A Common Word With Uncommon Meaning

Today, I studied verses 49 through 56, still in Psalm 119.  I read it through several times, noting different truths, marking phrases here and there.  Then a very common-place word caught my attention - "This" (verse 56).  The whole verse reads, "This has become mine, because I kept Your precepts."  I had looked at the word "precept" yesterday, so that was already fresh on my mind.  But the question I asked today was, "WHAT has become mine, as a result of keeping God's precepts?  What does "this" refer to?"  I'd never paid any attention to this verse before, never asked that particular question, and I love the answer!
I'm reminded of another verse that says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."  The verses I studied today give a list of benefits the Lord has in store for the man or woman who will keep His precepts.  These are wonderful benefits; I want to be one of those that meets the condition for enjoying them.

Here are the benefits the Lord highlighted for me this morning, benefits He gives - when we choose to keep His precepts:

Verse 49)   Hope - When I keep His precepts, He causes me to find hope as I read His Word.  Looking at the opposite of this truth, when I do not keep His precepts, I can read the exact same Word, and yet fail to find any hope.  Without hope, it's difficult to find a reason to crawl out of bed in the morning.  Without hope, it's even hard to find motivation for studying His Word.  Without hope, it's hard to find any reason at all to keep working on a painful problem, to keep looking for a needed solution, to keep trying in a wounded relationship.  Without hope, we simply quit.  Oh, how desperate we are for hope!  How steadfast and true to His character the Lord remains as He not only talks about hope, but tells us how we can have it.  It's no guessing game, no mystery, no hide-and-seek proposition.  He wants us to have it, delights in providing it, and shows us clearly how we can acquire it, personally.  It's one of the awesome benefits of keeping His precepts!  Hope.

Verse 50, 52) Comfort - The dictionary says this word means "strengthening, support, or consolation for grief, anxiety, loss, or disappointment."  I suppose, then, the only folks who might be interested in having comfort in their lives would be people who go through times of grief, experience anxiety, suffer loss, or encounter disappointment.  Does that leave anyone out?  I think not!  The Psalmist says that he experiences comfort in his affliction - affliction being defined as "something that causes pain, suffering, or humiliation."  The only way to escape affliction is to not be alive in this world, so once again, that leaves none of us out.  In John 16:33, Jesus spoke to this fact when He said "In the world, you will have tribulation..."  It was said as a statement of an indisputable fact.  If we are in this world, we will have it.  Not might, may, should, or could.  We will.  That being established, we should all be interested in comfort. Verse 52 tells us this comfort came from remembering the Lord's judgments of old.  Breaking this phrase down into small pieces helps me.

"I remembered" - It's not enough to have knowledge about God's judgments; the comfort comes as a result of remembering them.  I must call them to mind!  Sometimes they might just pop into my mind, without any conscious effort on my part.  Thank You, Lord!  But if I truly want God's comfort on a regular basis, I must train my mind to deliberately bring His judgments of old to the forefront of my thinking.  I must habitually, determinedly, purposefully open the filing cabinet of my mind and pull the files of His judgments that apply to any particular grief, anxiety, loss, or disappointment that I'm experiencing.  I must remember them!  In order to lay hold of those "files," it's obvious that they must have been previously placed into my mind - my mental filing cabinet.  If I want to remember His judgments when I need them, I must first of all "file" them ... hide them in my heart.  (Psalm 119:11)

"Your judgments" - Often times, rather than consciously calling to mind God's judgments, we turn to the judgments of other people - whether in person, or through available media - bringing to bear on our life situation the opinions and thinking of men.  Unless those opinions point us to the Word of God, we'll not experience any lasting comfort from remembering their words, regardless of how well-intentioned they were.  We must never forget that, indeed, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."  God's ways, however - His judgments, His opinions, His Word - gives life!  (verse 50)  The word "judgment" is defined as "an opinion, conclusion, or decision of a judge or authority."  God is the Judge of the whole earth; He has all authority in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).  And He has given us the Bible, His Word, where He has recorded for us His opinions, His decisions, His judgments - in order that we might hide them in our hearts, remember them, and receive comfort from them.  What a tragic shame that His Children should ever neglect them, leaving them to gather dust - figuratively or literally - from unuse.  Is it any wonder, then, that we find ourselves at times without the comfort we need to "keep on keeping on?"

