word, not by how much he keeps it. He knows that God is primarily concerned about his affection, not a token sacrifice made because it was the right thing to do while his heart was somewhere else entirely. Continue reading “Deliverance In Perspective”
SEEING OTHERS OFFEND GOD
I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep your commands. Psalm 119:158
Those who fail to keep God’s commands do more damage to the kingdom than just offend God. They cooperate with Satan and promote his kingdom. They affect others adversely and, at times, lure the weak to join them in their crimes against a holy God. Continue reading “Seeing Others Offend God”
WHAT CAN MAKE ME SWERVE
Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies. Psalm 119:157
What testimonies might David swerve from when he is treated poorly by others? I suspect the same ones I could easily discount when I am mistreated. It is difficult to believe, and rejoice, in God’s love, goodness, and favor when someone near me withholds all three in my presence. Continue reading “What Can Make Me Swerve?”
THE UNBELIEVERS PROFILE
Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes. Psalm 119:155
A child of God will hear a precept of the kingdom and think, “Oh, I would love to be able to be like that. I need the Spirit’s help.” A child of the devil hears the same thing and has no appetite for it whatsoever. It appears foolish to him. He simply has no desire to seek after the things of God because his heart is driven in an opposite direction. Continue reading “The Unbeliever’s Profile”
