pure

20231123

Photo by Samad Deldar on Pexels.com

pure

Psalm 119:137-144 (JDV)

Psalm 119:137 You are righteous, Yahveh and your judgments are just.
Psalm 119:138 The warning signs you issue are righteous and altogether trustworthy.
Psalm 119:139 My anger overwhelms me because my enemies forget your words.
Psalm 119:140 Your word is completely pure, and your servant loves it.
Psalm 119:141 I am insignificant and despised, but I do not forget your directions.
Psalm 119:142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your instruction is true.
Psalm 119:143 Trouble and distress have overtaken me, but your commands are my delight.
Psalm 119:144 Your warning signs are righteous forever. Give me understanding, and I will live.

pure

His enemies choose to forget God’s words, and it makes him angry. When he gets back to the Bible, he delights in its commands. They give him understanding and hope for life.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

understanding

20231122

Photo by SHVETS production on Pexels.com

understanding

Psalm 119:129-136 (JDV)

Psalm 119:129 Your warning signs are miraculous; therefore I obey them.
Psalm 119:130 Exposure to your word brings light and gives understanding to the inexperienced.
Psalm 119:131 I open my mouth and pant because I long for your commands.
Psalm 119:132 Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your practice toward those who love your name.
Psalm 119:133 Make my steps steady through your promise; don’t let any sin dominate me.
Psalm 119:134 Redeem me from human exploitation, and I will keep your directions.
Psalm 119:135 Make your face shine on your servant and teach me your prescriptions.
Psalm 119:136 My eyes pour out streams of tears because people do not follow your instruction.

understanding

Some people talk as if they can only get understanding by experiencing life. David rejects that notion. He says that the inexperienced need to be exposed to God’s word. We don’t have to fail to learn what failure is. We don’t have to keep sinning to learn the consequences of sin. What we need is to turn to God and follow his instruction. David sees a world not doing that, and his eyes stream with tears.

Posted in Bible | Tagged | Leave a comment

gold

20231121

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

gold

Psalm 119:121-128 (JDV)

Psalm 119:121 I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my exploiters.
Psalm 119:122 Guarantee your servant’s well-being; do not let the arrogant exploit me.
Psalm 119:123 My eyes grow weary looking for your deliverance and for your righteous promise.
Psalm 119:124 Deal with your servant based on your covenant faithfulness; teach me your prescriptions.
Psalm 119:125 I am your servant; give me understanding so that I may know your warning signs.
Psalm 119:126 It is time for Yahveh to act because they have violated your instruction.
Psalm 119:127 Since I love your commands more than gold, even the purest gold,
Psalm 119:128 I carefully follow all your directions and hate every false road.

gold

When we learn to love God’s commands more than gold, we can expect him to deliver us as David did here. We need eyes to see God’s word as the valuable asset that it is.

Posted in Bible | Tagged | Leave a comment

shield

20231120

Photo by Juergen Striewski on Pexels.com

shield

Psalm 119:113-120 (JDV)

Psalm 119:113 I hate those who are divided, but I love your instruction.
Psalm 119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I put my hope in your word.
Psalm 119:115 Turn away from me, you evil ones, so that I may obey my God’s commands.
Psalm 119:116 Sustain me as you promised, and I will live; do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
Psalm 119:117 Sustain me so that I can be safe and always be concerned about your prescriptions.
Psalm 119:118 You reject all who stray from your prescriptions, for their deceit is a lie.
Psalm 119:119 You remove all the wicked on earth as if they were dross from metal; therefore, I love your warning signs.
Psalm 119:120 I tremble in awe of you; I fear your judgments.

shield

The destiny of the wicked is to be removed by fire, like dross from metal. But God’s word is a shield for us, protecting us from the final judgment by bringing us to Christ, and teaching us how to live.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

light

20231119

Photo by Rafael Pires on Pexels.com

light

Psalm 119:105-112 (JDV)

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.
Psalm 119:106 I have sworn, confirming that I will keep your righteous judgments.
Psalm 119:107 I am severely humbled; Yahveh, give me life according to your word.
Psalm 119:108 Yahveh, please accept my freewill offerings of praise, and teach me your judgments.
Psalm 119:109 My life is constantly in danger, yet I do not forget your instruction.
Psalm 119:110 The wicked have set a trap for me, but I have not gone astray from your directions.
Psalm 119:111 I have your warning signs as a heritage forever; indeed, they are the joy of my heart.
Psalm 119:112 I am resolved to obey your prescriptions to the very end.

light

How easy it is for us to walk around during the day since we can see all the potential obstacles. But at night we have to be more cautious. The Bible gives us the light we need to walk confidently in the realm of spiritual darkness. Don’t go anywhere without it.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

sweet

20231118

Photo by Alexander Grey on Pexels.com

sweet

Psalm 119:97-104 (JDV)

Psalm 119:97 How I love your instruction! She is my occupation all day long.
Psalm 119:98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies because they are always with me.
Psalm 119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers because your warning signs are my occupation.
Psalm 119:100 I understand more than the elders because I obey your directions.
Psalm 119:101 I have kept my feet from every evil path to keep your word.
Psalm 119:102 I have not turned away from your judgments, because you yourself have instructed me.
Psalm 119:103 How sweet your word is to my taste — sweeter than honey in my mouth.
Psalm 119:104 I gain understanding from your directions; therefore I hate every false road.

