The Secret of a Satisfied Life

Psalm 119:57-72

English Standard Version (ESV)

Heth

57 

The Lord is my portion;
    I promise to keep your words.

58 

I entreat your favor with all my heart;
    be gracious to me according to your promise.

59 

When I think on my ways,
    I turn my feet to your testimonies;

60 

I hasten and do not delay
    to keep your commandments.

61 

Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
    I do not forget your law.

62 

At midnight I rise to praise you,
    because of your righteous rules.

63 

I am a companion of all who fear you,
    of those who keep your precepts.

64 

The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;
    teach me your statutes!

Teth

65 

You have dealt well with your servant,
    O Lord, according to your word.

66 

Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
    for I believe in your commandments.

67 

Before I was afflicted I went astray,
    but now I keep your word.

68 

You are good and do good;
    teach me your statutes.

69 

The insolent smear me with lies,
    but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;

70 

their heart is unfeeling like fat,
    but I delight in your law.

71 

It is good for me that I was afflicted,
    that I might learn your statutes.

72 

The law of your mouth is better to me
    than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+119%3A57-72&version=ESV)

The survival kit of this earth can be found in these two passages from Psalm.  It is a kit that has all the supplies needed and includes instructions! 

Kit

Enclosed please find:

1.    The Lord – He needs to be our all in all.  We need to live keeping Him in mind at all times.

2.    Your heart – We need to give Him all of our heart, not half of it.

3.    God’s Word with His Law – We need to recognize that God’s Word is perfect.

4.    Affliction – perseverance through hard times allows us to better understand the ways of the Lord

Instructions:

 

1.    Meditate on the Word of God– We need not only read the Word but understand what it is saying to us and keep it in our minds at all times.  Be sure to note that His Law found in His Word is better than any amount of money!

2.   Friends who fear the Lord – Our closest companions should be those who understand the ways of the Lord because they are the ones that God will use to help us through this life.

3.   God’s Steadfast love – we need to recognize how much God loves us and cares for us.  This world has a lot of hate but if we look around we will see God’s love everywhere.

4.   Good Judgment and Knowledge straight from God – we should always seek His judgment and knowledge not our own.

5.   Recognize our mistakes – know where we came from, be aware of where we are now, but look forward to where we are going.

The truth is, we can’t fully survive this world and all it’s troubles without these tools and instructions.  God has a plan for each and every one of us and that is to love Him deeply and trust Him with every ounce of being that we have.  Seeking Him will allow us to know His ways in order for us to keep those commandments that come straight from Him.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Why are Christians so Rigid or Are They?

Psalm 119:49-56

English Standard Version (ESV)

Zayin

49 

Remember your word to your servant,
    in which you have made me hope.

50 

This is my comfort in my affliction,
    that your promise gives me life.

51 

The insolent utterly deride me,
    but I do not turn away from your law.

52 

When I think of your rules from of old,
    I take comfort, O Lord.

53 

Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
    who forsake your law.

54 

Your statutes have been my songs
    in the house of my sojourning.

55 

I remember your name in the night, O Lord,
    and keep your law.

56 

This blessing has fallen to me,
    that I have kept your precepts.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+119%3A49-56&version=ESV

Often times Christians are thought to be self-righteous but that is not true at all.  Christians are only righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Christians are also perceived to be judgmental, hard-nosed, intolerable, rigid, and of course, not politically correct.  Because of this many people decide that Christianity is not for them.  Some of the perception of Christians may in some ways be correct.  But is that wrong?  Should Christians be more tolerable and accepting of others?

What non-Christians do not see is what Christians do see, God’s word.  What non-Christians don’t understand are the ways of God.  What Christians understand is that God’s word brings us hope.  Non-Christians do not have hope through Christ so they struggle with trying to be satisfied in this life.  They gain hope from their success, their money, and their actions.  Some find peace through drugs, alcohol, and sex.  Never being fully satisfied because once the high is gone there is emptiness once again.  They may see Christians who seem to have it all together and they think they must be fake because no one should be so satisfied.  They begin to look for the faults of the Christian and in turn accuse the Christians as being the one that is the hypocrite. 

The Christian, on the other hand, who seeks God with all their heart, is one who understands that God is in control.  They understand that His word is truth.  They know that His ways are made clear and the wrong path leads to destruction.  Their whole entire being is focused on pleasing God, their creator, because He is worthy of praise, honor and glory.  Anything that goes against the ways of God is looked upon as an injustice to the One we serve.  Sin is sickening to the Christian but Christians are not exempt from sin but rather forgiven through Christ.  It is not the right of the Christian to sin, when they do sin they should recognize it as sin and repent.  A true Christian will strive to live a life pleasing to God and always focused on the things to be not that the things that are.

These scriptures today points out to us that we need to know God’s word.  We need to be sickened by sin whether it is ours or the sin of the world in which we live.  We need to recognize it and run from it.  We need to also know that it is a blessing from God that we are who we are and that He has allowed our eyes to be opened and to see Him.  We need to show love to others as Christ did.  We need to live in this world but not take part in its rebellion against God.  We need to seek Him in order to know His ways, to understand His laws, in order to love Him more deeply and to have the strength to keep His commandments.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Temptations

Psalm 119:41-48

English Standard Version (ESV)

Waw

41 Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,
    your salvation according to your promise;

42 then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,
    for I trust in your word.

43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
    for my hope is in your rules.

44 I will keep your law continually,
    forever and ever,

45 and I shall walk in a wide place,
    for I have sought your precepts.

46 I will also speak of your testimonies before kings
    and shall not be put to shame,

47 for I find my delight in your commandments,
    which I love.

48 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,
    and I will meditate on your statutes.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+119%3A41+-+48&version=ESV)

Matthew 4:1-11

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Temptation of Jesus

4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
    and him only shall you serve.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A+1-+11&version=ESV

The evidence we have through knowing the love of Christ allows us to be able to resist those taunts that come our way by means of temptation.  We have a perfect example of that in the New Testament, Matthew 4: 1 – 11 where Jesus is tempted by the satan.  Jesus used the scriptures to fight him off and he finally left him but not without several attempts.  We too can fight off these temptation by using the scriptures but first we need to know what the scriptures say, that is why we need to continually seek Him with all our hearts.  Satan knew the scriptures too but used them to twist the truth.  We can get caught in that at times as well.  Taking scriptures out of context will do more harm than it will do good.  We need to know and understand the scriptures as God intended for them to be used just as Jesus did in Matthew 4: 1- 11.

We need to read His word, know His commands, and share with others, but also we need to embrace them as our own and follow them daily.  We need to meditate on the Word of God and know that all that we speak should be His truth and His commands.  If we were able to speak with Kings, Queens, Presidents, or other leaders, would we speak truth to them?  Would we speak the truths of God and His promises, standing firm in our faith so as not to be ashamed.  How would the listeners react? 

We should not be ashamed of the Gospel, we should know it, and we should proclaim it.  Keeping all His commands close to our hearts we need to seek Him and know that all that He commands is for our good and His ways are perfect. 

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila