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Devotions
From The Psalms
by Dr. Jim Roane
Psalm 119
Our Purpose Is To Reach 10 Million
Souls For Christ In The Next 10 Years.
Day One
Introduction
Our devotions for this series
are taken from Psalm 119. This psalm is an acrostic poem; the verses of each
stanza begin with a corresponding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This
arrangement is a (ni-‘mä-nik) mnemonic device to make it easier to remember the
Psalm. So, because of this, we understand that it supposed to be committed to
memory. Also, we can deduct from this fact that God must consider these pieces
of wise counsel and insights from the Psalmist to be of the greatest importance.
It will, therefore, help us to understand, that the chapter is written from a
devoted man’s perspective. It is man speaking to, and about God, rather than God
speaking directly to man. This, however, does not take away from the inspiration
of these verses, and they bear the stamp of God’s approval, and are in harmony
with Divine truth.
Chapter 119 is also the
longest chapter in the Bible. The reason that it has not been divided into two
or three chapters, I believe, is because it should be understood as a whole.
Now, let us consider this
important chapter in God’s Word:
The first 8 verses are the
context for the next 2 devotions; now let us look at the first 2 verses for a
closer picture of what the Psalmist is saying.
The first two verses read:
‘ Aleph
1 [a] Blessed are they whose
ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law
of the LORD.
2 Blessed are they who keep
his statutes
and seek him with all their
heart.
Many, if not most, Evangelical
Bible translators translate the word ‘blessed’ as happy in these verses.
So, really what the Psalmist
is saying here is, “If your ways are blameless, then you will be happy. And, if
you want to be blameless, then you must walk along God’s path, and keep his
Commandments, and seek Him with all your heart!
So, if you conduct yourself in
such a manner, then you will be happy!”
Jesus said much the same thing
in the Beatitudes, when He said:
Blessed are they which do
hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (Matt. 5:6)
Now, the question today that
both you and I must face is, “Are we happy?”
And, if the answer is, No;
then there must be a reason.
Is it because there is sin in
our lives? That is not always the case; but it is usually the first place that I
go to find out why I am unhappy.
In Ephesians 4:30, Paul says:
And grieve not the holy Spirit
of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness,
and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with
all malice: 32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
In light of this scripture,
could it be that we are unhappy simply because of disobedience and we sense,
therefore, that the Holy Spirit is grieved?
The fact is; we were made in
the image of God. That’s what the Bible teaches in Genesis chapter 1, verse 26;
and Romans 8:29 inform us that the purpose of Redemption is to restore us to
that image.
However, many of us have
remade ourselves into something that God never intended for us to be—that is, a
sinner! And, when we conduct our self contrary to God’s created intentions for
us, then, we will be unhappy. Why? The reasonable answer is that we are unhappy
because we are not in harmony with God’s original intention. So, when that
happens, we do not function properly, mentally, or spiritually.
It is just as simple as that!
Prayer
Lord give me the insight to
sense when I have offended you, and correct my ways to reflect your will for me
in my life. May I not grieve the Holy Spirit that you have given me, and as your
servant David prayed long ago, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a
right spirit within me.” (Ps. 51:10) I want to be healthy mentally and
spiritually. Amen.
Day Two
Previous Devotion
In our last devotion we
learned that we are blessed (or happy) if we walk blameless before God. We also
learned that we will be healthier mentally and spiritually when we walk
blameless before our God, who created us in His image.
Today we continue that theme,
beginning with Psalm 119: 3-7:
3 They (the blameless) do
nothing wrong;
they walk in his ways.
4 You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.
5 Oh, that my ways were
steadfast
in obeying your decrees!
6 Then I would not be put to
shame
when I consider all your
commands.
7 I will praise you with an
upright heart
as I learn your righteous
laws.
Notice that in verse 7, the
Psalmist says that he “will praise [God] with an honest (upright) heart as [he]
learns [God’s] righteous laws.”
So, many times we tend to get
the cart before the horse. We presume that a wicked heart can learn righteous,
and decide to become good as the occasion demands. No! We must approach God on
our knees in praise with Prayer and thanksgiving before we can really understand
His righteousness.
St. Augustine, Bishop of
Hippo, observed that faith precedes knowledge. And, we should add, faith prompts
us to praise; which in turn prepares us with an open heart for understanding.
Prayer
Father, give us the wisdom to
praise you at all times, regardless of the circumstances so that our hearts may
be prepared for your intentions for us. Give us understanding, Lord, we pray.
For as David our spiritual forefather has written: Thou art holy, O thou that
inhabitest the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3) Amen.