sweet

God’s word is not sweet to the rebellious, because it points out their transgression. But for the person who has determined to follow the right path, it is sweet indeed. What a joy to have constant contact with the Author of the Bible!

bbjv - 1
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

firm

20231117

firm

Psalm 119:89-96 (JDV)

Psalm 119:89 Yahveh, your word is permanent; it is firmly fixed in heaven.
Psalm 119:90 Your faithfulness is for all generations; you established the earth, and it stands firm.
Psalm 119:91 Your judgments stand firm today, for all things are your servants.
Psalm 119:92 If your instruction had not been my delight, I would have died in my misery.
Psalm 119:93 I will never forget your directions because you have given me life through them.
Psalm 119:94 I am yours; deliver me, because I have studied your directions.
Psalm 119:95 The wicked hope to destroy me, but I contemplate your warning signs.
Psalm 119:96 I have seen a limit to every perfect thing, but your command is without limit.

firm

Because God is the author of his word, it stands firmly fixed. By focusing on the instructions in his word, we can survive the storms we will encounter in our ever-changing world.

bbjv - 1
Posted in Bible | Tagged | Leave a comment

pursued with lies

20231116

Photo by Sharon Snider on Pexels.com

pursued with lies

Psalm 119:81-88 (JDV)

Psalm 119:81 My throat longs for your deliverance; I put my hope in your word.
Psalm 119:82 My eyes give out looking for what you have promised; I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
Psalm 119:83 Though I have become like a wineskin dried by smoke, I do not forget your prescriptions.
Psalm 119:84 How many days must your servant wait? When will you execute judgment on my pursuers?
Psalm 119:85 The arrogant have dug pits for me; they violate your instruction.
Psalm 119:86 All your commands are true; people pursue me with lies — help me!
Psalm 119:87 They almost finished my life on earth, but I did not abandon your directions.
Psalm 119:88 Give me life in accordance with your covenant faithfulness, and I will obey the decree you have spoken.

pursued with lies

The more he is pursued by the lies of the arrogant, the more our psalmist learns to put his faith in God, whose commands are true, and he can be trusted. The poet gets tired of waiting for deliverance, but he can do nothing else. His life is in God’s hands. He has learned to stay true to the Truth, even when pursued with lies.

bbjv - 1
Posted in faithfulness, patience, truth | Tagged | Leave a comment

read the instructions

20231115

Photo by Athena on Pexels.com

read the instructions

Psalm 119:73-80 (JDV)

Psalm 119:73 Your hands made me and established me; give me understanding so that I can learn your commands.
Psalm 119:74 Those who fear you will see me and rejoice because I put my hope in your word.
Psalm 119:75 I know, Yahveh, that your judgments are just and that you have humbled me fairly.
Psalm 119:76 May your covenant faithfulness comfort me as you promised your servant.
Psalm 119:77 May your compassion come to me so that I may live because your instruction is my delight.
Psalm 119:78 Let the arrogant be put to shame for slandering me with lies; I will meditate on your directions.
Psalm 119:79 Let those who fear you, those who know your warning signs, turn to me.
Psalm 119:80 May my heart be blameless regarding your prescriptions so that I will not be put to shame.

read the instructions

The psalmist begins this section by acknowledging that God is his maker. That is why he is seeking to understand God’s commands. They are the manufacturer’s instructions for human life. If you purchase a product and it fails to work properly, you might reach out to the maker to find out why. One of the first questions they will ask is whether or not you read the instructions that came with the product. If it turns out you ignored the maker’s instructions, it will be embarrassing.

bbjv - 1
Posted in Bible, shame | Tagged | Leave a comment

the arrogant and the humbled

20231114

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

the arrogant and the humbled

Psalm 119:65-72 (JDV)

Psalm 119:65 Yahveh, you have treated your servant well, as your word promised.
Psalm 119:66 Teach me good judgment and discernment because I rely on your commands.
Psalm 119:67 Before I was humbled I went astray, but now I keep your word.
Psalm 119:68 You are good, and you do what is good; teach me your prescriptions.
Psalm 119:69 The arrogant have wrapped me with lies, but I obey your directions with all my heart.
Psalm 119:70 Their hearts are hard and insensitive, but I delight in your instruction.
Psalm 119:71 It was good for me to be humbled so that I could learn your prescriptions.
Psalm 119:72 Instruction from your lips is better for me than thousands in gold and silver.

the arrogant and the humbled

The arrogant person in today’s text is described as hard and insensitive — refusing to follow God’s instruction. The psalmist counts himself as one of them at first, but then he was humbled, and now he keeps God’s word. Friend, where are you in that continuum? You may not be able to answer that question, so try this one: What kind of leader do you like to follow? Do you want a person who can help you do what is right, or do you prefer a person who can make it easy for you to do wrong? Examine your heart, my friend!

bbjv - 1
Posted in integrity, submission | Tagged | Leave a comment