Tag Archives: Psalm 119

I Will Not Compromise With Sin

I Will Not Compromise With Sin

 “How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.” Psalm 119:9 (NLT)

 

When you feel yourself getting a cold you usually take precautions to fight off the infection. You may take extra vitamins, drink more fluids, or eat some chicken noodle soup. Psalm 119:9 tells us that we are born spiritually sickened and we need a remedy. (“How can a young person stay pure?”) How do we know what the symptoms of our spiritual disease are? Galatians 5:19-21 gives us a very precise picture:

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.”

If we are honest with ourselves we will admit that we have all struggled with at least a few of these things that demonstrate our sin-illness. It’s very clear we need a cure. Our Great Physician prescribes us our medicine: Obey My Word. In taking His prescribed medicine we will manifest a healthy spirit exhibiting “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) Make sure to take your daily dose of the King’s cure by obeying the Word of truth!

Affliction: My Teacher

 “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” Psalm 119:71 (NIV)

Affliction: My Teacher

“I never knew the meaning of God’s word until I came into affliction. I have always found it one of my best teachers.” –Martin Luther

It has been said that Psalm 119:71 is the Old Testament equivalent of Romans 8:28 which tells us, “All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” Affliction often catapults us into God’s word to find comfort, understanding, answers, to make sense of our circumstances, or to find wisdom to make the next major decision. Without that painful affliction we would not have experienced that faith deepening moment with which God spoke clarity into our hearts. I would venture to say that affliction may even be one of our greatest teachers-often bringing us closer to Christ than any other situation could. In fact, our sanctification often comes through our deepest pains. We need to be at a place of trust where we can say with joy and confidence, “It was good for me to be afflicted!”

No one looks forward to pain or affliction, and certainly we don’t ask that God shower afflictions on us in order to draw us closer to Him, but we can be certain that when we do experience painful circumstances that God is most definitely working them in a systematically ordered way for our greatest good, that we might better learn His decrees. Ask God to open your heart to the character he wants to build in you, and the blessing he wants to bestow on you or others through your trials. You may never fully understand, but you can find rest in trusting His Divine wisdom.

Affliction in the Silence

 “When will you comfort me?” Psalm 119:82 (NLT)

“My eyes strain to see your rescue.” Psalm 119:123 (NLT)

Affliction in the Silence

“John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’” Matthew 11:2-3

Even greats like John the Baptist experienced the painful affliction of silence, when left to fester in our minds this affliction often leads us to doubt. John the Baptist had been sitting in prison, awaiting his death, and I am sure during this time he expected Jesus to come to his rescue. But as time went by he started to wonder if everything he preached, everything he believed, everything he based his life on was even true at all. Had he made one colossal mistake when he invested his life in Jesus? Reading these words of John is almost a reassurance; yes, doubt is normal!  If we continue reading through Matthew 11 we would also see that John’s doubts were calmed by Jesus’ message delivered through the disciples, which reignited his passion and devotion to Jesus. God often allows us to wait in silence and the appearance of unanswered prayers to build our faith and endurance. When we are experiencing the silence that leads us to doubt we need to go back to God’s word for our reassurance; this is where God gives us the comfort of confirmation that he is still at work, and very much caring for our every discomfort.

Afflicted in My Conviction

 “…In faithfulness you have afflicted me.” Psalm 119:75 (NIV)

Afflicted in My Conviction

“So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.” Genesis 3:8

The first man and woman had committed the first act of willful disobedience to a direct command of God. Their heavenly Father came down from His throne to have a conversation with his children, and they knew they had to answer for their choice. Their first reaction: hide!

When we are willfully making choices that go against what God has made clear to us in His word we often find ourselves in a cycle of avoidance. Our prayer life gets a bit stale, and our Bible gets dusty. We avoid our Father because we feel something called “guilt”. God chooses to allow us to feel guilt as a divine means of convicting our hearts of sin and drawing us back to fellowship with Him. However, if your guilt leads you to shame, self-condemnation, despair, or hopelessness, then you are experiencing the guilt of the Enemy, who masks God-given guilt for a counterfeit guilt meant to tear down and destroy your soul.

If you are avoiding fellowship with God ask yourself if the guilt you are experiencing is God-given and necessary to convict you of sin that separates you from Him. If you have confessed all known sins and are still experiencing guilt, know that it’s merely a tactic of Satan to draw you into yourself and keep your focus off of the forgiveness God wants you to experience. God given guilt will always lead to repentance and renewed fellowship with Him!

The Song of Psalm 119

The Song of Psalm 119

 I am but a foreigner here on earth;

I need the guidance of Your commands.

 

Along the path of Your commands…

is where my happiness is found.

Give me an eagerness for Your decrees.

 

Turn my eyes from worthless things;

give me life through Your word.

Your laws are all I want in life.

Renew my life with Your goodness.

 

I will walk in freedom,

for I have devoted myself to your commandments.

Your promise revives me;

it comforts me in all my troubles.

 

Your principles have been the music of my life.

Lord, You are mine!

This is my happy way of life.

 

I will hurry, without lingering,

to obey your commands.

I am firmly anchored to your law.

The suffering You sent was good for me.

 

You made me,

You created me.

Give me the sense

to follow Your commands.

 

You dsiciplined me because I needed it,

Now let Your unfailing love comfort me.

If Your law hadn’t sustained me with joy,

I would have died in my misery.

 

I will never forget Your commandments,

for You have used them to restore my joy and health.

Your word is a lamp for my feet

and a light for my path.

 

I have suffered much, O Lord;

restore my life again,

just as You promised.

Your decress are my treasure;

they are truly my hearts delight.

 

Do not let my hope be crushed.

Sustain me.

Come and show me Your mercy.

Your decrees are perfect,

they are entirely worthy of our trust.

 

As pressure and stress bear down on me,

I find joy in Your commands.

I stay awake through the night,

thinking about Your promise.

All Your words are true;

all Your just laws will stand forever.

 

I rejoice in Your word

like one who finds a great treasure.

Those who love Your law have great peace

and do not stumble.

O Lord, listen to my cry;

give me the discerning mind You promised.

 

Let my lips burst forth with praise…

Let my tongue sing about Your word…

Let me live so I can praise You.

*I used the New Living Translation and portions from the following verses:

Psalm 119:19,35-37,39-40,45,50,54,56-57,60-61,

71,73,75-76,92-93,105,107,111,116-117,132,

138,143,148,160,162,165,169,171-172,175

–

Song of Psalm 119 arranged by Rebecca Aarup 5/5/11