"Of old" - This reminds me that God's judgments, His opinions, His ways, have been around for a very long time!  From eternity past!  They are tried and true, proven ways.  Two Scripture verses come to mind:

Jeremiah 6:16 - Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.


Then in Malichi 3:10, God asks us to put Him to the test, to try His Words, prove them.  He wants us to put Him to the test, so that He can prove His Word to be absolute reliable ... 100% trustworthy.  His judgments are of old.  They have never failed; they never will.  We can trust Him; we can trust His ways.


Life - Our comfort comes from God's Word that gives us life.  Life.  As opposed to death, or mere existence.  Jesus came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly.  (John 10:10)  We know that spiritual life, everlasting life, is spoken of throughout God's Word.  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever beliveth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  That eternal life is given to us by grace, through faith, explained in Ephesians 2:8,9.  But the abundant life spoken of in John is referring to the life we live here on this earth.  A dictionary concludes that "life" is "the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change; vitality, vigor, or energy."  All of these definitions highlight different shades of meaning and provide good food for thought ... mental chewing and digesting.  The precepts and judgments in His Word cause me to grow, enable me to reproduce His character, empowers me for any and all activity required to fulfill specific, God-given functions.  His Word, engrained into the fabric of my heart and life, guarantees continual change, as It's power daily transforms me.  That living Word infuses me with His vitality, vigor, and energy, when I have run out and run dry.
Hope, comfort, life - these are the first three benefits given in this Scripture passage.  But there are two more.

Verse 54) Songs - "Your statutes have been my songs."  Where would we be without songs in our hearts?  Actually, we know ... because we've all been there.  How long and dreary are days without a song, when we somehow drag ourselves through the motions of living, until we can once again escape into sleep ... only to get up the next morning and do it all over again.  That may be life, but there's sure nothing "abundant" about it!  Notice what it is that has been the Psalmist's songs.  God's statutes.  His very orders and commands have actually been turned into something to sing about.  Through keeping His precepts, those orders that otherwise often bring guilt, condemnation, discouragement, and a sense of futility are transformed into songs that lift the soul - truly a miracle of the Lord!  I can't help but smile at the picture that comes to my mind.  I'm envisioning my kids.  I've just shown them a list of chores they are to do for this day.  I leave them reading it over.  And then, low and behold, I'm paralyzed with shock!  Can it be?  Amazing!  I hear the sound of joyful singing!  Moving closer to catch the words, I hear "Oh, how I love to wash the dishes, and scrubbing the floor is the joy of my heart.  Thank You, dear Lord, for this sweet opportunity for serving my mom and doing my part.  Chores, chores, beautiful chores.  Truly this work is the joy of my heart!"  In gorgeous three-part harmony, the words ring out clear and strong, the harmonies wafting on a fresh breeze coming straight from Heaven ........ and I collapse in a dead faint on the floor!  For commands and orders to actually be transformed into songs is a precious gift, a miracle, an utterly amazing benefit!

Verse 55) A timely memory - Just when I need it the most - in the night seasons of my life - I will remember Your Name!  When it's dark all around me, when fear raises its ugly head, when I've no light to see what's ahead, and dawn seems an impossibility ..... I will remember!  In spite of having the deserved reputation of forgetfulness, I will actually remember!  And there's nothing more beneficial to remember than the Name of God.  All His wondrous Names give to us all His character traits.  His Name tells us both who and what He is.  And when I remember those things, all is well.  He is Alpha and Omega.  What does it matter if I can't see the next curve?  He is the Light of the World, and in His light, I see light. (Psalm 36:9)  Darkness flees.  Fear is banished.  Some trust in chariots, and some in horses - the sources of earthly power and might - but I will remember and trust in the Name of the Lord, my God!  (Psalm 20:7)

And all of these wonderful benefits (hope, comfort, life, songs, and a timely memory) become mine, when I keep God's precepts.  This word "keep" has several shades of meaning, but two seem to especially help my understanding here, bring it into focus.

