“Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.” (v.104)
Oh the truth of this verse. We truly do get understanding through His precepts, specifically the keeping of them. There are three verses in this passage that are rather outstanding, and astonishing, they are, 98, 99, and 100.
“Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.”
Do you see what keeping His commandments can do for us? Look to Job 28:28 and we see the definition for wisdom and also for understanding.
“And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”
To have understanding is to keep His Laws. By these, and by doing so, we are made wiser than our enemies, with the ability to outsmart them; we are of better understanding than our teachers, and even know more than the ancients, because we keep God’s commandments. His Word will teach us to “hate every false way” and we will walk in a way that is pleasing to Him. We will live our lives victoriously, honestly, and Holily before Him and thereby reap a multitude of blessings. All this through the Word, or by His Word, in which we live and breath and have our being. Finally, look at 1 Jn. 3:22:
“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”
Oh, the wondrous Word of God, how could we be without it?
Showing posts with label commandments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label commandments. Show all posts
Psalms 119: 81-88
“All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.” (v. 86)
Yes, all His commandments are faithful, and we can count on them through all trials, at all times. God never changes, and His Word never changes, so why do we doubt? If we can’t rely on the Word of God, we are of “all men most miserable.” David seems to be crying out to the Lord and asking for His help against those who “persecute” him wrongfully. The proud have digged pits for him, they have sought to destroy him, but he retained his integrity, and trusted in the Lord. This is what the Word of God does for us, it protects us, and gives us favor with God.
We are as a bottle in the smoke (v.83), hidden and blending in with our environment, and very hard to find. The psalmist realizes his place before the Lord, and it humbles him greatly. Humility gets God’s attention, and is a rare thing for a noble warrior to acquire. David, who slew Goliath, and many Philistines, had a humble heart. How hard it is for us, when the battle is over and the victory is won, to remain humble; in fact, humility is a rare thing among any man! A humble man will truly rely on the Lord, because he knows his own frailty.
David knew his frailty. He knew that his victory over Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, was actually a God-given victory, and not his own doing. Paul was teaching us this in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, and topped it off with the last verse in the chapter, “That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” That is our goal, and God’s goal for us, that we might glorify Him, and ourselves “glory in the Lord.” God indeed chooses the weak things to confound the wise, the problem is that we get all puffed up, and think ourselves strong! We then become weak, in a useless way.
Yes, all His commandments are faithful, and we can count on them through all trials, at all times. God never changes, and His Word never changes, so why do we doubt? If we can’t rely on the Word of God, we are of “all men most miserable.” David seems to be crying out to the Lord and asking for His help against those who “persecute” him wrongfully. The proud have digged pits for him, they have sought to destroy him, but he retained his integrity, and trusted in the Lord. This is what the Word of God does for us, it protects us, and gives us favor with God.
We are as a bottle in the smoke (v.83), hidden and blending in with our environment, and very hard to find. The psalmist realizes his place before the Lord, and it humbles him greatly. Humility gets God’s attention, and is a rare thing for a noble warrior to acquire. David, who slew Goliath, and many Philistines, had a humble heart. How hard it is for us, when the battle is over and the victory is won, to remain humble; in fact, humility is a rare thing among any man! A humble man will truly rely on the Lord, because he knows his own frailty.
David knew his frailty. He knew that his victory over Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, was actually a God-given victory, and not his own doing. Paul was teaching us this in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, and topped it off with the last verse in the chapter, “That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” That is our goal, and God’s goal for us, that we might glorify Him, and ourselves “glory in the Lord.” God indeed chooses the weak things to confound the wise, the problem is that we get all puffed up, and think ourselves strong! We then become weak, in a useless way.
PSALMS 119:25-32
“Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.” (v. 27)
When we really grasp the wonders of God, we will share the blessing with others. Our testimony ought to always be about how great He is, and what The Lord has done for us. When I think of the way the Lord has nurtured me along all these years, I am amazed, dumbfounded, to say the least. I hope to shout it from the housetops, for all eternity, the amazing grace of God, and His wonderful Love toward me and mine. Oh that we could all say that, and see the hand of God at work in our lives for many years. The psalmist knew where his strength was, in v. 28, and he sought God’s Word for it. Yes, there is strengthening in His Word. The power to do right; to glorify the Father, we all have the power and ability to do so, but shamefully we fail in the task.
This passage contains the words “according unto thy Word” two times, the first in v. 25, where he asks to be refreshed, or “quickened” by the Word of God, and the promise of it, and in v. 28 where we see him asking for the strength that comes through the Word. The real strength comes from God Himself, and in Him “making us” to understand His Word, and to His way, as the text verse clearly implies. Understanding is defined in Job 28:28, as is wisdom, “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Holiness is the key to happiness. We need to ask, with the psalmist, that the Lord would deliver us from lying, (v. 28), and from all evil (Mt 6:13).
Will we “Run the way” of His commandment, as the psalmist said he would do in v. 32? If so, God will “enlarge” our heart for us, and our life will be an abundant life, filled with the grace and blessing of God Almighty.
