Bible Study Psalm 119! (All 176 verses!)

[Lost in Sin!]

Age: 50
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 25, 2005 12:02 am Post subject: Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post
Today, we look at verses 105-112:


105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.

106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
that I will follow your righteous laws.

107 I have suffered much;
preserve my life, O LORD, according to your word.

108 Accept, O LORD, the willing praise of my mouth,
and teach me your laws.

109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands,
I will not forget your law.

110 The wicked have set a snare for me,
but I have not strayed from your precepts.

111 Your statutes are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.

112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees
to the very end."[/i]

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. We know that God's Word is the directing force in our lives, bu I am thinking more about the Living Word, Our Lord & Savior, Christ Jesus, when He said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:5) But we should really go back one verse, to verse 4 as well-" As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. Here, Jesus is refering to the time that the Holy Spirit will be withdrawn from this earth, & men will have to sink or swim by themselves! I am thinking about when the Body of Christ, the Church, is withdrawn from the world-as the Rapture{1 Thess 4:13-18} Right now, the Christian church is the light of the Holy Spirit. We should be showing the light of the Holy Spirit to the lost while we have the chance, because when the Rapture occurs, the only thing that those who are left will have is God's Word-the power of the Holy Spirit will no longer be on earth, because His vessels of light, us Believers, will no longer be here! Will we be God's light or not? (Matthew 5:14)



I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. We see the real truth of our relationship with God right here:that it is OUR choice whether or not to follow God! This verse clearly states that we DO have free will, even under the power of God's Word! We choose. We choose. Will we follow God's teachings or not?



I have suffered much; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your word. We all have suffered much in many ways, because we have chosen to follow God's Word. But look at John 16:33-"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." I also look at the confidence that we as Believers have in another verse: "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." This is what we, as Believers, can claim-that EVERY promise in God's Word is TRUE! That is sure enough to give me confidence in God's Word-how about you?

Accept, O LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws. Here we see, yet again, another great truth of the Christian life-the FACT that the Creator of the entire Universe, is willing to accept our praise! And, that He is willing to teach us! And what do we have to do? Just ask Him.

Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law. Here again, we see that whether or not we CHOOSE to follow Jesus Jesus or not, IS our choice! As I have found out, when I have fallen away from the Lord, that it really WAS my choice! And when we DO choose, we really DO take our lives into our own hands! We only have to look at our own lives, to see what happens when we do CHOOSE to walk away from our Lord! Do we ever really want to do that again? And how do we forget God's word? Psalm 119:11-"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."



The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from your precepts.. We know that the Christian walk is never easy. But we have to remember the Words of our Lord & Savior, when He said: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." (Matthew 7:13) God's way is not wide, but it is narrow. Why? Because there is only ONE entrance to God's road-Christ Jesus! John 14:6 states-"I am the Way, the Truth & the Life; no man come to the Father, BUT BY ME!" It really IS a narrow road that we have chosen, but the ONLY ROAD, if we truley CHOOSE to follow Christ! We all know what happens if we don't! I keep thinking about that one song by Selah, called PRESS ON-"In Jesus' Name, we press on. In Jesus' Name, we press on. Dear Lord, with the prize, clear before our eyes. We find the strength to press on."



Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. What IS our heritage in Christ Jesus? " However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9) As Believers, as those who are Born Again, we can't even BEGIN to imagine all the glory that God has prepared for us! I hope that this brings you as much joy in your lives, as it does in mine! This is what REALLY makes being a follower of Christ, ALL worth it!



My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end." What greater testimony could we have, as Believers, than to be serving Christ Jesus, right up to the moment that we die? Again, as I think I mentioned in another post, was the example of the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, Bill Bright. He was giving instructions to his co-workers, right up to the end of his life! I am sure that many of us have known fellow Believers like that! May we ALL be like that, at the end of OUR lives!

Let us Pray.

"Heavenly Father, we are amazed by all that you are teaching us in this Psalm! We are amazed at Your Greatness! We are amazed that You would even take an interest in us! Yet You do, Heavenly Father. You loved us so much, that You sent your only Son to die for our sins, that we may live! You have given us Your written Word, that we may have a guidebook for our lives! You have given us Your Holy Spirit, that He may instruct us in the study of Your Word. We give all praise to You, 3 in One! We praise You for the truths that You have been reveaing to us! We praise you that You, through the spirit of adoption, have chosen each one of us who known You as our Lord & Savior, who have been Born Again, to be the inheritors of your riches, through Christ Jesus! Lord Jesus, we pray that You would reveal more of Your glory to each one of us, that we be better witnesses for You, for we KNOW that there is not much time left before You return. It is the desire of our hearts that we truley be the witnesses to the world that You WANT us to be! Give us Your power, for we know that we cannot do this by ourselves, Lord Jesus! Grant that we may truley see a bountiful harvest in these coming days, for we know all too well, that the time is coming that we WON'T, be able to work any more! Guide us, we pray. In Jesus Name! Amen."

