Psalmist’s Resolutions in Psalm 119: I Will Walk in Freedom

 "And I will walk in freedom, for I have sought Your precepts." (Psalm 119:45)

The psalmist is confident that he will walk in freedom because he has sought God’s precepts. Walking in freedom is the result of seeking God's Word. First, seek; then, walk. What should I seek? The Word of God. How will I walk? In freedom. By seeking His Word, I will experience the freedom that it gives. This freedom includes liberation from sin, fear, worries, wrong thoughts, wrong desires, misguided opinions, and bad habits.

Unless I first seek the Word of God, I cannot walk in freedom. Therefore, since I desire to walk freely on the path of holiness, I must seek His Word.

Topical meditation 2024

June 7

Psalmist’s Resolutions in Psalm 119: I Will Praise…

 "I will praise You with uprightness of heart when I learn Your righteous judgments." (Psalm 119:7)

"My lips shall utter praise, for You teach me Your statutes." (Psalm 119:171)

The psalmist meditated on God's Word, delighted in it, and did not forget it. As a result, he was able to keep God's Word, giving him many reasons to praise God.

Those who receive lessons from God become glorifiers of God. Learning from God cultivates an upright heart, and with such a heart, praise ascends to heaven and pleases God. A heart filled with God's Word is also filled with praise and thanksgiving. Learning the Lord's statutes naturally leads to learning songs of praise. If I am a student in the school of His Word, then I am a singer in His choir of praise.

When the Word of God descends into the heart, praise rises from it.

Topical meditation 2024

June 6

Psalmist’s Resolutions in Psalm 119: I Will Keep Your Word

 "I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!" (Psalm 119:8)

"The proud have forged a lie against me, but I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart." (Psalm 119:69)

"I cry out with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD! I will keep Your statutes." (Psalm 119:145)

Here is the right resolution of the psalmist: "I will keep Your statutes," and the right prayer resulting from it: "Do not forsake me utterly." He understands that a mere resolution is insufficient; it must be enacted, and without the Lord's help, this is impossible. Hence, his prayer is essential.

He resolves to keep God's Word with all his heart, even when others speak falsely about him.

Every child of God who loves His Word shares this same resolution: I will keep Your Word.

Topical meditation 2024

June 5

Psalmist’s Resolutions in Psalm 119: I will delight

 "I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word." (Psalm 119:16)

"And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love." (Psalm 119:47)

In the previous meditation, I noted that meditating on God's Word comes naturally to those who love it. Meditation is the result of love for God's Word. In these verses, I see that the result of meditating on God's Word is delight and joy. In the 15th verse, the psalmist decided to meditate on God's statutes, and in the 16th, he resolves to delight in them. Because he rejoices in God's statutes, he knows that he will not forget God's Word. I always say that you don't need a good memory to remember God's Word. If you love something, you delight in it, then you can't forget it.

I have no object of greater delight and greater joy than the Word of God.

Topical meditation 2024

June 4

Psalmist’s Resolutions in Psalm 119: I Will Meditate…

 "I will meditate on Your precepts and contemplate Your ways." (Psalm 119:15)

"My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes." (Psalm 119:48)

"Let the proud be ashamed, for they treated me wrongfully with falsehood; but I will meditate on Your precepts." (Psalm 119:78)

In Psalm 1, the psalmist considers blessed the one who meditates on the Word of God day and night. Here, he resolves to be one of those blessed ones by meditating on God's statutes. He loves God's Word, and naturally, one meditates on what one loves. Therefore, it is only fitting for a psalmist who loves God's Word to meditate on it.

When wronged by the proud, he does not contemplate revenge or repay them in kind; instead, he chooses to reflect on God's precepts. He refuses to let negative thoughts consume his mind, opting instead to fill it with meditation on what he loves.

The psalmist's resolution is my resolution: I will meditate on Your statutes and Your precepts.

