Devotional Thoughts

Psalm 119:137-138    "Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments.  (138)  Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful." How can I know the Word of God is the truth and correct path upon which I can base my life?  I may oversimplify my answer, but according to today's verses, I must come to the understanding that God is right and I am wrong.  If I go strictly upon my opinion, I can easily make wrong turns in my decision making process. The key upon which we can be certain is to know the Lord is righteous and holy. There is none like Him. "Righteous art thou, O LORD."   Every way of the Lord is not only right; but, His way is right for me and for you. The wise man Solomon said, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 14:12) How do I avoid going the wrong way? We've already established God is righteous. He is always right in the manner He shows

Psalm 119:130-131    "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.  (131)  I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments." Paul speaks to the Ephesians, and to us, concerning the whole armour of God. It is so very important that we avail ourselves to this protective covering. We are in a spiritual warfare every single day that we live.  Sometimes we forget who the real enemy is that comes against us.  "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12) We wrestle "against the rulers of the darkness of this world." The very tool that is used to get us into a bad place in our lives is to lure us into a place of darkness in our spirits.  And the "rulers of darkness" are very good at their trade.   When Paul lists the various elements of the armou

Psalm 119:114    "Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word."  Psalm 119:116    "Uphold me according to thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope."  Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the things that are going on in the world? Does the weight of the struggle ever feel like it is just too much for you? There is a place where we can go to find rest and assurance. In previous Psalms that place has been described as the Rock that is higher than I. It has been described as a place that is found under the wings of God. We know it is a place of comfort and rest. Today's verse speaks of it as a "hiding place and a shield."  We can find protective care when we seek the face of God with a desire for His will in our lives. How do we go there? At the risk of being repetitive, we go there through prayer and by reading and studying God's Word. But it goes deeper than reading the Bible. "I hope in thy word."  We a

Psalm 119:105    "Thy word  is  a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:112    "I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway,  even unto  the end" What good is a flashlight if it isn't used? What good is a flashlight if the batteries are not charged? What good is a flashlight if it isn't shined on the path? The Word of God is indeed a lamp and a light. But there are some things that need to be done with the Word.  First, it's obvious that we need to read the Word of God. Next, we must ask the Holy Spirit to "charge the Word" into our hearts. Then we must "incline our hearts to perform the Word." Its amazing the amount of instruction and encouragement we receive when we do these things. God is truly so good to us. It behooves us to spend more time with Him.

Psalm 119:97    "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day." The writer, in thinking about the Word of God, is overcome with the realization of how important the Word is to him. There can be no doubt that he has leaned heavily upon the Lord through his life. There have been times, as he admitted earlier in this Psalm, that he has strayed from the direction given by the Lord. It seems he is looking back over his life and contemplating the victories and defeats that he has experienced. Every victory came as a result of being in the will of God. Every defeat came as a result of his doing his own desires rather than following the direction of God's Word. If we all take time to look back over our lives, we can see the very same pattern. Those times when it seemed we had hit a brick wall often were the times we struck out on our own without giving God first priority in our lives. The times of pure joy and contentment were, and still are, the result of walking in t

Psalm 119:89-91    "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.  (90)  Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.  (91)  They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants." The world's order of society is very good at promoting their message across the board. There is only one problem: the message of the world's order of society is all wrong.  The world, at large, promotes that which is ungodly. When followed, their order of doing things will take us into a dark place from which it is very difficult to return.  It was this system of doing things of which Jesus spoke in His intercessory prayer in John chapter 17. "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine." (John 17:9)  He went on in His prayer, "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the wor

Psalm 119:81   "My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word." I realize not everyone can identify with what the Psalmist is saying in this verse. Or, maybe everyone can identify with it to some degree or another. Have you ever had something that ate at you on the inside to the degree that you didn't know what would be the end result? Have you ever suffered with anxiety over a situation that you really had no control over? Have you ever felt like the world was against you?  Have you ever felt conviction in your heart because you did something you shouldn't have, or you did not do what you knew you should have done? There are many other situations that could be grouped with the thought of our minds being consumed by a situation. With that backdrop and thinking everyone can identify in one way or another, there is hope. Hope is so vital in our lives. In Romans 8:24, Paul tells us "For we are saved by hope." It is understood that this saving, or

