Psalm 119:5-6
“Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments”
The devil is crafty and a master of deception. Paul referred to him as an angel of light, because of his ability to disguise himself in order to fool the Christian.
When we are first introduced to him in the garden, we watch as he tricks Eve into thinking the one thing that her loving God has forbidden, is of more value than all the fruit of the garden or the freedom she has been given. He has been deceiving people ever since, fooling us into thinking the ways of God are too restrictive and that sin will satisfy us. Once he has convinced us to walk outside the boundaries of God’s Word and get involved in that which is forbidden, his job is only half done. Instead of leaving us alone and moving on to deceive another, he turns his weapons back on us and begins an assault of shame. His fiery arrows begin to assault our minds with shame. We are defeated by the sin we have committed, and continue in defeat as we wallow in shame and guilt. We are repulsed by our failure, and instead of entering boldly into the throne of grace, where mercy and grace flow from our loving Father, we cower back with feelings of unworthiness. We question how God could love us and fear that we will never overcome the weaknesses of our flesh. There, in our miry clay, the devil holds us bound in shame and guilt; keeping us from abundant life or from impacting others for the kingdom of Heaven.
I want to assure you, that if you have received the pardon of sin that Christ offers on Calvary’s Cross, ALL your sins have been washed away. The blood of Christ is rich enough to pardon the sin that you have stumbled back into. Right this moment, receive that pardon and rise from the ashes of your failure to walk in the victory that is yours in Christ.
That being said, the Psalmist speaks here of one of the greatest ways to avoid pitfalls of the devil and ending up overcome with shame.
“Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments.”
The key to avoiding the pitfalls of the enemy, is walking in the right direction, and staying in bounds. The key to remaining on track, is allowing the Word of God to shine continually upon your life and guide your steps. One of the ways we fail, is when we come to a crossroad and find ourselves face to face with temptation. On the one hand, we are being greatly pressed to step outside the boundaries and pursue what we know God has forbidden, while on the other hand, we desire to please Him and do what is right. Right there, in the midst of the battle, we will find great strength from the perfect Law of liberty. Like a valiant soldier, as we reach into the sheath, removing the Sword of the Spirit, we will find the enemy is vanquished with the power of the Word. Later, in times of confusion, when we are not sure what the way of the Lord is, we can find guidance that keeps us on track. Have you ever, when facing decision time or great temptation, taken a moment to search for what the Scripture has to say? Using an online concordance, you can look into the statutes of God regarding the situation you are facing. The light of the Word will shine in your life, and you will find the help you need to avoid falling again into shame.
Let’s be sure, today, to allow our steps to be directed by His statutes.
Pastor Jim
Questions for Psalm 119
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. It is divided up into 22 sections with 8 verses in each section. Each section starts with the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. It is said that Hebrew children learned the alphabet by learning this psalm.
The psalm is about the word of God and the benefits of studying God’s word.
ALEPH
- Blessed are……do we seek to be obedient to the Lord in all that we do?
- 5 says “O that my ways were directed.” I am so grateful that the Lord does not force us to follow Him. That He shows us His grace and mercy always. In what areas of your life is the Lord drawing you closer to Him?
BETH
- What do you see here about the importance of God’s word in our day to day life?
- Notice throughout this psalm that praise and rejoicing are hand in hand with being obedient. Do you look at God’s word with joy and gladness or rules and regulations?
GIMEL
- Have you ever asked God to see “wondrous things”?
- Testimony- A solemn declaration or affirmation made for the purpose of establishing or proving some fact. God’s testimonies are a delight. God’s testimonies are lives changed by the Holy Spirit. What is God changing in your heart? Let Him in and be His delight!
DALETH
- Revive me according to your word. For you shall enlarge my heart! What does this mean to you?
HE
- Sometime we study/read God’s word and feel like it is too much or over our heads. Here the psalmist is asking for understanding so that he can keep God’s law. Have you asked God for understanding of His word? Read John 14:26
- The psalmist also asks God to establish His word. Read 1 Thessalonians 3:13
WAW
- Verse 42, I will trust in Your word.
- Trust- Confidence; reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person.
He that puts his trust in the Lord shall be safe. Proverbs 28:25.
- Verse 44, so shall I keep Your law continually. How often do we feel like we fail at following the Lord and being obedient? Remember, God knows as we step up to the plate that we do not plan or want to strike out but sometimes we do. God is cheering you on! Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2
- Verse 46, I will speak of Your testimonies….and not be ashamed. Sometimes we feel intimidated or scared. Read Isaiah 41:10
ZAYIN
- God’s word gives us hope. Is your hope in His word or in what He does for you?
- God’s word gives us life. Read Psalm 34:8
HETH
- We are encouraged here to think about all that the Lord has done and turn to God without haste. List the benefits that the Lord has brought into your life since you gave your heart to Him.
- The earth is full of God’s mercies. What does this mean to you?
TETH
- God deals with us according to His word. Everyone is offered the same opportunity. Psalm 55:16
- How often do we quote verse 71 in our lives? Getting God’s perspective changes everything. How has God changed the way you look at your life?
VOD
- How awesome is verse 1? Meditate on this for a moment and ask God for more of His understanding. How would this verse conflict with the teaching of evolution?
- Hoping in God’s word. What has the Lord shown you this morning that gives you hope in His word?
- What is the promise of God’s tender mercies?
KAPH
- Our flesh will fail us often, but our hope in God’s word will revive us. What can you do to strengthen your hope in God’s word?
- Memorize verse 88
LAMED
- What is the promise of delighting in God’s word?
- What is the promise of never forgetting God’s precepts?
MEM
- What does the meditation of God’s word bring to our lives?
- God’s word is referred to here as “sweeter than honey.” Have you ever thought about God’s word in this way?