Topical meditation 2024

June 3

The Choice: Snare or Song

"In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice."- Proverbs 29:6

Every sin and transgression carries a snare. When we break God's Word and follow our own will, we fall into this snare and endure the painful consequences of our sin. However, those who obey God's commandments and renounce sin, live a holy life that brings joy and song. They have grateful hearts, free from grumbling, fear, and shame.
There is no snare for those who live a holy life. I want to be like the person described in the second part of this verse. Let me remember that those who do not obey the Word of God will inevitably fall into the snare.

From my diary,

June 2,  2024

Courage and Trust in the Lord

 

"Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight." 2 Samuel 10:12

Joab's words remind me of an important lesson. He made plans for the war and encouraged God's people to fight for the cities of God, yet he knew that victory did not depend  on their efforts and skills. They would triumph only if the Lord deemed it good.

In my spiritual struggles, I should adopt this approach: I must not be idle; I need to make efforts and plans, but not rely on myself. I must trust in the Lord, believing that He will do what is good in His sight. And I am confident that victory over sin is always good in His sight.

From my diary,

June 1,  2024

Do as You have said

 

’’ … do as You have said.’’ (2 Samuel 7:25)

You said, I believed,

You promised, I prayed,

This prayer found in my heart I brought

Your precious promises, o faithful Lord, I sought.

My assurance is in Your Word alone,

Therefore, with faith I run to Your throne,

And humbly ask: ‘’Do as You have said,

Grant Your blessings upon me, as You have pledged.’’

May 31,  2024

The Sleepless Guardian and His Unceasing care

"Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." - Psalm 121:4

When I don't receive a positive answer to some of my prayers or the desires of my heart, let me not think that the Lord has forgotten me. He watches over His people without rest. He neither sleeps nor slumbers. He sees everything, knows everything, and cares for everything.

God's children need not endure sleepless nights of worry, for their Keeper is ever vigilant.

From my diary,

May 30,  2024

 

Understanding Before Speaking

 "Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works."- Psalm 119:27

The psalmist desires to speak of God's works, but he first seeks to understand the way of God's precepts. Without understanding, one cannot accurately convey the works of God. Therefore, he prays for the Lord to grant him insight into His precepts. His prayer is sincere, and his intent is pure. Speaking without understanding is misguided, which is why he asks his Teacher to instruct him before he teaches others.

From my diary,

May 29,  2024

Do Not Envy the Wicked

 "Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked. " - Proverbs 24:19

If the Bible commands us not to envy the wicked, then such a temptation can happen to the righteous. It often seems that the wicked prosper and are successful. A person who earns a daily living through honest work, with great effort, may see that fraudsters and defrauders have luxurious houses, drive expensive cars, and think that the wicked are more successful and happier than the righteous.

We should not focus on the apparent success of the wicked; it is temporary. They mistakenly believe they are happy. It is unfortunate that the righteous might also think the wicked are happy. In the next verse, Solomon tells us why we should not envy them: "For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished." (Proverbs 24:20).

We know their future; they do not know ours. Do they have streets of gold, gates of pearl, walls of precious stones? What God has prepared for us, the human mind cannot imagine. The wicked should be pitied, not envied.

From my diary,

May 28,  2024

Rejecting the desire to be rich

 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Proverbs 23:4

Our own wisdom gives us wrong goals. One such goal is the pursuit of getting rich at any cost. Human wisdom often suggests that wealth can solve your problems, ensure a long and enjoyable life, and guarantee happiness.God's wisdom, however, says that those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts (1 Timothy 6:9). The wisdom of God teaches that the love of money is the root of all evil, and because of it, some have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10). The desire for wealth can lead to materialism, envy, neglect of relationships, wrong priorities etc. God's wisdom warns that a thief may steal your wealth, that your life may suddenly end, and you will not get to enjoy it. It also reminds us that money does not solve problems but can create many more.

Therefore, one must reject one's own wisdom and the desire to be rich.

From my diary,

May 27,  2024

My teachers of singing

 

“By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches .” - Psalm 104:12

In this psalm, with its beautiful depiction of nature, I found "teachers" for myself: the birds perched on the branches and singing. There is lesson to be learned from them. Birds sing even in the harsh cold of winter, when the world is blanketed in snow and food is scarce. The carefree chirping of sparrows reproaches me when, amidst troubles and tribulations, the song of praise falls silent in my heart. Let me learn peace from them, to be content in every situation, and to sing always.