Psalm 119:73-74    "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.  (74)  They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word." "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments."  In this verse, we can see a relationship that has been formed and reinforced in the heart and mind of the writer.  The first acknowledgement is that the Lord God Almighty is our Creator.  We read these words in the 100th Psalm, "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100:3)  In my opinion, this is one of the greatest things we need to understand in our daily walk with the Lord. Being our Creator, He knows everything about us. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses and through it all, He still loves us.   With that understanding, the writer of t

Psalm 119:67    "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word." Psalm 119:71    "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." We never think of affliction as being something good; yet in today's verses the Psalmist took that stand. "It is good for me that I have been afflicted."  We do not know exactly what the affliction was that brought a turning point in the life of the writer, but we can know that he took a negative and turned it into a positive. He felt pressured and troubled in his life because of either something he did or something that happened to him.  Can we identify with that? Has there ever been anything in your life that brought a struggle whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual?   To one degree or another, I believe we all have regrets in our lives. There are two ways to deal with them. The first that I mention is not the best way; for, sometimes we try to deal with the

Psalm 119:57    "Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words." What's your favorite food? What's your favorite thing to do? Who is your favorite person to be around?  Time or space is not important if you are doing something that you really enjoy or spending time with someone that you really enjoy being in their presence. In fact, you want more and more. You probably have something or someone in mind just now if you answered those first questions.  Memories pop into your mind as you think of that activity or that person. You remember where and when you were participating in that activity. Or you remember where and when you were in the presence of that person and words that came to mind.  You remember how they look and what they said and how they acted. You might ask, "What do all those questions have to do with our text verse today?"  I'm glad you asked.  The more time you spend doing that activity or being with that person, th

Psalm 119:49-50   "Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.  (50)  This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me." Psalm 119:55-56    "I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law.  (56)  This I had, because I kept thy precepts." I find myself coming back to one central question: How important is the Word of God (the Bible) to me?   Have you ever had a time when you really wanted and needed to hear from someone? Maybe it's been years since you've seen them, or maybe months, weeks, days, or even hours since you heard from them, but there is a need inside you that says, "I want to hear from them and know they are doing okay."  How important is it to you that you hear from that person? How important is it that you hear from the Lord? Yes, this all ties together.  May I remind each of us this morning that the manner in which God most often communicates to us is throug

Psalm 119:41     "Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word." Recently, I wrote of being taught the Word of God and receiving understanding concerning the Word.  Today's passage of Scripture speaks of the Word of God coming off the pages and being applied in our lives.  It is wonderful to be taught. It is even better when we can understand what we are being taught. And then it is even more better (Steveism) when we experience the Word of God as it is applied in our lives.  It is incredible when you can feel and know the Lord is taking His Word and showing you how it just worked in a situation or circumstance in which you found yourself. Let us share a few instances where the Word of God can be seen at work.  You may have a big decision to make and cannot know which way you are to go. Suddenly the Lord reminds you of a time when millions of people seemingly  were stuck in a situation. They were ready to give up when the Lord sho

Psalm 119:33-34   "Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.  (34)  Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart." As a pastor, I often speak about the importance of reading God's Word. It's very important to spend time reading your Bible every day. The most stated stumbling block by individuals is that they read it, but do not understand what it is saying. As a result, oftentimes the Bible is thought to be outdated or only applied to the people who were living at the time it was written. I have stated this many times when writing these devotions that the Bible is just as pertinent today as it was when the ink was still wet on the parchment.  The difference between the Bible and other books is found in its Author.  Man's writings can change. Man's opinions can change. But the Author of the Bible is God, the Holy Spirit; therefore, the Word of God never changes because God neve

