PSALMS 119
Guimel
January 15, 2006
(Psa 119:17 KJV) Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.
Oh, for the beauty of a life that is dependant on God! There is a bad connotation today to the word “dependant”. It sounds weak, incomplete, insufficient, and needy that would restrain movement, curb personal freedom and cramp one’s style. But here is a dependency that confesses that life itself comes from the bounty of its executor. Here is a dependency that gives life, that strengthens.
A new Christian asked me once how is it that by submitting to God instead of to our own wishes and wants, we find freedom. The concept of being free through submission sounded contradictory to her. I just had to explain to her that because God is so much bigger and powerful than we are, by yielding to Him instead of ourselves, we take part of His divine nature, and obtain the freedom that a life on a bigger or spiritual plane offers us beyond the narrow confines of our limited human nature.
Yes, Lord, do deal bountifully with us. Our lives depend upon it. Incline your heart to our poor and weak human nature. Understand that when in abundance we are tempted to forget You, and when in lack we are tempted to curse You. So please, deal with us mercifully that we may live and keep Your Word.
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
(2Pe 1:4 KJV)
January 16, 2006
(Psa 119:18 KJV) Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
In the Hebrew tongue, this expression “open thou mine eyes” has a much stronger connotation. It is more like “shamelessly expose, denude, make naked”.
How many of us can look at the naked Truth of God in the face? No one can even behold the face of God for the brightness of his countenance. The seventy elders could not even stand to hear the sound of His voice, so much so that they pleaded with Moses to be their mediator,a mediator that was later replaced by Jesus (Ex 20:18-19; Deut 18:15-19; Acts:3:22-23; Acts 7:37).
God spoke with Moses “face to face”, and after one such encounter, Moses’ face shone so that he had to put a “vail” on it. (Ex 33:11; 34:29-35). Since this was a pre-crucifixion time, being in their sins, it is understandable that the Children of Israel could not stand to hear the voice of God, even though Moses, who was man from among them could.
But what about today? Do you still need to cover the brightness of the truth of God with a “vail” so you don’t have to look at it, so you won’t know it, so it won’t be required of you? Can you ask God to “denude”, “reveal” and “expose” what He has to say? Do you put yourself in a spiritually “listening” as in “hearing and receiving” in order to learn His wonderful truth?
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
(Psa 51:6 KJV)
January 17, 2006
Psa 119:19-20 KJV I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me. (20) My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
Home is where you take off your armor.
Home is where you do not fear.
Home is where your heart can rest at ease.
Home is where everything is clear and understood because,
Home is where you feel a sense of “kin”.
Home is where you are a free first-class citizen.
Home is where you take off your shoes.
Home is where you sit in an armchair and rest your legs for a while.
Home is where you are free to serve those you love and care about.
Home is where you receive the fair and true unbiased judgment of God.
Home is where you partake of the loving merciful abundance of the great Father.
Home is where you can love God freely, even in extravagance.
Home is where you are not a stranger.
Home--home is where we all want to go…return!
Any one who loves God is a stranger in this world. We are foreigners, pilgrims, strangers on this earth (Heb 11:13-16). There was a time, oh, a long time ago when “Home” was on this earth--East of Eden (Gen 2:8). God had put us there, until such a time when it seems that we had to learn how good we had it, by “Home” being taken away from us. To foster hope in us, through the Holy Spirit Jesus gave us a spiritual connection with “Home”, but one day, “home” will return to us in all its glory, and we will live in it forever. (Rev 21:1-4).
When you prepare to go somewhere, especially if it is for a long time, all the more if it’s forever, you unplug from your present life; you make preparations for your arrival at your destination, you pack and you stand there waiting for the train or plane. You do not just stay home and continue life as usual. Are you one of those who confess with their mouth that they will spend eternity in heaven, but live as if it were a fairy tale? At the end of the day, what have you done for your “preparations”? Are you one of those who will miss and regret all the things of this earth, and who will feel uncomfortable losing them? Oh dear child; how can you content yourself with making this world your “Home”. This is a disappointment. Is that all you expect? Don’t you know what the future holds? Read the Holy Book and learn to desire “Home”.
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.
(Isa 64:4 KJV)
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
(Mat 6:19-20 KJV)
January 18, 2006
Psa 119:21-22 KJV Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments. (22) Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
Have you ever met someone whose life seems to be a never-ending stream of wrong decisions? One who never failed to go against God and conscience? One whose head is proud, “bloody and unbowed”? Watch and be warned, oh ye Child of God, watch and be warned! At the end of their life, you will see it. You will either see the matured evil fruit of all their self projected labors, or worse yet, the dry, parched, famine-stricken, lonely barrenness of a life passing away and taking with it a bad dream that cries to be forgotten. Beloved, this is the “rebuke” and the curse of the “proud”.
Watch and learn from the wisdom of the sages; read the epitaph on their tomb-stone. Is there not a lesson there for you, yea, and a parable?
When the day of “reproach” and “contempt” comes, can you contend with the Devil, the accuser of the saints with the Words of the Contract God has established and say “Not so, foul fiend; get thee behind me Satan. I rebuke you and all your accusations. I have kept His testimonies; the blood of the Holy Son of God is on my soul; He bought and paid for all my sins, and even now He stands at the right hand of the throne of God interceding and atoning for my mistakes”.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
(Rev 12:11 KJV)
January 19, 2006
Psa 119:23-24 KJV Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes. (24) Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
Abraham overcame the five kings of the valley by obeying the Word of God. Joseph won Pharaoh with the wisdom and integrity of the Word of God. Moses challenged another pharaoh with the strength of the Word of God. Joshua, and the judges conquered their enemies following the Word of God. Daniel won a king to salvation by opening the Word of God. Paul of Tarsus changed the face of the world proclaiming the Word of God. Martin Luther stood up to princes and kings, with the sole authority of the Word of God, and won!
Today, the princes of darkness speak against the righteous. They connive tricks to make him fall, or at least to control the damage he causes to their “cozy” little kingdom. They have pulled all the stops in their efforts to drown the people of God.
“Run my friend, run! Don’t be silly and think that you can fight the devil! This is not your fight; he really is not fighting against you, he is fighting against the Lord and your sole weapon and protection, is Him! So run, yes run, but not from him in fear! You wouldn’t think a soldier coward because he runs to his sword in time of attack. So run to the two-edged sword of the Word that has already defeated him 2000 years ago with the joy, anticipation and expectation brought by the assurance of great victories, and fight!”
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
(Psa 18:10 KJV)
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