Day Three
Previous Devotion
In the first 7 verses of the
magnificent Psalm 119, we discovered that we are happy when we walk in praise
before God blamelessly and that praise prepares our hearts for understanding
God’s purposes for us.
All men and women of God have
a healthy appreciation for God, and of His worthiness to accept praise.
Sometimes, however, we are so struck with His holiness, and our total depravity
that we become frightened and intimidated. Apparently, this happened to David,
for we read in verse in verse 8 says:
8 I will obey your decrees;
do not utterly forsake me.
Here the psalmist exerts his
will—this we must all do!—he will obey God’s commandments.
Then in a most transparent way
he says, “Do not forsake me.” We should not let this confuse us. God has no
intention of forsaking him. He will never forsake us. It is we who forsake him!
Jesus assured us that he will never leave or forsake us. Yet, there are times
from a human perspective that we sometimes feel as if God has forsaken us.
However, we must remember when interpreting this Psalm that God is not speaking
here, except in an indirect way. These are the words of the psalmist. His
doubts. His frustrations. His desires.
In another part of the Bible
the Prophet Isaiah says,
(18) Come now, let us reason
together, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as
white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (19) If
you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; (Isa. 1:18,
19(a)
That is God’s message to us.
Therefore, let us all
determine that we will not just give lip service to God, but really following
and obey Him with all of our hearts. If we do, we shall be blessed.
Prayer
Father, today we confess that
we do not always follow in obedience. Sometimes, we must admit, it seems more
reasonable to us to fudge a little, perhaps, even tell a fib, or play the role
of a hypocrite. These are not easy sins to confess, but we realize that it is
necessary to walk straight and upright before you in obedience at all times, if
we want your blessings. Therefore, give us the strength of heart to obey you at
all times, under the most diverse circumstances. In Christ name we pray. Amen
Day Four
Previous Devotion
The struggles of youth are
real, and they are serious. Hormones run rampant, testosterones are high.
Curiosity is at its peak. And, life long habits are being formed. So, it is wise
for a young man, or woman to ask, How can I keep pure? Saying, No! is not
enough. Passion sometimes takes over, and the false notion of what love really
is, confuses the issue. So, how is a young man or woman to keep pure?
Well, the psalmist has the
answer. He too struggled with the emotions of youth, He asks:
b Beth
9 How can a young man keep his
way pure? Then answers with: By living according to your word. In other words,
to keep pure; we must live according to God’s word.
Paul the Apostle must have had
this verse in mind when he advised another young man.
“Timothy,” he said, “flee
youthful lusts: follow righteousness, faith, charity, and peace, with them that
call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Tim. 2:22)
And, of course, today, the
advice is still valid.
Now, let’s listen to the other
ways David kept himself pure. He says:
10 I seek you with all my
heart;
do not let me stray from your
commands.
The Psalmist is not a passive
bystander. “I will seek you with all my heart,” he affirms.
So, we see that the first step
that David takes to make sure he has a pure heart, and obedient to the commands
of God is that he will seek God with all of his heart.
The promise of God is, and has
always been that if we seek him with all of our heart, we will find him.
Listen to God’s promise to
Israel through the Prophet Jeremiah, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye
shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
The assurance is the same with
Christ, who promised: “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Luke 11:9
Now, let’s look at the steps
David took to keep himself pure.
First of all, in verse 9, he
says, a young man keeps himself pure by living according to God’s word.
Now, that is pretty good
advice, when we consider all of the other possibilities. Think of the alternate
paths a young person is offered in this sinful world. There is the feel good
route of many talk show host, and secular psychologists. There is the easy route
of giving in to peer pressure from young hedonists—and, college is full of them,
today; sometimes even Christian colleges!
Temptations are pulling from
every direction.
David’s answer to these
distracting and sinful tugs and pulls on his life was to live according to God’s
word, and to seek God with all his heart! (vs. 9, 10)
David then shows his
seriousness by pleading with God to not let him stray from His commands. Of
course, as we have already seen, God has no intention of forsaking anyone that
seeks him with all their heart. Yet, we all must solemnly resolve to seriously
seek God, and obey his Commandments—not just 10 of them; but all his
commandments!
So, what did David do to
fortify himself against the temptations of youth? He said,
11 I have hidden your word in
my heart
that I might not sin against
you.
David, did the right thing. He
tucked God’s word away in his heart as a buffer against temptation. He also
realized that all sin is ultimately a sin against God.
Solomon, David’s son,
collected a list of proverbs, and it is possible that he had this Psalm in mind
when he wrote: “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he:” (Prov. 23:7) Of course,
we do not know for sure; but, whether he took the proverb from the lips of his
father, or someone else, it still stands true.