Bill

 

[Lost in Sin!]

Continuing on with Psalm 119!

Today, we look at verses 113-120:

" 113 I hate double-minded men,
but I love your law.

114 You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.

115 Away from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commands of my God!

116 Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live;
do not let my hopes be dashed.

117 Uphold me, and I will be delivered;
I will always have regard for your decrees.

118 You reject all who stray from your decrees,
for their deceitfulness is in vain.

119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;
therefore I love your statutes.

120 My flesh trembles in fear of you;
I stand in awe of your laws.""

I hate double-minded men, but I love your law. Being double-minded is, quite litteraly, not being real! It is putting on a show for the rest of the world, while the "true you", remains hidden. They act one way, but live another way. We all remember as kids, the story of the wolf in sheep's clothing-well, that is exactly what a double minded person is! Their outer shell is nothing but a disguise! Matthew 7:15 states-"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." People can act one way, Jesus continues in verse 20, when He says-"Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. We also see the fate of the double-minded in Matthew 7:23-"Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Note however, how the Believer in God feels about God's law-"I LOVE YOUR LAW." To those who are Born Again, God's Word is not a set of rules & Regulations, but it is the most wonderful guidebook, because it shows us how we can have an intamate relationship with the Creator of the Universe! THIS is the reason, why God's Word is so important to us!



You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. What is our hope as Believers? Titus 2:13-"while we wait for the blessed hopeâ€â€the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. And where do we find that blessed hope? In God's Word! 2 Timothy 3:16 states-"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.


Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God! Oh, I like this verse! Here is shown the TRUE power of God's Word! Here is where our TRUE strength lies-In God's Word! Look at the confidence that Paul speaks to the Galatians in Galatians 6:17-"Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. As Believers, we too, bear the marks of Jesus on us! Jesus said in John 10:14-15, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Fatherâ€â€and I lay down my life for the sheep. It was common practice to put some sort of brand on animals, so that they could be identified from others. In the same way, Jesus knows each one of us, because he has put a mark that only He can see on the hearts of all who know Him as Lord & Savior, those who have been Born Again! 1 Samuel 16:7 says-"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." It is with this strength, being marked with the Blood of Jesus, that we can speak confidently to all those who would lead us astray from our walk with the Lord-I STAND FOR CHRIST JESUS & HIM ALONE!

Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. What is God's promise to all mankind? John 3:16-"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. That is a promise that can never be revoked or changed! And what is our hope of not being dashed? Phillipians 4:13-"I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees. Even the prophet Jeremiah knew the truth of this-that God does INDEED supports those who put their trust in God & His Word. Jeremiah 17:7-"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. And what happens to those who have the highest regard for God's Word? Jeremiah 17:8-"He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

You reject all who stray from your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain. Here, the Psalmist was prophesying the same thing that jesus was talking about in Matthew 25:32-"All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Here is a graphic picture of what will happen at the Second Coming of Christ-His seperating of those who have been Born Again, & those who haven't! All evil men are doomed, for the have chosen to reject the very source of life itself-Christ Jesus! Mark 12 10, shows us just HOW important Jesus really is-"Haven't you read this scripture: The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone."



All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; therefore I love your statutes. Dross is the worthless by-product that is left after gold is refined. In the same way, we are being refined by God, so that when we finally DO stand in His presence, thare will be ONLY that pure product left, that truely WILL be holy in His sight! THIS is why we follow our Savior!



My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws. What happens when we experience a move of God in our lives? We truely DO stand in awe of the mighty God we serve!

Let us pray!

Lord Jesus, we truely see the differences of those who have chosen to reject You, & those who have chosen to follow You. We praise You, because You truely ARE an awesome God, that You would choose each one of us to be Your servants, but not just Your servants, but Your Children, through the Blood that You & You alone shed on the cross for our sins! Lord Jesus, we remember the words of the songwriter, when we sing, "There is none like you. No one else can do the things that you do. I could search through eternity Lord, & find-there is none like you" There IS none like You, Lord Jesus! We serve only You, for there is no other way to achieve eternal life, except through yYou! We give You & You alone all the glory, praise & honor, for we are Yours, & You are ours! Make us Truely the children that You & You alone want us to be, that You & You alone may be glorified! We ask this in Your Name & Your Name alone, Lord Jesus! Amen."

