King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Chapters: PSALM 119
Study: Choose God’s Word
Hello My Brother/Sister/Friend,
I was filling out job applications last night when I came across this job board that is said to be the number one site to find a job. They ask you to answer these questions with either yes, no, or I prefer not to answer, well, the very last question asks you if you are a part of the gay community. Well, needless to say I do not think that the people who set up the job board are as concerned about finding people jobs as they are about the lifestyles people are living. Since when did a persons sexual orientation, not to mention race, gender, or the color of their skin become a skill or qualification for a job? Let me tell you, as the Unites States prides itself on being a free country, sadly, one group is not, Christians. In fact, Jesus said this,
[Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.]
Believe it or not, this country was founded on the Word of God, just like Israel was, and just like Israel rebelled and rejected God, our nations are doing the same. And yet, just like God will forever protect Israel, He will forever protect His nation. Why? Jesus Christ. Of all the people in the world who sacrificed their lives to protect our freedoms, Jesus, sacrificed His life for all mankind, whether they accept or reject Him. While we are being compromised to either forsake God and comply with the worlds numerous, pathetic laws if we want to be free from persecution, God is taking note of it all,
[2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;]
The glory of His power, there is nothing more convicting and comforting than being in the presence and power of Christ. We do not need to physically see Him in order to be in His presence and power, all we need to do is read His Word and immediately we feel Him right there, [John 1:1,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.]
The Word of God is that powerful, it will even convict the devil, but he is too proud and stubborn to give up his dream to be God so he keeps trying to overthrow it instead. As we continue in the reading of Psalms, we come to Psalm 119. It is the longest chapter in the entire Bible, separated into eight verse segments using the Hebrew alphabet. The author of the Psalm is said to be David during the time that he was on the run from Saul, but I believe it is something that he took his time to write from the beginning to the end of his life. The object of the Psalm is the Bible itself, and is a reminder of how important it is to read, study, and follow all of it.
[Psalms 119:1-6 ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. 4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. 5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! 6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.]
[O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!] This reminds me of what Paul said, [Romans 7:18-19 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.] This old sin nature of ours actually wants the opposite of what God wants for us, even on our best days we fail Him a lot. Nevertheless, those who sincerely and honestly seek Christ with their whole heart not only find Him, they follow Him with all their heart as well.
[Psalms 119:10-16 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. 12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. 13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.]
[I will delight myself in thy statutes:] When we understand that the entire Word of God has been written in complete truth to His believers, and what He did for us so that we can live eternally, that is when we learn to respect all His commands, and they are not grievous, [1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.]
We certainly do not need the Word of God to know that God exists, in fact, people of faith lived well before and after the flood took place without it. That was until God decided to use a man named Moses to write the Book of Genesis to explain just how He created everything and chose a man named Abram to lead a nation of people who would follow Him alone. Understand this, the Bible was not written for those who do not believe in God or want physical proof of His existence first, it was written for those whom have chosen to believe it.
[Psalms 119:30-35 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. 31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame. 32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. 33 HE. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. 34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. 35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.]
[when thou shalt enlarge my heart.] Do you realize that the more blessings you see from God, the larger your heart gets toward Him. And I am not talking about all the superficial things, I am talking about the eternal things that go way down deep inside your true heart. Even when life is challenging and we have no idea what is going on, we find comfort right from His Word.
[Psalms 119:41-47 VAU. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word. 42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word. 43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments. 44 So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever. 45 And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. 46 I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. 47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.]
[I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings,] We are to never be ashamed to give our testimony regardless of who we speak before, [Romans 10:11-13 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.]
Knowing God’s ways are one thing, obeying them is another, we must have a willing heart in the first place if we are going to become obedient to His Word. With a willing heart, the Holy Spirit nudges us to the point that we need to get rid of that sin, that doubt, or that mindset that we once had. Why? God’s Word has a way of showing us that many of the things we thought were good are actually sin. And I will tell you what, the worse feeling in the world after you are saved and start growing in your faith is discovering that you actually sinned against God when you sinned. You truly come to realize just how merciful God is and want to do things His way.