God’s word must become part of
our thinking process. And, the only way that is made possible is by filling our
heart, which is the very seat of your emotions, with the words of the Lord. As
Saint Augustine said, “We must think God’s thoughts after Him.”
Prayer
Precious Holy Spirit, we pray
today that you will strengthen us so that we may keep ourselves pure by living
according to your word. For, we like David, have determined that we will seek
you with all our heart. We have hidden your word in our hearts for that very
purpose; therefore, we ask that you fortify us spiritually and emotionally so
that we do not wander off track, and sin against you. In Christ matchless name,
we pray. Amen
Our Purpose Is To Reach 10 Million
Souls For Christ In The Next 10 Years.
Day Five
Previous Devotion
Yesterday, we discovered that
living a good life is serious business. The consequences of disobedience are far
too dangerous to ignore.
Think of all of the ruined
lives because someone gave in to the lusts of youth. Or, decided to party it up
after high school graduation. The cemetery is a solemn reminder to teenagers
just out for a night of fun. Of course, that is not always the case. Many times
the consequences of a night of foolishness take months or years to become
evident. AIDS is one example. Or, experimenting with drugs just one time too
often. Or the psychological scars of aborting an unwanted child; or the slavery
of getting hooked on pornography. Some of these sinful indiscretions form habits
that haunt a person for a lifetime. So, fleeing the lust of youth is serious
business, that’s for sure.
We have also discovered that
there are ways a young person can stay pure, so let me recap those for you.
1 David’s answer to the
distracting and sinful tugs and pulls on his life was to live according to God’s
word, and to seek God with all his heart! (vs. 9, 10) David then shows his
seriousness by pleading with God to not let him stray from His commands. Of
course, we know that the Bible teaches us that God will never forsake us, if we
truly repent.
2 Then in verse 11, David
says, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Listen to what he said in the
very first Psalm
3 [Happy is the man who
delights] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
4 And he shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his
leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Is it any wonder that Paul
said that David was a man after God’s own heart? (Acts 13:22)
Any successful Christian must
talk to God daily. They must also listen to what God has to say. Sometimes, God
speaks to us in different ways, but usually through his word. The Prophet Elijah
said,
11And he said, Go forth, and
stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a
great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before
the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake;
but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12And after the earthquake a
fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle,
and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came
a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? (1 Kings 19:11,12)
The smart man or woman doesn’t
really have to go searching for God’s will for their lives, because for the most
part it is contained right in God’s word. Not in some sensational encounter. His
word is good enough. David knew this. And, that is why we read later in Psalm
119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
So, he was determined not to
stray from the path set before him by hiding the word of God in his heart.
Prayer
Father, we are so thankful
that we that we can say in the words of the poet and song writer that:
“In shady green pastures, so
rich and so sweet, god leads his dear children along. Where the waters cool flow
bathes the weary one’s feet, god leads his dear children along.”
Chorus:
“Some through the water, some
through the flood, some through the fire, but all through the blood. Some
through great sorrows, but god gives a song, in the night season, and all the
day long.” Amen (“God Leads His Dear Children Along,” Words and music by George
A. Young, 1903)
Our Purpose Is To Reach 10 Million
Souls For Christ In The Next 10 Years.
Our Purpose Is To Reach 10 Million
Souls For Christ In The Next 10 Years.
Day Six
Previous Devotion
David it seems, reflects for a
moment in verse 12, and then breaks out into a spontaneous praise. He says,
Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. The Psalmist realizes that you
can not think the thoughts of God, nor can God teach us unless we praise and
recognize Him as Lord. Humility and reverence is the mark of a good man.
David also knew that even if
the word of God was ingrained into his very being it change his heart unless God
gave him understanding. So, that is why he says, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
Obedience without understanding breeds repetitious fanaticism, not a pure heart.
Monkeys can be trained to be obedient; however, no one would say that their
hearts are pure.
David wanted a pure heart;
therefore, he asks to be taught, so that he could understand.
Next, the Psalmist says,
13 With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from
your mouth.
So, it is not enough to just
actively praise God, or be willing to be taught, one must also constantly remind
themselves of God’s commandments.
In verse 14, he says:
14 I rejoice in following your
statutes
as one rejoices in great
riches.
Joy always is a result, not an
effect. Reviving up a congregation, or ourselves, personally, with lively
Christian music, or artificial shouts of joy as if someone just scored a goal in
a world soccer match, will never produce enough fervor to maintain steady and
consistent Christian living. No, firstly, we must hide his Word in our hearts.
Then we must praise Him, and become teachable. That is not enough, either.