Bill

 

[Lost in Sin!]

Still Continuing with Psalm 119!

Today, we look at verses 121-128:

" 121 I have done what is righteous and just;
do not leave me to my oppressors.

122 Ensure your servant's well-being;
let not the arrogant oppress me.

123 My eyes fail, looking for your salvation,
looking for your righteous promise.

124 Deal with your servant according to your love
and teach me your decrees.

125 I am your servant; give me discernment
that I may understand your statutes.

126 It is time for you to act, O LORD;
your law is being broken.

127 Because I love your commands
more than gold, more than pure gold,

128 and because I consider all your precepts right,
I hate every wrong path."

I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors. This is the confidence that Believers have in the Lord. It is not bragging, but simply stating fact, that when we have walked right with the Lord, we can boldly make statements like this! Look at Hebrews 13:6-"So we say with confidence,"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" This verse also addresses the second half of verse 121-What can our oppressors do to us-NOTHING!



Ensure your servant's well-being; let not the arrogant oppress me. How does God ensure the well-being of Believers? Isaiah26:3-"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Do I hear Psalm 23 as well?



My eyes fail, looking for your salvation, looking for your righteous promise. This could be talking about growing older, & about physical infirmities, but I think that it is more of a search for God, that every man has. WHY AM I HERE? WHAT IS MY PURPOSE IN LIFE? It is the exact same thing in regard to seeking answers about God-the need that God has instilled in all mankind, to know Him on a personal level! Until one actually comes to know Jesus as their Lord & Savior, it can truley be a lifelong search! Bu we do have the promise of Jesus, as found in Luke 11:9-""So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. True seekers WILL find Christ!



Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees. What do we see in the future of the man who walks in God's ways, & according to God's Word? Psalm 1:1-3-"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. As far as the second half of this verse? Look at John 16:24-"Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.This also brings to mind another very good principle, especially when we pray, , but also when we do ANYTHING-Collossians 3:17-" And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes. Here is the gift that God will give a person who truley wants to follow His Word! Look at John 16:24 again-"Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. What is discernment-Simply put, it is the ability to pull truths out of what God's Word says, & apply them to our own lives! It is also a gift of the Holy Spirit as well! Some people can tell, (by the power of the Holy Spirit), whether a person is lying, or if that person IS a Believer. It can also allow them to indetify Satan's minions as well, or see a way out of a spiritual situation, that some one who does not have this gift, can't see! It can be used to identify a pontential troublemaker, as well as being able to tell is a post is scripturally sound or not!



It is time for you to act, O LORD; your law is being broken. This DOES sound a bit presumptuous, doesn't it? Telling God that He should act? Yet, this is a pattern that we see all through the OT! God doesn't need is to tell Him, that it is time to do something! His timing is PERFECT! Look at Ecclesiastes 3:1-"here is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: This verse also applies to God's timing as well! He will not do ANYTHING, until His time is right! But look at how God DOES answer a person, who declares to God what He should do, (when he is walking in God's truth), "......So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!" (Joshua 10:13-14) I know that none of us could be as bold as Joshua was-but we CAN have that same power, if our faith is great enough-because Jesus SAID SO! Look at where is says that-"I tell you the truth: if you have faith as small as the mustard seed, you can say to this mountain-'move from here to there', & it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Wouldn't it be wonderful, if we COULD have this kind of faith!

Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold,
and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path." Here we see a stark contrast between what the world considers to be valuable, & what IS valuable-THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD! Look at the future of everything that the world considers valuable-"Luke 12:29-31-"And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Even nature, as wonderful as it is, is not permanant! What does Isaiah 40:8 say? "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." About considering God's teachings right? "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." When we compleatly follow every one of God's teachings, is it any wonder that we hate every wrong path?

Let us Pray.

"Heavenly Father, we come before You with praise in our hearts, & on our lips, for Your Written word-for there has never been a book written like it that can ever BEGIN to compare with it! We praise You that Your Word WILL last forever, Heavenly Father, because YOU are forever! We praise You for Your Son, Christ Jesus, the Living Word, that You let him be a sacrifice for all of us, that we may be one with You, through that blood that He shed for each one of our sins! We praise You for the everlasting Holy Spirit, that he will always be with us, to reveal the truths of both Your written Word, & Christ Jesus, the Living Word! We praise You for Your love 3-in-1! That we may know You! We give You all glory, praise & honor to You alone! In Jesus Name we pray! Amen!

