#Psalm 119:8

[shutterandsentence]

"Open my eyes that I may see wonderous things in your law."

-Psalm 119:18

Photo: Morton Arboretum, Illinois

[doulafaith]

Lord, Don't Give Up on Me

Context: Psalm 119: 1-176 Focus: Psalm 119: 1-8 “I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!” Psalm 119:8 NLT (my emphasis) Those who follow the instructions of the Lord are blessed with the joy of His presence. Those who seek Him with all their hearts will find Him.  They do not compromise with evil but walk His path of righteousness.  You commanded us to keep Your law and our desire…

[walkswithmyfather]

“But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment. And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity. The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble; And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” —Psalm 9:7-10

“Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands.” —Psalm 119:90

“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’” —Jeremiah 29:11

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” —Romans 8:28

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” —Hebrews 4:15

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” —Isaiah 41:10

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” —Psalm 46:1

“God Inspires Our Trust” By In Touch Ministries:

“Our Father in heaven always keeps His promises and never leaves us alone.”

“As far as children can tell, their mom and dad know everything and can do anything. And kids typically don’t question that assumption without reason (for example, if they see a parent mishandle a situation or someone else influences their level of trust). Parents demonstrate reliability by consistently providing shelter, food, and safety—and also by lovingly teaching, comforting, and guiding their sons and daughters. Then the children can sleep in peace, knowing their needs will be met.

Likewise, we know that we can trust our heavenly Father because He has shown Himself trustworthy from the beginning of time. Psalm 119:90 says, “[God’s] faithfulness continues throughout generations.” He has never broken a promise, and His plans for us have always been for our good (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28). What’s more, God understands our weaknesses and never asks us to do anything that He won’t help us accomplish (Hebrews 4:15; Isaiah 41:10). We can trust that even in the worst situations, He will be with us (Psalm 46:1).

What does trusting God look like in your life this week? Where can you relinquish control to Him?”

[All Bible verses are in the NASB1995 Translation.]

[soaringeaglesingingjoy]

Pursue what matters most

In the book of Romans, Paul begs Christians to give their entire lives over to God because God sacrificed everything for them. Jesus gave up His life so that we could experience His unending love and grace. We cheapen His gifts if we refuse to align our lives with the way Jesus lived.

But we give our lives to God by making Him the one thing we pursue above anything else.

So here are 5 steps you can practice—right now—to help you put God first.

Give thanks

“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.”

Psalms 75:1 ESV

Right now, take a moment to thank God for what He’s already done for you. Reflect on His faithfulness, and recount the stories you have seen and heard of His wonderful power.

Spend 5 minutes in silence

“Abide in me, and I in you.”

John 15:4 ESV

Abiding in Jesus starts with stillness. So right now, pause, take a deep breath, and give anything concerning you over to God. Spend 5 minutes centering your heart on the One who matters most.

Remember Whose you are

“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV

God loves you. The price He paid for you cost Him everything. So remind yourself of Whose you are, and reflect on some of the things God says about you.

Meditate on God’s Word

“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

Psalms 119:97 ESV

One of the best ways to find out how Jesus wants you to live is by spending time in Scripture. As you do, ask God to speak to you through His Word about what His will is.

Focus on what is excellent

“…If there is any excellence … think about these things.”

Philippians 4:8 ESV

You have been given the mind of Christ. If you’re not sure what you should think about, try asking yourself: What is praiseworthy? What thoughts and actions would honor God?

Make a list of whatever comes to mind, and pursue those things.

By practicing these steps every day, you can create habits that will help you pursue intimacy with God every day, and put Him first above everything else.

[drshermaines-wisdomnuggets]

"CONFRONTING THE ENEMY'S TACTICS!"

