Sunday, September 2, 2012

Gimel-We Need God's Word (Psalm 119:17-24)


SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/2/2012 7:14:44 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                     Focus:  Psalm 119- PT-4

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                      Reference:  Psalm 119:17-24

 

            Message of the verses:  In Today’s SD we will look at Psalm 119:17-24, which is the third section on this longest psalm.  Each of the eight verses will begin with the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  You can refer to the introduction SD for Psalm 119 to better understand about this psalm.

 

            Gimel—We Need God’s Word! (vv. 17-24):  “17  Gimel. Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.

18 Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.

19 I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.

20 My soul is crushed with longing After Your ordinances at all times.

21 You rebuke the arrogant, the cursed, Who wander from Your commandments.

22 Take away reproach and contempt from me, For I observe Your testimonies.

23 Even though princes sit and talk against me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes.

24 Your testimonies also are my delight; They are my counselors.”

 

            We see from verses 17 and 23 that the psalmist is calling himself a servant of the Lord and there are others who have been called the servant of the Lord in the Scriptures.  Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, James Paul and Timothy are all called servants of the Lord.  As born-again believers we too can be servants of the Lord for in God’s Word He gives us directions to do the things that He has called us to do making us His servants.

 

            In verse eighteen we see one of the most quoted verses in all of God’s Word for in this verse we see the psalmist asking the Lord to open His eyes in order to understand the wonderful things that are in His Word.  God’s Word is spiritual and in order for His children to understand what is in His Word our spiritual eyes must be opened.  Let’s look at two other verses from the Bible that speak of this:  “17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (Eph. 1:17-18).”

            As believers we must keep our eyes open when we read God’s Word and not have our eyes opened to the evil things that are around us “15  Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17  The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever, (1John 2:15-17).”

 

            Once we become believers in Jesus Christ we become strangers upon this earth because this world is no longer our home.  Peter writes these words to his readers, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, (1Peter 1:1a).  Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul, (1Peter 2:11).”  Because we are strangers or aliens on this earth we need the direction of our Lord and He will give us direction from His Word as we read, study, meditate and practice it in our walk with Him.  Dr. Wiersbe writes “The laws for driving in Great Britain are different from the laws in the United States and it is dangerous to confuse the two.  God’s people are being led on the narrow road that leads to life, while the people of the world are on the broad road that leads to judgment (Matt. 7:13-14).—If we take time to meditate on the Word and seek the Lord, He will show us the path of Life (16:11).”

 

            As believers we serve a different Master than the children of the world, and the psalmist calls the children of the world arrogant in verse 23.  It has happened throughout all history that the children of the world have persecuted the children of the light.  Even our Lord was persecuted, and killed by these people of the world.  The question may arise as to how one goes from being a child of this world, of which we are all born into.  The answer is that first of all we must recognize that because we are children of the world that we are sinners and because we are sinners we need a Savior, and the good news, the best news is that God has provided a Savior for us, the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s One and only Son.  When Jesus Christ was put upon the cross He became sin for us that we may obtain His very own righteousness.  Those dark hours that Jesus spent upon the cross were the time when His Father was taking out His wrath upon His Son as He suffered and paid the price for my sins and for all who come to Him in repentance of their sins.  When those dark hours ended the Lord stated that it was finished, meaning paid in full.  For those who are still a part of this world take the time to confess that you are a sinner and ask the Lord to come into your life and to forgive your sins and He will do that.  You will receive a new birth, and a new life, and also a new destination, Heaven.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I suppose it is easier to have one’s eyes into the wrong places than any other time in the history of the world as things like smart phones, computers and TV sets bring the world right in front of us to see.  Lord keep my eyes upon Your Word and not upon the world.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Stay in the Word of God, abide in the Vine.

 

Memory verses for the week:  1Corinthians 13:1-2

 

1 ¶  If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2  If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.   

 

9/2/2012 8:19:46 AM

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