Bill

 

[Lost in Sin!]

Still looking at Psalm 119!

Now, we look at verses 129-136

" 129 Your statutes are wonderful;
therefore I obey them.

130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.

131 I open my mouth and pant,
longing for your commands.

132 Turn to me and have mercy on me,
as you always do to those who love your name.

133 Direct my footsteps according to your word;
let no sin rule over me.

134 Redeem me from the oppression of men,
that I may obey your precepts.

135 Make your face shine upon your servant
and teach me your decrees.

136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes,
for your law is not obeyed.

Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. All through this Psalm, we have seen the psalmist stating that God's word is wonderful-& it is! How did all all of us first find out about Jesus? By either hearing it preached, or by reading it ourself. But what was the source of the information itself-GOD'S WORD! Is it any wonder that the psalmist sings of the greatness of God's Word? More importantly, are we all, just a little bit ashamed, the we don't take this absolute joyfulness regarding God's Word? We don't always obey it! But we must praise God for the gift of His Holy Spirit, because it was a special gift given to all of us, when we were saved! It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we DO see how wonderful God's Word really is! It is by the power of the Holy Spirit, that we are convicted of our sins, so that we may not commit them again, because the Holy Spirit has shown us what is sinful, that we may NOT SIN! Do any of us think that the world would show us that? The last thing that the world wants us to be is sin free! So we must ask ourselves one simple question-whose word do we follow, God's word, or man's word?



he unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. This is the wonderful thing about Scripture-GOD'S WORD IS SELF-REVEALING! It doesn't need any help! It will reveal itself to any heart who is seeking! I defy anyone to name me another book that can do that!
Now I am not knocking study guides, ect, for they ARE very useful in studying God's word! But, to a person who is seeking God for the first time-the simple truth of God's Word WILL reveal it's truth to that seeking heart. As far as the Bible giving understanding?
A. We, as Believers, have the Holy Spirit living inside of us to GIVE us understanding,
B. We have God's word itself-telling us what to do if we need understanding-" If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."



I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. The more that we get into God's Word, the more that we desire it! God gives us the incredible desire to learn more, & it shows us how much we DO need God's Word!



Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. Do I hear 2 Timothy2:13? "if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. Direct my footsteps. I think of Pslam 23 here:"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts. How are we redeemed? John 3:16! And how do we deal with the oppression of the world? "I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Phillippians 4:13)



Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees.
Do the first 6 word of this verse sound familiar? "" ' "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." It is the Doxology from Numbers 6:24-26! And for God teaching us?
James 1:5. The whole theme of this section, like several other sections in this pslam, is ASKING GOD! God loves to hear us ask Him for what we need-not for what we want! Look at James 4:3-"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. We must be so very careful that we ask God ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, & NOT OURS! God WILL give everything that we need, as long as what we are asking for is not to serve our own desires & lust, but to serve Him ALONE!

Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed. Here is a very dramatic picture of how we, as Believers, must react to God's Word being broken! The is the reason that all of us who belong to Jesus Christ are here on this planet-to help save those souls who are both breaking God's law, & just as important-those who HAVE broken God's law, just by being born-because ALL OF US have been born with a sin nature! David realized this truth in Psalm 51:5-"Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. This is the result of breaking God's law, that Adam & Eve commited all those millinia ago! We all have broken God's law, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) We all should weep at the law that was broken so long ago, for every person who dies without Christ, well-we know what their future will be.

Let us pray.

"Lord Jesus, we come before you in humblness & sorrow. While we praise You for all that Your Word means to us, we are sorrowful that Your Word does NOT mean as much to us as the fact that we were saved by You-the Living Word! We humbly ask forgivness for our sin, & ask that You renew in each one of us, the passion that the psalmist had here for Your Word! That we may be witnesses for You & You alone! That we would speak Your Word for You & You alone, for Your glory, Lord Jesus! We ask this in Your Name, Lord Jesus! Amen."

Bill

 

[Lost in Sin!]

Continuing on with Psalm 119!

We now look at verses 137-144:

" 137 Righteous are you, O LORD,
and your laws are right.

138 The statutes you have laid down are righteous;
they are fully trustworthy.

139 My zeal wears me out,
for my enemies ignore your words.

140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested,
and your servant loves them.

141 Though I am lowly and despised,
I do not forget your precepts.

142 Your righteousness is everlasting
and your law is true.

143 Trouble and distress have come upon me,
but your commands are my delight.

144 Your statutes are forever right;
give me understanding that I may live.


Righteous are you, O LORD, and your laws are right.