Psalm 144:1, “Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my keen and firm Strength, Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight” (AMPC) The main tactic of the enemy is deception. “Deception” is defined as, “the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid; to trick; to cheat; to defraud; to be dishonest.” And that’s exactly who the enemy is, a deceiver, liar and the…

[touchofgoddotworld]

Being Untransformed by Distractions (243) - April 27 2024

Play on other Podcast Apps We all want to be on the best path in life. The Word of God, Jesus Himself, is The Way, The Truth and The Life. Without Him we can do nothing. Without Him we cannot be on the best path. The devil therefore lures us to more familiar activities and distractions. We get to choose what we should watch, listen to, and who to be around. Our soul is being affected in a…

[granonine]

Psalm 119:1-8.  ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep Thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep Thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all…

[dwuerch-blog]

Goal for 2024 – Make the #1 Best Seller a Must Read this Year

Long title but I hope to make that my goal this year. We were wanting a new devotional book so, with a Barnes & Noble gift card, we found just the one to help us navigate this new year. As I type this blog today, I received a message from a friend who advised that I had been hacked — meaning someone was using my profile to duplicate it for no good! Argh! Once upon a time “hack” was used to…

[bojackson54]

The Creator and His Creation: Think About Who GOD is, and Who YOU Are...

We recently bought a car, and it came with a manual from the folks who made it. There are a bunch of electronics and features we wouldn’t even know about if we hadn’t been given the owner’s manual (in both book and digital format, btw). This book from the people who made the car contains almost everything you need to know about your vehicle. Doesn’t it make sense to get information from the…

[tom4jc]

Filter Needed

For my full-time job, I work at cleaning and maintaining swimming pools. In order to do this well, I will go to each of the pools I maintain on a weekly basis. I begin with emptying the skimmer baskets of any debris in them. Then I will skim the top of the water for any leaves or other debris floating on the water. Next is emptying out the pump basket and checking the chemical levels in the pool,…

[martyschoenleber]

13 Ways to Grow a Passion for the Things of God

Psalm 119:89 How to Develop a Passion for the Things of God Hang around passionate people. Luke 11:1  “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”  —-the disciples saw Jesus’s passion for prayer and they were drawn to have a similar passion. A fascinating learning experience is to take…

[dollyabuya]

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!

Thou hast commanded thy precepts

   to be kept diligently.

O that my ways may be steadfast

   in keeping thy statutes!

Then I shall not be put to shame,

   having my eyes fixed on all thy 

         commandments.

I will praise thee with an upright heart,

    when I learn thy righteous

          ordinances.

I will observe thy statutes:

     O forsake me not utterly!

[doulafaith]

Christ's Breakthrough

“His Abide”  Reading  Reflecting Responding To God’s Word while Walking it Out Context: Matthew 27: 1-66 Focus:  Matthew 27:51-52 “At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.” Matthew 27: 51-52 Definition: Breakthrough – a military…

[walkswithmyfather]

“Hidden but Not Hidden” By Bible Love Notes:

“Psalm 119:11 says: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

In this verse, hidden doesn't mean concealing God's Word. It means storing it up and treasuring it in our hearts.

If you read all 176 verses of Psalm 119, you'll discover many ways that the psalmist hid God's Word in his heart. For example:

Psalm 119:9-16: “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, LORD; teach me your decrees. 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.”

In these verses, the psalmist hides God's Word by:

1. Obeying it – verse 9. “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” —James 1:22‭-‬25 (NLT)

2. Seeking God in it – verse 10. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” —Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

3. Studying it with the Spirit's help – verse 12. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” —John 14:26 (NKJV)

4. Reciting it – verse 13. “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.” —Colossians 3:16 (NLT)

5. Enjoying it – verse 14. “The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.” —Psalm 19:8 (NLT)

6. Meditating on it – verse 15. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” —Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

7. Spending time regularly in it – verse 16. “—”Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.” —2 Timothy 2:15 (AMP)

Are you “hiding” God's Word in your heart?”

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[upstatechristian]

Verse of the Day 12-3-22

Verse of the Day 12-3-22

Jesus: The Light of the World Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12 In this verse Jesus declares himself to be “the light of the world.” This is the second of Jesus’ seven “I am” statements1. While the expression appears simple and straightforward on the outside, the…

[grandsouldream]

Readings for 20 September

20/09/2022