Psalm 119:1-8
“Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your
commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!
So on my way to Romans this morning after a yummy bowl of Golden Grahams, I opened up directly to Psalm 119, seemingly on accident. But, this morning, the LORD used a flippant opening of the Bible to teach me what He requires. Look at these eight verses – the psalmist, under the power of the Holy Spirit, refers to God’s Word eight times. Walk in the LAW of the LORD; Blessed are those who keep his TESTIMONIES, who walk in His WAYS; You have commanded your PRECEPTS to be kept diligently; Oh that my ways may be steadfst in keeping your STATUTES; having my eyes fixed on all your COMMANDMENTS; when I learn your righteous RULES; I will keep your STATUTUES. Keep His law, keep His Word, keep His commandments, walk in His ways. Do, obey, trust!
We read last night in James 1 that we must be doers of the word and not hearers only. And in James 1 God uses the writer to give a few more commands - Verse 19 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” And in verse 21-22 “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Verses 25-27 “But the one who looks into the prefect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tounge but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
Oh that our hearts, captivated and changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, would long to obey God’s Word, trust His commands, walk in His ways, learn His righteous rules, seek Him with our whole heart, and keep His precepts dilgently.
Love this, Maggie!