This verse is the fundemental truth about the Lord! That He is TOTALLY, COMPLEATLY, 100% RIGHT, in everything that He says, does & is! He cannot be questioned! Why do we think that we are so convicted whenever we sin? (1 Corinthinians 2:16)-"............... but we have the mind of Christ!" The conviction that we feel is the fact that God's righteousness resides in all those who have been Born Again. We KNOW what is right & what is wrong, whereas the worlds doesn't know what is right or wrong. We all know when we follow God's directives, that they are right because-"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy. Christ Jesus is the ONLY person that we can FULLY TRUST, because He IS God! One of the favorite verses of many people is found in Proverbs 3:5-6-"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, & lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, & He will direct your paths." Only in God, can one truley trust-everything else will let him down!



My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore your words. For those who truley have a passion for the Lord, they DO get worn out! Yet, Scripture DOES give hope for those-"I can do everything through him who gives me strength. And what is the fate of all those who chose to ignore that which Believers, (through the power of the Holy Spirit), preach? "how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? Man has no one but himself to blame for where he spends eternity!

Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them. God does not want Believers to doubt Him! Look at the story of Gideon in Judges 37-38! Gideon wanted to prove God's Word, & God did just that! God's directives ARE trustworthy!



Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget your precepts. Matthew 5:1-12! As I mentioned above, God's Word IS trustworthy! No matter WHAT our status in life-if we have God's Word in our hearts, it doesn't matter, because God's Word is TRUE! Look at Isaiah 40:8-"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." And if we are ever feeling lowly? Look at Psalm 23-1-6-" 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever."



Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true. How is God's righteousness everlasting & true Because God is everlasting & true! Genesis 1:1 & Hebrews 13:8!



Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight. What is the one thing that Believers can turn to, when things like trouble & distress DO come upon them? Look to God's Word! Everything that Believers ever need for living is in God's Word! Psalm 23-1-6, Romans 8:28! What does God promise those who make his word their delight? "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live.
What does the Bible say about itself, & how long will it will last? Isaiah 40:8! And as far as needing understanding? James 1:5!

Let us Pray.

Heavenly Father, what can we say about Your Word, that we haven't already seen in this Psalm? Your Word IS true! Your Word IS everlasting! Your Word IS trustworthy! There is NOTHING that can compare to Your Word, heavenly Father! Help us to seek out the very truths that Your Word has to say to us, & make them an intamate part of our lives, that we may never be without it, when we need it the most! We ask this in the name of the Living Word-the One who died for us, that we may live-Your Son, Christ Jesus! Amen"

Bill

 

[Lost in Sin!]

Closing in on the final verses of Chapter 119!

We look at verses 145-152:

" 145 I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD,
and I will obey your decrees.

146 I call out to you; save me
and I will keep your statutes.

147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.

148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promises.

149 Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
preserve my life, O LORD, according to your laws.

150 Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
but they are far from your law.

151 Yet you are near, O LORD,
and all your commands are true.

152 Long ago, I learned from your statutes; that You have
established then to last forever."

I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD, and I will obey your decrees. This is the kind of commitment that our Lord & Savior, Christ Jesus, wants from every person who calls themselves "Christian. Matthew 10:37-39 reads, " "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Now, these might seem like pretty harsh words, don't you think? But look at who they are coming from-our Lord & Savior, Christ Jesus! He is telling us that we must commit EVERYTHING, & hold NOTHING BACK, if we chose to follow him! Our God IS a loving God, but He is also a jealous God as well! Look at Exodus 20:5-"You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,................." God doesn't want to share us with ANYONE ELSE! But this is not spiteful jealousy, like we humans are subject to, but rather, a holding onto that is which is more precious than anything else in the whole world! This is the God that we serve! God, & God alone, wants us to keep our eyes on Him & Him alone! And what happens when we do? Miracle after miracle after miracle! Look at John 14:6-"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. This is the kind of jealous love that God has for all those who have been Born Again! God calls out to each of us who know him! As Believers, shouldn't we seek the Lord with the passion, as He calls us? Shouldn't we obey what He tells us to do, through the Holy Spirit, & through His Word, the Bible?



I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes. All throughout Jesus' ministry, how many times did the sick, the lonley, the destitute, call out to Jesus for help? And what did Jesus do? He helped them. Just as we cry out to the Lord to help us with every aspect of our lives, so to should we cry out to God, to help us keep that which is written in His Word!