The psalmist, hearing the song of the birds, made the right decision: "I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being." (Psalm 104:33). He did not say, "I'll sing as long as I'm happy, as long as I'm healthy, as long as I don't have problems and worries..." but rather, "I will sing to the LORD as long as I live."

As I live, I look to the birds, my "teachers of singing," and resolve: "I will sing to the Lord all my life..."

From my diary,

May 26,  2024

Gladness in Service: Knowing Whom We Serve

"Serve the LORD with gladness…" - Psalm 100:2

Serving our Lord is not a burdensome duty; it is a privilege and an honor. Therefore, it should be done with gladness.

We serve the Lord with gladness when we truly know whom we are serving: the God who saves us, sanctifies us, cares for us, and loves us. We serve Him with gladness because we understand that our service is never in vain. Our joy is in Jesus, and we seek no joy elsewhere. Recognizing the great honor of serving the King of Kings fills us with gladness.

If the Queen of Sheba called Solomon's servants happy (1 Kings 10:8), how much happier are the servants of Him who is greater than Solomon. I know whom I serve; therefore, I serve Him with joy.

From my diary,

May 25,  2024

 

Do You Believe? The Key to Eternal Life

 

“Do you believe in the Son of Man?” - John 9:35 

“And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” - John 11:26

In today's Bible verses, Jesus asked the same question to the man born blind who was healed and to Martha who had lost her brother: Do you believe? Both responded positively. The man born blind heard this question after receiving his miracle, and Martha before receiving hers, before her brother's resurrection.

This question is crucial because if we sincerely answer it with a "yes," if we believe in Jesus, His words, and His works, we will have eternal life and receive His promises.

Woe to those who cannot answer as Martha did. Jesus did not ask Martha, "Do you understand this?" but rather, "Do you believe this?" Faith is essential. Understanding can come through faith, but faith cannot come through understanding.

We have countless reasons to believe in Jesus' power, works, and promises, and no reason to doubt Him.

From my diary,

May 24,  2024

Imperishable Bread of Life

 

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” - John 6:35

This is the first of Jesus' "I AM" statements. He said this after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. Just as physical bread is necessary for life, so believing in Jesus is necessary for eternal life. The Bread of Life satisfies the hunger of the soul, never goes stale, gives eternal life, and is free. The bread that Jesus multiplied was perishable food, but He is the Bread of Life, and those who believe in Him feed on that imperishable Bread of Life.

From my diary,

May 23,  2024

The snare of the tongue

"A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul." - Proverbs 18:7

It is well-known that the wrong words we speak can hurt others, but this verse says that the wrong words can also hurt the person who speaks them. The slanderer damages not only the reputation of the person he slanders but also loses his own good name. To ensure my own words do not become a trap for me, I must speak little, be quick to listen, and slow to speak. I should only speak good words about others and always praise God.

I will pray like David: "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." - Psalm 141:3

From my diary,

May 22,  2024

 

Fighting the Lord’s battles

 "...fight the LORD’s battles." - 1 Samuel 18:17

Saul spoke these words to David with the wrong motive, but the Lord speaks these words to us, the soldiers of His army.

Let me remember, we must fight the Lord's battles, not our own. We must surrender our own battles to the Lord. We must fight the Lord's battles: fighting against sin, the works of the flesh, wrong thoughts, desires, and unscriptural teachings. We must fight the enemy, not cooperate with him. We are to fight the Lord's battles, not merely watch them.

Victory is God's. He who dwells in God has victory.