1)  To honor, fulfill - To "keep" God's commands, I am to honor them, fulfill them.  Simply stated, I am to obey.  Obedience proves love and provides protection.  This is the meaning we probably think of most often.  But there's another meaning that actually helps us to obey, increases our desire to do so, and adds even more clarity.
2) To guard, protect, defend - This meaning brings to mind a whole different picture.  In pursuit of these benefits we've listed, I need to guard and protect the precepts of God.  I need to defend them.  (Judge Roy Moore comes to mind.  Bless him, Lord, and raise up more of us like him!)  But I can protect and defend God's precepts in my day-to-day life; I don't have to be in the public limelight.  This involves never taking His precepts lightly nor allowing them to be spoken of derogatorily.  When I stand up for the Lord's ways, calmly defending His Word to others, and doing all I can to protect His precepts from disrespect and disdain, I am guarding His precepts.

When I put those two meanings together, I am truly "keeping" His precepts.  That puts me in the pathway of blessing ... and opens the way for God to shower his benefits into my life.  Conversely, when I do not honor His precepts, when I do not obey them, and guard and defend them - then I need not be puzzled when those benefits aren't part of my experience.

Don't you just love this little word, "This," now?  A little common word, with an uncommon meaning that now jumps off my page!  THIS!

"THIS has become mine, because I kept Your precepts."

May God add His blessing to the study of His Word - the lamp to our feet and the light to our path!

Freedom Fences

Psalm 119:45 reads, "And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts."  


Before reading very far at all, I was struck this morning with this verse - as being just opposite of man's way of thinking.  It's another good example of how God's thoughts are not our thoughts; His ways are not our ways.  (Isaiah 55:8,9)  


I took a peek into Blue Letter Bible online.  Strong's tells me that "walk" means "manner of life," how I live my life, day by day.  The process of walking entails putting one foot in front of another, covering relatively small distances - repeatedly, making progress by multiple short advances.  An enormous distance can be traveled in that manner - and a life is lived in that same way.  Makes me think of how the mouse eats the elephant ... one bite at a time.  Applied to my manner or life, it seems to mean all of those many decisions that orchestrate how the minutes/hours of my day are spent - what I do and how I do it.  Put all of that together with "precept," a commandment, an order, a principle.  One entry at Merriam-Webster reads, "a rule that says how people should behave."  Those concepts are placed together in this verse with "liberty," another word that needs accurate defining.


I don't usually think of precepts (commandments and orders, rules telling me how to behave), being given to me every step of the way (as I walk), as being something that would bring me "liberty."  In fact, that would seem to bring just the opposite - restriction, hindrance - resulting in a whole lot of frustration!   Strong's says the Hebrew word, translated in this verse as "liberty," has the meaning of "broad, wide."  And yet our normal thinking, in this context, would lean more toward narrow and cramped. 


And yet this verse says that I will find myself walking - living - in a broad, wide place (implying the concept of wide open space, with freedom to move and breath without constraint) as a result of seeking God's commandments and orders, His rules!  What a revolutionary thought ... a transforming thought.  Certainly, that thought is not one that conforms to the world's way of thinking.  So if I want more freedom in my life, more space to live, move, act ... then I should apply my heart and my energies to seeking more and more of God's commandments and orders - His precepts.  Humanly speaking, that seems very odd and strange - if not downright wrong - does it not?


When I feel like I'm stuck in a tight spot or backed into a corner - constricted, tied down, immobilized by fear, sorrow, bitterness, anger, or an utter lack of knowledge/wisdom to know what to do - forced into circumstances not of my own choosing - that is the very time I need to diligently seek God's commands.  Contrary to what Satan, the enemy, would have me believe, God's orders for me will not result in further restriction or increased frustration in hitting my head up against immovable walls.  Rather, God's orders for me, His ways - when followed and obeyed - result in freedom, in bonds being shed, chains being broken, shackles falling off, walls crumbling before me, and liberty surrounding me like a cool, refreshing breeze off the exhilarating mountain tops of God's Word.  Truly, the truth will set us free - with wide, open spaces to move and live in safety.


