Psalm 119:1-24
Lord,
You show us the way of blessing. It is the way of obedience (Psalm
119:1,9,11,17). Many will choose the way of disobedience - ‘influential
people sit together and slander me.’ Help us to choose the way of
obedience - ‘Your servant will meditate on Your teachings’ (Psalm
119:23). We know, Lord, that following Jesus Christ will not be easy. We
see many people turning back from following Him. We are tempted to join
them. We feel the pull of the world. We must not return to the world’s way of living. Help
us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Help us to remember all that Jesus
has done for us - ‘He loved us and gave Himself for us’ (Galatians
2:20) - and recommit ourselves to following Him: ‘I have decided to
follow Jesus... The world behind me, the Cross before me... Though none
go with me, I still will follow... No turning back, no turning back’ (Mission Praise, 272).
Psalm 119:25-48
‘Revive
me according to Your Word’ (Psalm 119:25). How, Lord, do You revive us
according to Your Word? You give us Your salvation: ‘Let Your unfailing
love come to me, O Lord - Your salvation according to Your Word’ (Psalm
119:41). You give us Your strength: ‘My soul is weary with sorrow.
Strengthen me according to Your Word’ (28). You give us a change of
heart: ‘I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your
laws... I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart
free... Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with
my whole heart... Turn my heart to Your testimonies...’ (Psalm
119:30,32,34,36). You give us ‘new life’: ‘When someone becomes a
Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same
anymore. A new life has begun!’ (Psalm 119:40; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
Psalm 119:49-72
Lord,
Your Word makes such a difference! When everything seems so hopeless,
we turn to Your Word, and we find that there is ‘hope’ (Psalm 119:49).
When we are going through a time of terrible ‘suffering’, we turn to
Your Word, and we find ‘comfort’ (Psalm 119:50,52). When everything
seems to be going so badly, help us, Lord, to keep on reading Your Word:
‘The wicked have laid a trap for me, but I do not forget Your law’
(Psalm 119:61). Through Your Word, You are teaching us to see Your
purpose in our sufferings: ‘The punishment You gave me was the best
thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention
to Your laws’ (Psalm 119:71). You, Lord, are showing us what is really
important: ‘The law that You gave means more to me than all the money in
the world’ (Psalm 119:72). Teach us to see Your ‘love’ in every part of
our life (Psalm 119:64).
Psalm 119:73-96
Lord,
we rejoice in Your ‘constant love’. This is our ‘comfort’ - You keep on
loving us, no matter what’s going on in our lives. We may be going
through really hard times - ‘Men persecute me with lies... They have
almost succeeded in killing me’. There’s one thing that never changes -
Your ‘constant love’. You love us in the hard times as well as in the
happy times. Your love inspires us to keep on loving You when we feel
like giving up in despair (Psalm 11976,86-88). We see many changes
taking place in our world. Sometimes, we wonder, ‘Where are You, Lord,
in all of this? Have You abandoned us? Can we keep on trusting You and
rejoicing in Your Word?’. When our minds are full of negative thoughts,
help us, Lord, to remember Your Word - ‘Your Word, O Lord, will last for
ever... Your faithfulness endures through all the ages’ (Psalm
119:89-90).
Lord,
You have so much to teach us – and we have so much to learn. How do we
learn from You? – You open up Your Word to us. You speak to us words of
life. You shine Your light upon us. You show us how much You love us.
Every day You have something to say to us. Every day, You have something
to share with us. Every day, You show us more of Your love for us. Help
us, each and every day, to take time to learn from You.
Throughout
life, Lord, we have to make choices. Some choices are relatively
straightforward. Others are very much more difficult. Some choices don’t
affect the rest of our life very much. There are, however, choices
which affect the whole of our life. Help us, Lord, to make the one
choice which is more important than any other – Choosing the Lord Jesus
Christ as your Saviour. Those who refuse to choose are
‘double-minded’(Psalm 119:113). They can’t make up their mind. They know
that they should be following Christ – but they are still ‘in love with
the world’. They are ‘lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God’ (I
John 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:4). Lord, give us the strength to keep on
choosing Christ. Help us to say to the world, ‘Away from me, you
evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God’. Help us to say to
You, ‘I have decided to obey Your laws until the day I die’ (Psalm
119:115,112).
Psalm 119:121-144
‘The
entrance of Your words gives light’ (Psalm 119:130). Lord,
Your Word brings light into our lives. Sadly, many people ‘love darkness
rather than light’. They refuse to ‘come to the light’. They prefer to
remain in the darkness. They refuse to listen to what You are saying to
them through Your Word. Then, when things are not going so well for
them, they blame You. They say, ‘It’s all Your fault’! Things could have
been so different. They could have learned to spend time with God. They
could have learned the lessons of faith which are found in Your Word.
They could have learned to cope with life’s difficulties. They could
have been filled with Your strength. They would not be complaining
against Him. They would be rejoicing in You. What about us, Lord? How
much are we moulded by the world’s way of thinking? Have we pushed You
out to the edges of our life? Lord. Lord, You have “called us out of
darkness into Your marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:10). Help us to walk
with You in the light of Your Word.
Psalm 119:145-176
‘With
my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!’ (Psalm 119:145). Lord,
You’re calling us to pray. There is nothing more important than this. If
other things have become more important in our lives, we need to think
about the way we are living. You want to send Your blessing into our
lives: ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you’ (Matthew 7:7). Your blessing will
come to those who seek him with their whole heart: ‘You will seek Me and
find Me when you seek me with all your heart’ (Jeremiah 29:13). If we
do not ask, we will not receive: ‘You do not have, because you do not
ask’ (James 4:2). Your blessing is not given to those who are
half-hearted. You’re calling us to love You with our whole heart: ‘I
long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight’ (Psalm
119:174).
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