We must constantly remind
ourselves of His word to us. Then we will have the privilege of rejoicing in His
Word, as one who discovers a pot of gold.
The Psalmist doesn’t stop
here, however. He continues:
15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
Here we discover an important
aspect of living close to God. A man or woman who rejoices in the Word of God
will or at least should spend time meditating on the beauty and logic of God
guidelines (precepts-NIV) for living a happy life.
The Psalmist also implies that
effective meditation will reflect on the “ways,” of God; that is, the direction
or paths, that God lays out for us.
And, dear Listener, if you and
I pattern our lives on the principles that we find in these first 15 verses, we,
too, with the Psalmist can say, as in verse 16:
16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
And, thereby, affirm to
ourselves and to God that we will stay on the straight and narrow path that
leads to our eternal reward!
Prayer
Father, we think you for the
beauty of your word. It is indeed a lamp that shines brightly on the path that
you have set before us; and we praise you for your precious word. When we wake
in the morning, or lie down to sleep in the dark hours of the night—yes, all
through the day; we rejoice that it is ever before us. Give us the strength to
never falter along the way, we pray. Amen
Day Seven
Previous Devotion
Those that are pure of heart
appreciate God’s word. They see it as a light that shines brightly on the path
before them; whether in a storm or in the sunshine, they know that God is right
there beside them to lead them gently on. It’s all in God’s hand.
The Psalmist realizes that, he
says:
g Gimel
17 Do good to your servant,
and I will live;
I will obey your word.
18 Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.
Here in verse 17, he prays,
“Do good to your servant, and I will live!” As we grow older, especially are we
aware of the fact that our life depends on his goodwill.
Isaac said in Genesis 27:2: “I am now an old man
and don’t know the day of my death.” This is of course in line with what the New
Testament says concerning death. Hebrews 9: 27 reads: . . . it is
appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” So, the thoughtful
person prepares for that eventuality.
That appointment with death is
up to God. God decides, and the reason is a mystery that only He knows. The good
man or woman, however, need not fear for His love for us assures us that He will
be with us throughout life, and at that fateful day.
So, we can say with Psalmist:
1The LORD is my shepherd; I
shall not want.
2He maketh me to lie down in
green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul: he
leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5Thou preparest a table before
me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup
runneth over.
6Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the
LORD for ever. (Psalm 23 KJV)
May our Prayer be that we,
like the Psalmist, will have the wisdom and understanding to follow God each
step of the way.
Prayer
Father, give us we pray
understanding. Open our eyes so that we may see the wonderful things in your
laws. We worship you, today, in the beauty of your holiness. Truly your ways
are above our ways. We therefore acknowledge that our very breath depends on
you, and your goodness towards us. Give us the strength to follow you, so that
we, too, may have a pure heart, pleasing in your sight. Amen
Our Purpose Is To Reach 10 Million
Souls For Christ In The Next 10 Years.
Day Eight
Previous Devotion
David in today’s lesson
continues with his humble admission that he is but a stranger on earth, and
entirely dependent on the Lord for his very survival.
He says,
19 I am a stranger on earth;
do not hide your commands from
me.
Pilgrim’s Progress written by
John Bunyan is a Christian classic, primarily, I believe, because it speaks so
well to the human condition—some would say, human predicament, and they are
probably closer to the truth here. We are strangers, in a sense, on this earth;
our home is not this world, it is heaven, if we are truly Christian.
We must never loose sight of
the fact that we are made in the image of God.
It is interesting, to me at
least, that the Greek Orthodox Church places such great emphasis on man carrying
within him the very image of God, out of which emanates beauty, intellect,
creativity, and basic goodness. This, of course, is in reference to the very
soul of man. Of course the very opposite of that is the belief that man is
innately evil, carnal, selfish, full of greed, and so forth. The true, I
believe, lies somewhere in between.
Therefore, it seems to me,
that the old adage that “There is no honor, save that among thieves,” is simply
untrue.
So, when God said, “Let us
make man in our image, in our likeness …” (Genesis 1:26) we must take it very
seriously in order to understand the condition of fallen man.
That is why Jesus said to
Nicodemus, “You must be born again, if you want to experience the Kingdom of
Heaven.”
A corpse looks human, but is
not; so it is with the spiritually dead.
David, recognized this, and so
we see in the very next half of the verse, it is as if he is saying, Yes, Lord,
I am a stranger on earth; therefore, do not hide your commands from me. (v.9)
We are lost in sin, and do not
know our way out, unless God reveals His commandments to us.
We need to know the rules to
survive!
As Born Again Christians, we
find ourselves yearning with David for more of God’s word. In verse 20, he says,
for instance, “My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.”