It makes me think of the young child - full of excitement, determination, energy, and curiosity - but not having adequate wisdom to make good decisions, judgment calls.  When placed inside a protective fence, they are absolutely free to play, explore, and enjoy themselves, without risk of harm.  That's what God's orders provide for His children - absolute freedom to live life fully, abundantly, without risk - experiencing His protection every step of the way.


The wide, open spaces of God's good, and acceptable, and perfect will for me - that's where I want to be, and where following His precepts will take me.  And so help us, Lord, to seek them!  They bring to our life benefit and blessing, protection and freedom - in wide, open spaces - where I'm not constantly hitting my head on that proverbial wall!


May the Lord add His blessing to the study of His Word, is my prayer.

Order my steps...

Our choir occasionally sings a song called Order My Steps; it's one I love.  The words came to mind as I read over this passage once more - Psalm 119:33-40.

(You can listen and see the full song at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNjKdfjUaw0&feature=related)

Order my steps in Your Word, dear Lord; lead me, guide me, everyday.
Send Your anointing, Father, I pray; order my steps in Your Word.
Please order my steps in Your word.

Humbly I ask Thee, teach me Your will; while You are working, help me be still.
Though Satan is busy, God is real.  Order my steps in Your word.
Please order my steps in Your word.

Bridle my tongue, let my words edify; let the words of my mouth be acceptable in Thy sight.
Take charge of my thoughts, both day and night; order my steps in Your Word.
Please order my steps in Your Word.


I believe the Psalmist would like this song, too!  Keep me in order, Lord.  Help me get first things first, so second things won't be hindered.  One, before two.  Keep me in order ...


Looking at Psalm 119:33-40


Verse 33 - Only when You are my teacher, Lord, driving home the truths of Your Word, instructing my spirit by Your Spirit, only then will I keep it to the end - the end of this earthly life of mine, yes, but also the end of this day, the end of this challenge, the end of this trial, this heartache, the end of this sorrow, or the end of this joy.  My own human understanding of Your Words is shallow, and influenced by my own prejudices, desires, and emotions.  The same is true of every human teacher.  But You, Lord, are truth ... the way, the truth, and the life.  You will teach me only truth ... and Your truth will set me free from those prejudices, desires, and emotions of mine.  So teach me, O Lord, the way.  First, You teach.  Second, I will keep.  Order my steps, Lord.


Verse 34 - Only a true, clear understanding of truth, that comes only from Your Spirit, can strengthen me, enable me to not just keep "the letter of Your Law," but to "observe It with my whole heart."  Only then, when my whole heart is engaged, do I find myself delighting in it .. walking in Your ways with joy!  Otherwise, keeping Your Law becomes drudgery, wearisome beyond words.


Verse 35 - Only when I delight in Your commandments will I experience You powerfully giving me aid and strength to keep in Your path.  The delighting comes first, then You  "make me walk in the path of Your commandments."  And I can only delight in those commandments when You've given me a clear understanding of Your truth, Your ways - an understanding of how You love us, how you only give commands that result in our good, how you use our obedience to bless us beyond measure, bringing benefit to our lives that cannot be numbered.  That understanding allows me to delight in the commandment, even though that delight may be coupled with tears, obeying while clinging to Your promises and Your character, leaning not on my own understanding.


Verse 36, in my mind, seems directly related to verse 35 - the delighting.  Only when I allow You to turn my heart, incline my heart, to Your testimonies will I find myself content.  First Timothy tells us that "Godliness with contentment is great gain," and how true I have found that to be!  "Godliness" on its own has no joy.  "Godliness" on its own is the drudgery we've already mentioned.  It's so very wearisome!  But "Godliness with contentment" brings great joy, peace, and deep-down fulfillment.  Contentment seems the direct opposite of the word used here in this verse - covetousness.  When I am contented, I am giving no thought to what others have - whether in status, possessions, or situation - but I'm simply enjoying what God has placed in my own life.  I'm too busy counting my own blessings to be grumbling, in spirit or words, over what I don't have.  This verse seems to tell me that if I will allow Your Spirit, Lord, to incline my heart to Your Word, Your testimonies, I will escape covetousness, enabling me to experience that Godliness with contentment that brings great joy and peace.  Amen, Lord!  Let it be so!  Keep me in the right order, Lord; order my steps!