I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. Look at Psalm 30:2-"O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. GOD IS LISTENING! HE WANTS US TO CRY OUT TO HIM FOR OUR EVERY NEED! HE WANTS US TO ADMIT THAT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR OURSELVES! This is the God we serve-a God who is available to us 24/7, a God who will NEVER ignore the prayers of His Children! What do we have to put our hope in? What good can come from following Jesus? What are we who chose to follow Him? What are we who follow what is written in God's Word? Matthew 5:1-11. We are blessed, that's what! We are blessed!

My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. Not only can we study God's Word at any time, but I feel that this verse is a warning as well! In ancient Israel, they had watches, so that no enemy would catch the people off-guard. I am reminded of the verse in 1 Peter 5:8-"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Not only SHOULD we meditate upon God's word, but we should also be on the lookout for that which will DISTRACT us from meditating on God's Word! This is why it is so important for us to find a place where we can both study, & pray-without any distractions!

Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your laws. Here again, we are seeing the psalmist crying out to God, reminding of His love, reminding Him of how He has given us His laws, that we may know Him better! In The NT, we know that we are NOT saved by the law, but by grace-Ephesians 2:8-9. We find ourselves asking ourselves a question: Why do we need to remind God of His laws? Do we serve a God who forgets what He has laid down? No. God doesn't need to be reminded of ANYTHING! But He DOES love to hear us, His children, remind Him of His promises, because it shows Him, that we REMEMBER His promises! That is a gift of the Holy Spirit!



Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law. Here is an interesting comparison! Why are the wicked who are near to us, far from God's law? Because the ARE FAR AWAY FROM GOD'S LAW! Anyone who is not walking with Christ, sooner or later, will become wicked themselves! Why? Because they have given themselves over to their own desires, instead of giving up everything for what GOD DESIRES!

Yet you are near, O LORD, and all your commands are true. How near is God? Psalm 34:18-"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. And why are all of God's commands true? 2 imothy 3:16-"All Scripture is God-breathed..........." It is by the very inspitation of God, that we KNOW that God's word is true! And even better-that we can know that we have eternal life! "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:13)

Long ago, I learned from your statutes; that You have
established then to last forever." What is the most fundamental truth about Scripture? Isaiah 40:8-"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."

Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, we cry out to You & You alone! We cry out all our needs! We cry out all our hurts! We cry out, above all, that we need You! We need You every moment of the day! We need You to help us understand Your Word! We need You because YOU ARE GOD! We call upon the Name of Your one & only Son, Christ Jesus, Heavenly Father, that we can't live a day, nor a moment, without Your Presence! We cry out to You Alone, Lord! For there really is none like You! You are God, & there is no one else but You! For we ask this in the Name of Your One & only Son, who died for us, that we may live in You, & deserve to be called Your children! We Pray in the Name of our Lord & Savior, Christ Jesus! Amen!

Bill

 

[Lost in Sin!]

Closing in on finishing Psalm 119!

Continuing with verses 153-160:

153 Look upon my suffering and deliver me,
for I have not forgotten your law.

154 Defend my cause and redeem me;
preserve my life according to your promise.

155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek out your decrees.

156 Your compassion is great, O LORD;
preserve my life according to your laws.

157 Many are the foes who persecute me,
but I have not turned from your statutes.

158 I look on the faithless with loathing,
for they do not obey your word.

159 See how I love your precepts;
preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love.

160 All your words are true;
all your righteous laws are eternal.

Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law. Look upon my suffering-yes, God DOES see how we are suffering-whether because of having fallen, financial straits, healthwise, GOD DOES SEE US! Pslam 33:18 states a great truth: "But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love......." And the second half of this verse? God's Word resides in all Believers! That is why it is so important to get into the Word every day!



Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise. What is our cause? Following Christ! And how does he preserve our lives? John 3:16!

Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees. This verse kind of says it all, doesn't it?

Your compassion is great, O LORD; preserve my life according to your laws. God's compassion for us? John 3:16!

And how do we learn to live for our Savior, & what he wants us to do? The Bible!



Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from your statutes. The foes that persecute us aren't always human! Many times, they are demonic in nature! Look at Ephesian 6:12-"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We will still fall away from God's statutes, but because of the Holy Spirit living in each Believer, they are constantly convicted of their sin, BY those very same statutes!

I look on the faithless with loathing, for they do not obey your word. Now this is NOT saying that this is the way that Believers should look at unbelievers! Rather, this is the way that we should look at their sinful lives! By our standards, Jesus dealt with some very loathsome people. But he didn't see the exterior of the person, but rather the soul of that person! In the same way-Believers also should look at unbelievers like that, if they claim the name of Jesus!

See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love. If we claim the name of Christ, than deep down, we DO love God's precepts, because, we chose to believe in them in the first place! Even when we fall, The Holy Spirit always reminds us of God's love, BECAUSE WE BELIEVED!