NUN
- Being guided by a lamp in the darkness is an interesting way to walk. We cannot see that far ahead, and the light is just enough to show us where to take the next step. We have to trust that we are on the right path and that we will end up in the planned destination. Where are you walking? What is your destination? Are you on your path or the Lords?
- Verse 101 tells us that traps (snares) are set to get us off track or stop our walk. What protects us from these traps?
SAMEK
- What does “double-minded” mean to you? Are you double-minded in any area of your life? Read James 1:8
- More benefits of trusting in the Lord. Verses 116-117, what are they?
- Being obedient to the Lord because of our love for Him is a wonderful relationship. We are not robots, God allows us to choose. What does verse 118 say to those “stray” from the Lord?
AYIN
- Of all of our failures listed, the psalmist asks God to deal with us according to His mercies. We have read that God’s mercies endure forever. God has made it so simple for us. Read 1 John 1:9
- We see the humility of the psalmist in verse 125. Take time to confess your sin and ask God for His forgiveness.
PE
Father, I pray that you refresh me God’s word. That it brings light, gives understanding so that my soul longs for Jesus. That my mouth thirsts for You. I pray Your word directs my steps and that iniquity does not have dominion over me. Redeem me Lord; make Your face to shine upon me. Teach me your statutes. May my heart be broken and bring tears to my eyes for the people that do not know You. In Jesus name, Amen.
TSADDE
- Looking around our world today we see all kinds of perceptions of what is right. It is a peaceful thought to know that God is righteous. Everyone is equal and has the same opportunity to have a relationship with Him. Do you have a relationship with Jesus?
- Verse 144, what is our benefit for having a relationship with the Lord?
QOPH
- Crying out to the Lord is a humbling experience and sometimes a bit of whining. Notice how the cry turns back to the focus on God’s word. Verse 148 says, “My eyes are awake…that I may meditate on Your word. Take time to purpose in your heart that when the cares of life press in, turn to God’s word.
RESH
- Revive me is repeated here 3 times. May the Lord speak to you in the deepest areas of your heart and revive you today!
- Revive– To return to life; to recover life. To recover new life or vigor; to be reanimated after depression. To recover from a state of neglect, oblivion, obscurity or depression.
SHIN
- Great peace! Do you have great peace? I pray today after studying this chapter you will see the Lord for how much He loves you! That God does have a plan and purpose for your life. His word is here to protect you and that you will be revived and fall in love with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
TAU
- What do you see here as the psalmist cry’s before the Lord that is different from verses 145-152?
- Sometimes we ask for the Lords help only when we have messed things up. In verse 173 what is the psalmist asking for?
- Did you know that God seeks for you when you go astray? Read Hebrews 7:25
Back in the mid 1970′s, disaster movies were the big craze. Towering Inferno, Earthquake, The Poseidon Adventure, and Tidal Wave, were just a few of the titles that topped the charts. Nowadays, it seems people are fascinated with the concept of the undead. Not only have multiple movies and TV shows been released on the subject, but books, magazines and websites, are devoted to zombies and other undead creatures. There is even a popular TV show called “The Walking Dead.” While these all show mindless creatures, who cannot be killed by normal means, walking about with an insatiable appetite for blood, the Bible paints a different picture of the walking dead. Paul speaks of those who have not surrendered to Christ, as being dead while they live.
I spent much of my life in California before moving to Florida. The people I first met in Florida would often tell me they could never live in California because of the earthquakes, when I visited California people would say they could never live in Florida because of the Hurricanes. If you live in the Midwest it is the tornado that people fear and if your in the north east it is the cold. The reality is everywhere in the world has its challenges and things that make life difficult.
The story of Israel is a familiar one. They were saved by the marvelous grace and mighty hand of God who provided for their needs and gave them victory over their enemies. Soon they began to compromise with sin and struggle to follow the commands of God. As time went on, those whom they had victory over, once again began to rule their lives until finally, they were taken captive and lost almost all God had provided for them. In a sense they are the story of the prodigal who wandered from his father’s grace only to find out how miserable life is apart from God. I can only imagine what it must have been like for Israel to scoop water from the Euphrates only to begin weeping for all they had lost through rebellion and disobedience to God. But that in itself is another testimony of the incredible mercy of God. Instead of forsaking them for their continual sin, He promised to restore them into the land and give them a marvelous future and hope.
Israel was in a bad place. Conservative estimates calculate the camp of Israel to be nearly 2 million souls. They had left the comfort of the Nile river and began the arduous journey through the desert en route to the land of Promise. It did not take long before the difficulty of their journey began to take its toll physically and emotionally. The hardship of their experience coupled with the lack of basic provisions caused them to doubt the power of God to carry them safely to their destination. When their water supply ran out it is understandable that their faith was challenged and their weaknesses revealed. Their hardship would provide another opportunity for God to reveal His loving kindness. The characters in the scene include the congregation of Israel, an arid desert, a solid rock and a stick in the hand of Moses. What looked to be an impossible situation turned out to be a means for God to reveal Himself to the nation.
Sometimes the Psalms come with titles that give insight into the situation that stirred the author to write. In his case, we are not given the details of his life circumstances, but are told of the purpose behind this song. He writes,
The Psalmist writes regarding the forgiveness of God and the fact that He will mete out vengeance on certain actions. These concepts often seem contrary to one another. We associate forgiveness with the removal of any and all consequences, but God does not see it that way. Abraham was forgiven for his sin with Hagar, but Ishmael was still born. Samson was forgiven for his sin, but the pillars still fell upon him. David was forgiven of adultery, but Bathsheba’s child still died. Peter was forgiven for denying Christ, but still had to live with the image of Christ’s gaze and the memory of the rooster’s cry.
Jim Gallagher 