David consuming passion was to
know and obey God’s laws at all times. His was not “a Sunday-go-to-meet’n”
religion. No, it was 24/7, as they say.
Prayer
Father, we praise you for the
spiritual uneasiness that we sense in our souls. Truly, this world is not our
home, and we thank you that you sent your only begotten Son, Jesus, into the
world, so that we have access to our real home in Heaven. So, we ask, today, in
the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ that you will continue to lead,
guide and direct us by your precious Holy Spirit. Instruct us, Lord. Teach us
your ways. Amen
Day Nine
Previous Devotion
As strangers here on earth, we
humbly remind ourselves that even though we are children of God, we dare not
stray from the path chosen for us.
For we know, as David reminds
us in the next verse that
21 [God] rebukes the arrogant,
who are cursed
and who stray from [His]
commands.
This verse pretty much
explains itself; however, it should be noted that arrogance is an act of the
will, not something we inherit. The will is the key player in all of our lives.
Sadly enough, however, Peter speaks of men in the last days that men will be
willingly ignorant. And, how true this is. Think of all of our school text
books, not a one contains one line about the Creator of the universe! In reality
most modern scientist are “willingly ignorant.” Indeed, the 21st Century fool
has said in his heart (he has willed) there is no God.
Since, acknowledging God and
staying on course is therefore really primarily an act of the will; we must,
like David in verse 22, ask God to “Remove from [us] scorn and contempt,” and
determine to keep [His] statutes. Here, also the Psalmist recognizes that a
Divine act is necessary to root out or remove scorn and contempt from his heart;
otherwise, we can not control our wills.
On another occasion he prays,
“Create within me, O God, a clean heart; and renew a right spirit within me.”
(Ps. 51:10) And, of course, this is the message that Jesus gave Nicodemus, when
he said to him in John, chapter 3, verses 3 and 7, “I tell you the truth, no one
can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” And, more precisely, he
adds, in verse 7, “born from above.” This change is God given, not something
that we can accomplish successfully on our own.
Notice, also, that in verse 22
of this Psalm, David was a righteous man: he kept the commandments or statutes
of God. Yet, he had bitterness in his heart, and knew that was something that
only God could take away.
In short, we must be changed
on the inside out, to please God.
David knew that his enemies
would provoke him, as we see in the next 2 verses; yet, he turned a deaf ear to
those ridiculed him.
23 Though rulers sit together
and slander me,
your servant will meditate on
your decrees.
24 Your statutes are my
delight;
they are my counselors.
David would let nothing
distract him from meditating on God’s word.
Put this in a modern setting:
Not September 11th, not Al Queida, not keeping up with the neighbors, not the
distractions of entertainment. No! His delight came from meditating on the
things of God. His counselors were not the men who surrounded him. No! He took
counsel from God!
What does that say to us?
It says that we should filter
all advice through the Scripture first, and then take action.
Prayer
Father, once again we are
reminded that in you is wisdom and good counsel. Give us the strength to follow
you more closely, and to love you more dearly, for you alone are able to sustain
us. Guide us. Lead us. Protect us from self inflicting ourselves with scorn and
contempt for our enemies, and help us to forgive others as you have forgiven us.
In Christ name, we pray. Amen.
Day Ten
Previous Devotion
David was determined not to
let gossip, or slander defeat him, or cause him to get bitter and scornful. He
also knew that the best way to avoid that was to listen only to God, and not
men. Naturally, however, he grew discouraged at times.
In the next couple of verses,
he acknowledges that he is down, but not out. He said,
d Daleth
25 I am laid low in the dust;
preserve my life
according to your word.
Here the Psalmist is at his
lowest. Probably depressed, even fearful of his life. But, to his credit, he
acknowledges that the future is in the hands of God. Nothing will happen unless
God allows it. In David’s case, only God can rescue him. This is consistent with
the rest of Scripture. The Bible says that “… it is appointed unto men once to
die, but after this the judgment:” (Romans 9:27) God decides. Not our enemies.
God preserves our lives. The decision is his.
26 I recounted my ways and
you answered me;
teach me your decrees.
David does what most of us
would do, he reflects on the past. Here, I am sure, he thinks not only of the
good deeds, but the bad ones he committed. And, when he is down, God remembers
him. He hears his heart’s cry. Romans 8:26 tells us that “… the Spirit helps us
in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who
searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes
for the saints in accordance with God's will.”
So, it is very important that
we know God’s will. His precepts are his will. Therefore, it is comforting to
know that the Holy Spirit is praying right along with us in order that we may
know God will.
27 Let me understand the
teaching of your precepts;
the | 