From my diary,

May 21,  2024

The Incomparable God

 "Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You?" - Psalm 71:19

O God, who is like You? This rhetorical question, filled with admiration, reverence, and adoration, resonates deeply within the soul that has experienced God's mercy and salvation by His grace. No one is like our God. Incomparable are His works: creation, our salvation, sanctification, His daily guidance, and protection. His attributes are incomparable: His holiness, power, wisdom, goodness, mercy, and beauty. He is incomparable, and there is nothing like the joy experienced by His children. Incomparable is the inheritance awaiting us in heaven, and incomparable is the peace that we have even in tribulation. No one is like our God, and no one is as blessed as His children.

From my diary,

May 20,  2024

Jonathan's Faith: Victory Beyond Numbers

 "...for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few." - 1 Samuel 14:6

I desire to have faith like Jonathan's. He, along with his armor bearer, won a victory against the Philistines, causing the enemy to flee in panic. Though they were only two, those with them were more numerous than the enemy, for God's heavenly host was with them. God is not limited by the number of people.

If God is with us, the number of those on the Lord’s side does not matter. God is always victorious, and if we are in His army, we will share in His victory.

From my diary,

May 19,  2024

Praying to Become a Praying Person

"Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. " - Luke 11:1

One of the most important topics of prayer is to pray to learn how to pray. When you hear someone's fervent prayer, without hypocrisy, without selfishness, and with the right focus, you want to become such a praying person. The disciples heard the prayer of the Lord Jesus, the best praying person ever. Obviously, they wanted to pray like Him. Their desire was not passive; they turned their desire into prayer because they knew the need for prayer, their own weakness in prayer, and that God wanted to have praying children. They knew who was the best teacher to teach them to pray. They knew that John the Baptist had taught his disciples to pray, but they did not seek to learn from John or his disciples. They knew that no one could teach them better than Jesus.

Their prayer was answered immediately: Jesus taught them the right subjects of prayer, the priorities in prayer, and the things that hinder prayer. If I am not happy with my prayer life, I will go to Jesus for a lesson.

The disciples had the right example of prayer: the prayer of Jesus. This instilled in them the right desire: to learn to pray. They expressed this desire in the right way: through prayer. They turned to the right person, Jesus, the best teacher. They learned to pray the right way and about the right subjects. He who learns to pray from Jesus finds that his life becomes right, his thoughts become right, he thinks about things above, and he has the right priorities, seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

I have that desire too. Therefore, I will take prayer lessons from Jesus, ask for the spirit of prayer, and be a constant visitor to the throne of grace.

From my diary,

May 18,  2024

 

Witnessing God's Works and Trusting Him

 "I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me." - Psalm 57:2

The psalmist has witnessed God's works in his life, giving him reason to trust and cry out to Him. The mercies, favors, and miracles granted by God are a guarantee that He will continue and complete His good work. Therefore, the psalmist made the right decision: I will cry out to the Most High God. I will not look for a way out, I will not call on people, nor will I despair, but I will cry out to God. This is the decision of a person who has faith, a habit of prayer, and a grateful heart.

In every distress, problem, hopeless situation, and temptation, let my first thought be this: "I will cry out to the Most High God, to the God who performs all things for me, who gives me victory, helps me in trouble, guides me, and teaches me."

From my diary,

May 17,  2024 

Teaching through Experience

"Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You." - Psalm 51:13

No one can teach sinners the ways of God unless they themselves have been freed from sin. No one can share the miracle of forgiveness of sins unless they have experienced it firsthand. A person liberated from sin experiences true joy, which cannot be hidden but will be shared with those who mourn their sins. Such a person, understanding the repulsiveness of sin from personal experience, will compassionately aid those who hate sin and seek liberation. They will not boast of their victories for they remember being once enslaved by sin, freed only by the grace of the Lord. Having tasted the joy of victory, they can impart the secrets of victory to those struggling against sin.

From my diary,

May 16,  2024 

 

Humility, a sin-killer

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves." - Philippians 2:3

If I fulfill this commandment, I will have fulfilled all the "one another" commandments.

Humility is also a sin-killer; it mortifies many works of the flesh: envy, anger, strife. It eradicates backbiting, selfishness, pride, self-righteousness, grumbling, and gossip.

If I consider all of God's children as better and more important than myself, I will not sin against them.

From my diary,

May 15,  2024