Verse 37 - Job tells us that he made a covenant with his eyes, in governing his mind and heart.  The Psalmist said, "I will set no worthless thing before mine eyes."  This verse I'm considering here seems to instruct me that if I want to be revived in the Lord's Way - to be restored from a depressed, inactive, unused state; to become active and flourishing again (Webster's Dictionary) - I must urgently seek the Lord's enabling and allow Him to turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things.  The word "worthless" is crucial here.  It doesn't say to turn our eyes from evil things - although that is certainly included.  "Worthless" incorporates a much bigger picture.  As I apply this adjective to books, movies, hobbies and activities, seeking to be brutally honest, I can clearly see that many things I would not describe as "evil," are simply of no true value or use; they are worthless.  They are not things that You use to restore my mind and cause me to flourish in Your way.  These "worthless" things are not what You use to transform me, by the renewing of my mind!  (Romans 12:2)  Without the renewing of my mind, I am unable to discern what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.  And without that, I am totally floundering in my journey, wandering back and forth between what seems good to me and what seems good to someone else.  There is, indeed, "a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death-" eternal death, yes, for those who do not own Him as Lord and Savior, but even for His child, following our own way brings death - death of joy, death of peace, death of fulfillment, death of contentment.  So ... once again, Lord, order my steps.  I ask you to work and move within my heart, turning my eyes away from anything and everything that is worthless.  Then, Lord, I will look for Your reviving, as You cause me to flourish in Your way.  First things first, Lord; order my steps!


Verse 38 - When I choose to live my life in the fear of the Lord, allowing a holy fear of the Lord to govern all my thinking and choices, then You will establish Your Word in my heart.  First - I choose the fear of the Lord.  Second - You, then, establish Your Word in Your servant.  Keep me in order, Lord; order my steps!


Verse 39 - First, when I acknowledge that Your judgments are good, then, second, I'm in a position for You to turn away my reproach.


Verse 40 - When I long for your precepts, then You will revive me in Your righteousness.  One, then two. Longman's online dictionary says to long for something is "to want something very much, especially when it seems unlikely to happen soon."  Another definition is "to feel a strong yearning."  Yet another reads, "an earnest, strong desire or craving."  When I get to that place in longing for the precepts, commands and principles, of God's Word, then I can look to Him, with expectancy, to be revived in His righteousness... to flourish in it!


As I finish up this time in God's Word  -  this preparation for today's journey  -  I seem to hear the voice of the Commander, calling out with authority and strength, "March!  One, two, one, two, one, two ...."  May it be so in my journey this day, Lord!  Order my steps!


May each heart that spends time in Your Word today, Lord, be encouraged and strengthened for their own journey this day.  Amen and Amen. 

July 20, 2011

In reading through the chronological Bible, I've come to Ezra.  If I was younger, had more childbearing years, and needed a name for a boy, I believe I might name him Ezra.  What a wonderful example he left us.

Ezra 7:10
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.  (NKJ)

This verse has become the heart-cry of my life - for myself and those I love - especially my children.

Prior to this verse (7:1-9), the Scripture records some wonderful blessings Ezra had experienced:  Godly men in his family heritage, skill in his role as a scribe, being granted all his request by the King, allowed to leave Babylon - the land of captivity, granted a safe journey to Jerusalem - his home.  All these blessings were "according to the good hand of his God upon him."  And then we're given the reason the hand of God was upon him in such a manner.  It was because of verse ten.  It was because Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Lord - discovering who He is by finding His desires, instructions, commands.  Not only had Ezra prepared his heart to seek this truth, but he had prepared his heart to obey it, before ever knowing exactly what he would find.  And one more step he went - preparing not only to seek it, and to do it, but also to teach it to others there around him.  "In Israel" would be right there where he was - those in his home, in his neighborhood, in his place of worship, in his country.

Oh God, help me this day - and every day - to so prepare my own heart!  May your good Hand find reason to so be upon my life, as I seek You, Your Word and ways, and purpose to obey and share.  Give me an Ezra heart!