When we really grasp the wonders of God, we will share the blessing with others. Our testimony ought to always be about how great He is, and what The Lord has done for us. When I think of the way the Lord has nurtured me along all these years, I am amazed, dumbfounded, to say the least. I hope to shout it from the housetops, for all eternity, the amazing grace of God, and His wonderful Love toward me and mine. Oh that we could all say that, and see the hand of God at work in our lives for many years. The psalmist knew where his strength was, in v. 28, and he sought God’s Word for it. Yes, there is strengthening in His Word. The power to do right; to glorify the Father, we all have the power and ability to do so, but shamefully we fail in the task.
This passage contains the words “according unto thy Word” two times, the first in v. 25, where he asks to be refreshed, or “quickened” by the Word of God, and the promise of it, and in v. 28 where we see him asking for the strength that comes through the Word. The real strength comes from God Himself, and in Him “making us” to understand His Word, and to His way, as the text verse clearly implies. Understanding is defined in Job 28:28, as is wisdom, “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Holiness is the key to happiness. We need to ask, with the psalmist, that the Lord would deliver us from lying, (v. 28), and from all evil (Mt 6:13).
Will we “Run the way” of His commandment, as the psalmist said he would do in v. 32? If so, God will “enlarge” our heart for us, and our life will be an abundant life, filled with the grace and blessing of God Almighty.
Psalms 119:17-24
“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” (v.18)
God gives great wisdom through the study of His Word. Those who seem to get more out of the Bible are those who have whole-heartedly sought after Him. What joy it is to discover little “jewels” of scripture as we read God’s Word. Many things are revealed when we “diligently seek Him” and we seem to have better judgment in decisions we must make. Oh, the wondrous things we see from His Law, and the blessing it is in our lives. David said “With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.” (119:10).
Have you ever traveled to a distant land, or even in our own land, been in a far-away, and strange seeming place? I believe the psalmist captured that attitude in this world, and he knew he was a stranger here, and needed God’s comfort and direction in life. He said, “I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.” How often I have heard some claim that they are pilgrims and strangers in this world, but then they seek after its delicacies with a zeal that is unmatched in the Christian realm. If we think ourselves to be sojourners here, we have no desire, nor business running the world, do we? If I were to come to your home, and begin to run your business, you would resent it, but we do the same thing when we seek after this world so vehemently; we do it to Christ. Jesus put it this way, to one of His followers, “Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” (Mt. 8:22). Yes, there is great wisdom in following our Lord, but we need to let go of this world to fully appreciate His blessings. Seek out the Lord in all thy ways, my friend, and find the wisdom and the comfort of it in Christ, and Him only. Remember 1 John 2:15-17, and especially v. 15, where we see that “the love of the Father is not in him”. We must all ask ourselves, “Do I look to the Lord for my peace? Do I seek comfort in Him, or in some organization or person? What about my economic security, who do I trust for that?” There are so many ways that we violate these verses that one cannot mention remember all—and as humans, we usually find them quite easily.
God gives great wisdom through the study of His Word. Those who seem to get more out of the Bible are those who have whole-heartedly sought after Him. What joy it is to discover little “jewels” of scripture as we read God’s Word. Many things are revealed when we “diligently seek Him” and we seem to have better judgment in decisions we must make. Oh, the wondrous things we see from His Law, and the blessing it is in our lives. David said “With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.” (119:10).
Have you ever traveled to a distant land, or even in our own land, been in a far-away, and strange seeming place? I believe the psalmist captured that attitude in this world, and he knew he was a stranger here, and needed God’s comfort and direction in life. He said, “I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.” How often I have heard some claim that they are pilgrims and strangers in this world, but then they seek after its delicacies with a zeal that is unmatched in the Christian realm. If we think ourselves to be sojourners here, we have no desire, nor business running the world, do we? If I were to come to your home, and begin to run your business, you would resent it, but we do the same thing when we seek after this world so vehemently; we do it to Christ. Jesus put it this way, to one of His followers, “Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” (Mt. 8:22). Yes, there is great wisdom in following our Lord, but we need to let go of this world to fully appreciate His blessings. Seek out the Lord in all thy ways, my friend, and find the wisdom and the comfort of it in Christ, and Him only. Remember 1 John 2:15-17, and especially v. 15, where we see that “the love of the Father is not in him”. We must all ask ourselves, “Do I look to the Lord for my peace? Do I seek comfort in Him, or in some organization or person? What about my economic security, who do I trust for that?” There are so many ways that we violate these verses that one cannot mention remember all—and as humans, we usually find them quite easily.
You Might Be a Redneck....a different take
You Might Be a Redneck....a different take
We have enjoyed the redneck jokes for years. It's time to take a reflective look at the core beliefs of a culture that values home, family, country and God. If I had to stand before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I'd choose a half dozen or so rednecks to back me up. Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit -- that's what rednecks are made of. I hope I am one of those.. If you feel the same, pass this on to your redneck friends. Ya'll know who YOU ALL ARE! 
You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God.'
You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
You might be a redneck if: You still say ' Christmas' instead of 'Winter Festival.'
You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when someone prays.
You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.
You might be a redneck if: You treat our armed forces veterans with great respect, and always have.
You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an American flag, nor intend to.
You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and raised your kids to do the same.
You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to a friend.
God Bless the USA ! 
Technorati Tags: "one nation under God",commandments,Christmas,prayer,national anthem,military,flag,respect,generosity,Don Porter
Keep the fire burning, redneck friend.
IN GOD WE TRUST
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