[Psalms 119:57-63 CHETH. Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words. 58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word. 59 I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. 60 I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. 61 The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law. 62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. 63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.]
[At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee] I will tell you that the first book that I read through was Job, all while I was recovering from an allergic reaction, sitting on my bedroom floor after Jesus demanded that I get up because He did not bring me here to leave that way. Now, there is not a day that I do not spend in His Word, and if there is, it is the most terrible day. Are we sin free when we are saved and read all of His Word? No, but we do learn to sin less and remove things from our lives that hinder us as we learn what they are. And this is why we must always keep His Word with us, it really is our hope and comfort through all our afflictions.
[Psalms 119:66-71,75-77 Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. 68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes. 69 The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart. 70 Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law. 71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. 75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. 76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. 77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.]
[It is good for me that I have been afflicted;] Affliction, is the very thing that we need to get us moving living by the Word of God. I became so afflicted before I dedicated my life to Christ that I lost everything I owned and even my health until I realized I needed to hear what He is telling me. When I finally listened to God and took the time to read and study His Word I understood and began to remove the things from my life that afflicted it.
[Psalms 119:89-94 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. 90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. 91 They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants. 92 Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. 93 I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. 94 I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.]
[Unless thy law had been my delights,] All it takes is one bad decision to make a mess of our lives, and it is always when we let our guard down because we got to comfortable. And this is often why God keeps us on our toes so that we do not get too comfortable. We can live by faith in God, but it is His Word that quickens that faith, it is His Word that increases that faith, and it is His Word that gives us hope that He not only hears, but answers us as well.
[Psalms 119:129-135 PE. Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. 130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. 131 I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments. 132 Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name. 133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. 134 Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. 135 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.]
[as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.] God knows everything about us, and of course, He knows whether or not our faith is true. We are most effective in our Christian walk when we are not only hearers, but doers of His Word, and while we are no longer under the law of Moses, we can get a lot of insight from it, especially when it comes to understanding God Himself, [2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.]
We know that salvation has nothing to do with works, but works after salvation is the best testimony that we can give to show the love of God and Christ in us. Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing, focus on you, if everyone focused on what they are supposed to be doing then our nation would not be falling into the abyss of Satan. True Christians, have no problem accepting every word to be true.
[Psalms 119:145-149,153-156 KOPH. I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes. 146 I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies. 147 I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word. 148 Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word. 149 Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: O LORD, quicken me according to thy judgment. 153 RESH. Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law. 154 Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word. 155 Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes. 156 Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments.]
[Mine eyes prevent the night watches,] You know, God is merciful in that He does not expect us to know everything there is to know in His Word, He breaks it down to us a little at a time so we can comprehend it. God, loves to prove to us that He can do what He promises, but in order for Him to show Himself mighty, we must seek Him and trust that all of His Word is true. True peace, no matter what affliction we face, will keep us from becoming offended when people attack us.
[Psalms 119:165-170,174-176 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. 166 LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments. 167 My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly. 168 I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee. 169 TAU. Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word. 170 Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word. 174 I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight. 175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me. 176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.]
[Great peace have they which love thy law:] The more we learn and grow in His Word, the more obedient we become to it. We become wiser, more discerning, and able to recognize the truth from the lies of not only false religion, but those who are not true in their faith. God does not change, we do not maintain the Law because it is a requirement to do so, we do so because He is our salvation,
[Titus 3:5-8 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your Word, it really is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path, when I am sad there is nothing like it to cheer me up, we I cannot see, it shows me the way, when I am fearful, it gives me hope, when I am weary, it is my strength, even when I need correction, it is my conviction. Lord, I want to live in Your Word so I can live the best life here until You bring me home. Lead me and guide me, keep me in Your Word, give me Your power, wisdom, mercy, and grace to keep my heart tender so that I will hide it in my heart and not sin against You. Let me continue to be the Godly testimony that You need me to be to be the light that shines Your Son in this dark world. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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