All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.God's Word being truth? 2 Timothy 3:16-"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,...."
And God's Word being eternal? Isaiah 40:8-"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."

Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, we fall before Your throne! You are GOD! That you're love really is eternal, is a truth that cannot be denied! Your love never DOES fail us, because YOU have never failed us! The love that You had for each one of us, even before the world began, the love that You showed for each of us, when Your Son, Christ Jesus, died for each of us, the love that will endure even after time ends, will never leave us! Heavenly Father, Christ Jesus, & Holy Spirit-we worship you! Your love truely IS everlasting! We give You & You alone all our praise, through the Name of Your Son, Christ Jesus, in Whose name we pray! Amen!"

Bill

 

[Lost in Sin!]

Winding up our look at Psalm 119! 1 More study to go!

We are now looking at verses 161-168:

" Rulers persecute me without cause,
but my heart trembles at your word.

162 I rejoice in your promise
like one who finds great spoil.

163 I hate and abhor falsehood
but I love your law.

164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous laws.

165 Great peace have they who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.

166 I wait for your salvation, O LORD,
and I follow your commands.

167 I obey your statutes,
for I love them greatly.

168 I obey your precepts and your statutes,
for all my ways are known to you."

Rulers persecute me without cause, but my heart trembles at your word. We all know that as long as we stand up for Jesus Christ, we WILL be persucuted! Jesus even said this in Matthew 5:11-12, ""Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. It may be hard to rejoice in circumstances like this, but it was the Apostle Paul, who knew the great truth of what it meant to follow Christ, when he said in 1 Corinthians 2:9-"However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." This is truely something that makes the heart of a Believer tremble! We can only imagine what treasures that God has for His children!



I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil. What is this promise? Not just the promise that I mentioned above, but something even greater, as we see in 1 John 5:13-"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. No possible treasure can begin to equal that!



I hate and abhor falsehood but I love your law. If we TRUELY want to follow Christ, then we too, must hate the same things that He did: immorality, deceit, lust, & all the other things that draw men away from the truth that He preached! God's Word, both His written Word, & the Living Word, our Lord & Savior, Christ Jesus, must be that which we love above all! And what will be our reward-Eternal Life! (See verse above!)



Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws. We see the nimber 7 all throughout Scripture! The Book of Revelation is full of things that number 7! Even Jesus said, in response to how many times a man should forgive his brother-"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times!' (Matthew 18:21-22) The number of times here, really isn't the issue here, though. We should be praising God ALL THE TIME! And not just praising God, but praying all the time as well! Look at what the Apostle Pual admonishes in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-"pray continually". We should ALWAYS, keep everthing in our lives, focused on Christ Jesus, & ONLY ON HIM! Even Jesus Himself said, "I am the Way....." There is no way but Jesus ALONE!



Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. What kind of peace do Believers have? Jesus Himself said-"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let is be fearful." Does anything that this world provides, match this kind of peace?



I wait for your salvation, O LORD, and I follow your commands. Well, the psalmist may have been waiting for his salvation, but Believers already HAVE their salvation, Christ Jesus-living inside each one of them! How sad for those who reject Him for "how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3) Are Believers going to follow His greatest command...."Go therefore, & make disciples of all nations..............", or will Believers fefuse to follow His commands?



I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly. I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you. I've combined these last two verses for a reason. Look at the last verse-We can't hide from God, no matter how hard we try! I think that we all have learned the truth of this verse, more than once in our lives! Who do we TUELY love-God or the world? God DOES see our hearts!

Let us Pray.

"Heavenly Father, we come before You & You alone, acknowledging that You DO see all! We echo Your servant David, when he said 'for I know my transgressions, & my sin is ever before me.' Lord Jesus, we freely admit that we ARE sinners, but that we are sinners that have been saved only by Your grace! Lord, we confess that we have not been living the lives that You want us to lead, & so today, even this very moment, we commit every fiber of our being to serve You & You alone, Lord Jesus! Ther is NONE like you! Everything that we are is because of You, Lord Jesus! We are nothing without You! Be our light, Lord Jesus! Be our strength, that we may serve You & You alone, Lord Jesus, for there is NONE like You, & we desire more than anything, only to serve You! We humbly come before You, asking this in Your name, & Your name alone, Lord Jesus! Amen!"

Bill

 

[Bick]

Psalms 119 and comments

"Lost in Sin!"....Why do you use such a screen name? Why not accentuate the positive?