Psalm 119:25   "My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word."    I'm thinking of an old hymn by Jeremiah Rankin just now that asks, "Are you weary? Are you heavy hearted?"  Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever been discouraged? disheartened? Have you ever felt there was no hope to accomplish your goals?  The song continues: "Are you weary? Are you heavy hearted? Tell it to Jesus. Tell it to Jesus Are you grieving over joys departed? Tell it to Jesus alone." The Chorus continues.... "Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus, He is a friend that's well known" Isn't it wonderful to know that we can go to our Lord in prayer and know that He will hear us?  Yes it is!  It is an incredible experience to feel the presence of the Lord when we feel down or troubled about something.  Our text today begins, "My soul cleaveth unto the dust."   This is a common occurrence for God's people. Yes, pr

Psalm 119:9     "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word."  Psalm 119:11   "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:15   "I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways." Sometimes it is said that the Bible is outdated. I dare to disagree with that. The Bible is just as pertinent to us today as it was when the ink was still wet on the parchment. God never changes and neither does His Word change.  Today's verses speak to us of the impact of God's Word upon our daily lives. We can be sure that Satan has an alternative to everything that God has given to us. The only difference is that Satan promises turmoil and destruction while God's Word promises peace and instruction in righteousness which brings joy into our lives.  Yet, God's Word even tells us it is possible to "enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." (Hebrews 11

Psalm 119:2    "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart." As we begin our study of the 119th Psalm, I do not believe it to be coincidental that the longest Psalm, the longest chapter in the Bible, has the written Word of God as its central theme.  This Psalm is divided into segments and titled by the Hebrew alphabet.  Each segment consists of about eight verses. We will not attempt to look at the Psalm verse by verse; rather, we will look at each segment and attempt to look at the thought contained in each one. This first segment speaks of the blessedness that we can derive by reading the Word of God in our hearts. It makes for good discipline in our lives when we make a habit of reading from the Bible each day. It is amazing to see just how much the Lord speaks to our hearts and minds as we are reading. And may I say that there is no greater blessing than to know the Lord is speaking to you through His Word by His Holy Spirit. T

Psalm 118:27-29    "God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.  (28)  Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.  (29)  O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever." Perspective makes such a difference in our lives. We can have great peace when we see situations and circumstances in the correct light and then place them in proper perspective. The world in which we live is filled with spiritual darkness. We need the proper guidance and direction for our lives in order to maneuver our way through this world. The Psalmist tells us where that light, or guidance, originates and then what our proper response should be. Let's look at it for just a moment. He speaks in verse 27 of binding the sacrifice and then in verse 29 he speaks of giving thanks. May I say that is the same action. Our proper sacrifice unto the Lord consists of these elements:

Psalm 118:22-23    "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.  (23)  This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes." Have you ever made great plans for your life only to see them fall through?  We all, to some degree, tend to plan our lives out in advance.  The very next verse reminds us that "This is the day that the Lord hath made."  I like to think that I only live for this moment; and in reality, that is what we all do. We only have this moment on this day and we should be rejoicing that the Lord has given it to us.  Yet, we still make plans, and that's okay. We should look forward, but with the realization that there is only one source of stability by which those plans should be founded. That source of stability is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the stone which was rejected. The Apostle John tells us, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." (John 1:11) Jesus spoke of the

Psalm 118:14   "The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation." "The LORD is."  Those three words stand alone with their own strength and joy. He has no beginning and He has no end. No matter what is going on in my life, "The LORD is."   When I need help in my life, "The LORD is."  When I feel alone and need companionship, "The LORD is."  When I need encouragement in my life, "The LORD is."  When I need help and direction for my life, "The LORD is."  When I think I am the source of my own strength and understanding and have all the answers, in reality "The LORD is." When I can come to the understanding of those three words, and my need for Him in everything, then I can go on to the next three things that are in this verse.  Years ago, I served a church in which a very sweet lady was in her 90s when I was there. She still worked in her flower garden until the last few years of her life. She