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...