Eph. 2:4-7 reads, "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love whith which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive in Christ--by grace you have been saved--and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable
riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." NRSV.

So, we are not 'lost in sin' but in God's mind and plan, we are seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. Awaiting that hope, the 'meeting in the air' with Christ, and then, as the body of Christ, to realize the spiritual blessings God has prepared for us, as joint heirs with Christ, in the heavenlies.

How about a name: "In Christ in the heavenlies?"

God bless, Bick

 

[Lost in Sin!]

Love too, but can't change my username!

Bill :roll:

 

[Lost in Sin!]

(THE END!)

We finally end our look at at Psalm 119!

Looking at verses 169-176:

" 169 May my cry come before you, O LORD;
give me understanding according to your word.

170 May my supplication come before you;
deliver me according to your promise.

171 May my lips overflow with praise,
for you teach me your decrees.

172 May my tongue sing of your word,
for all your commands are righteous.

173 May your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen your precepts.

174 I long for your salvation, O LORD,
and your law is my delight.

175 Let me live that I may praise you,
and may your laws sustain me.

176 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek Your servant, for I have not
forgotten Your commands.






May my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word. All throughout this study, there has been a sense of urgency from the psalmist about the importance of God's Word! Look at the word "cry". When we cry out to the Lord, it expresses a desire beyond simply wanting to know God's Word-it indicates a great desire to know HIM! I think that this earnestness is best described by David in Pslam 51, where David writes, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken & contrite heart, oh God, You will not despise!"
When we DO come before God broken, we show that we really DO have that desire that God wants us to have! Also note that the psalmist realizes that everything comes only according to the Word of God, & NOWHERE ELSE!



May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise. The word supplication is confusing to many Believers. Simply put: it means the act of making humble & earnest entreaty for favor to God. Again, the key word here is earnest, a powerful driving force beyond simply asking God. A desire from the bottom of our hearts.
All that we are, desiring God to reveal everything that he has for us. Like the verse above, seeing that everything is according to His promise, according to His Word! This is where we DO come to a full realization that everything really does come from God & HIM ALONE!



May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. No wonder the psalmist overflows with praise! What better teacher do we have than the Creator of the universe! I keep going back, time & time again, because it is so important that we truely realize the enormity of who IS the one from which all things come-God Himself! Psalm 8:3-4 says-"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? What IS man, that God SHOULD think of him? As Believers, we already know the answer to that question: we are His children, & a loving father is ALWAYS thinking of his children!

May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous. Here again: look at the great DESIRE the psalmist expresses! Because like all Believers, we too, know that God's commands ARE righteous, because GOD is righteous!

May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. This is important: look at the word "chosen." This is one of the most fundemental truths of the Bible! God never forces His will on ANYONE! If he did, we would be nothing more than puppets! GOD GIVES US THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT TO FOLLOW HIM! Here is where we TRUELY realize the truth of Hebrews 2:3-"how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. Who do we choose to follow today? To follow God , or not? As all Believers, we are ALL very aware of what happens when we choose NOT to follow God!



I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight. As I mentioned earlier in past sections of this study, we don't have to long for God's salvation-WE KNOW IT! (John 3:16) And as for God's Word being our delight? " Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Where could we find a greater desire, than in our Lord & Savior, Christ Jesus?

Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me. Here it is in a nutshell-our sole reason to live-to praise & worship God! There is no other reason that God created us, except to praise & worship Him & Him alone! And as children of God, saved by grace by the Blood of the lamb, because God's Word DOES sustain us, look at what God promises us-:I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek Your servant, for I have not
forgotten Your commands. What a great way to finish off this psalm!
What greater picture, than to look at ourselves as lost sheep, whom the Good Shephard has found! Psalm 23:1-6 And how do we NOT forget God's commands? Psalm 119:11.

Let us pray.

" Heavenly Father, we stand in awe of Your Greatness! The truths that You have revealed to us through the study of this Psalm, makes us realize how insignificant we really are! Yet, You loved us enough, that You gave Your only Son, Christ Jesus, as a living sacrifice, that we may come into fellowship with You; the fellowship that was lost so long ago in the Garden of Eden! We give You ALL our praise, honor, & worship for ALL that you mean to us, ALL that You have done for us, ALL that You ARE to us! We echo the psalmist when we say: what is man that You are mindful of him? You are, Heavenly Father! We worship you! We worship You! In the name of Your beloved Son, our Lord & Savior, Christ Jesus, do we pray! AMEN & aMEN!

(I want to thank everyone for letting me do this incredible study of Psalm 119! I pray that all of you have been blessed!)

Bill