This the Day the Lord Has Made

[thisisthedaythelordhasmade]

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Psalm 119:57 You are my portion, Lord

You are my portion, Lord;    I have promised to obey your words.

Think about a time in life when the Lord provided for you, and perhaps even exceeded expectations. If we would have chosen for ourselves, we may have chosen something lesser. The Lord provides, a lifetime of blessings affirms it. Now think about God’s goodness, it is far greater than any blessing. It is all goodness, for all time. When we declare that Lord is our portion, it is saying we are fulfilled and satisfied because God provides and protects with goodness forever. The Lord is our refuge, our inheritance, and our best part of life. To take the Lord as your portion is to accept blessing greater than you could give yourself, not in one moment but for all of life.

[thisisthedaythelordhasmade]

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Psalm 119:49-56: Your promise preserves my life

Remember your word to your servant,    for you have given me hope. 50 My comfort in my suffering is this:    Your promise preserves my life. 51 The arrogant mock me unmercifully,    but I do not turn from your law. 52 I remember, Lord, your ancient laws,    and I find comfort in them. 53 Indignation grips me because of the wicked,    who have forsaken your law. 54 Your decrees are the theme of my song    wherever I lodge. 55 In the night, Lord, I remember your name,    that I may keep your law. 56 This has been my practice:    I obey your precepts.

Psalm 119 may have been written by David. It would make sense given that David was running from Saul and mockers at one point, being chased and relying on God’s promise of love and God’s promise that he would become king, even though he was far from the palace. David held fast to God’s word. He looked forward with spiritual hope even though his circumstances before his eyes did not match what he believed. 

Think of God’s word. There are a number of promises that God provides to other people. God promised to make Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the stars. God promised to be with the Israelites as they kept his commands into the new land. God also extends promises to us. God promises to bless those who delight in his word and to save those who believe in his son. 

Is there a promise of God’s word that means something to you specifically? For me I always think of God’s promise in Psalm 68:6: God sets the lonely in families.

I grew up as an only child and my dad was much older than most and died when I was young. I have been lonely more often than not and have longed for family. I am 42, about to be 43 and still not married and without children but I hold fast to God’s promise for a family. I turn to his word, I turn to Him and I pray that I may walk with him through the promise for family fulfilled. When I look around me and see circumstances that do not match what I believe, I hold fast to God’s work. Without family I am very sad and God “Your promise preserves my life.”

[thisisthedaythelordhasmade]

[thisisthedaythelordhasmade]

Psalm 119:43-48

Never take your word of truth from my mouth,    for I have put my hope in your laws. 44 I will always obey your law,    for ever and ever. 45 I will walk about in freedom,    for I have sought out your precepts. 46 I will speak of your statutes before kings    and will not be put to shame, 47 for I delight in your commands    because I love them. 48 I reach out for your commands, which I love,    that I may meditate on your decrees.

The Psalm tells us that knowing God’s word, truly living with His word in our hearts and minds and steps, will keep us with God. We hope in God’s word. We obey God’s word. We will speak God’s word before kings and not be put to shame. We will delight in God’s word for we love it. We will reach out and meditate on His word.

For me the most compelling line is “I will walk about in freedom for I have sought your precepts.” So many people feel that to obey God is not freedom at all. It starts by understanding that for every choice there are consequences. If you choose to ignore God’s word and do things your way, you will still be bound to the consequences, which in some cases limit the freedom of your next choices. With God, and even more so with Christ a love that came after the Old Testament, we know that God’s word is a command for our good. We know that following what God lays out brings goodness. We also know in time, by trusting God, that we love Him so much we want to follow his word. We freely follow him and what we find is the consequences of following him bring the most wonderful life. Following God sets us free from sin and the slavery of wrong doing and addiction and evil. We are free to love and obey and to experience God’s grace and blessed consequences. God wants to see us freely thriving in his loving grace forever.

[thisisthedaythelordhasmade]

[thisisthedaythelordhasmade]

Psalm 119:41-42: I trust in your word

May your unfailing love come to me, Lord,    your salvation, according to your promise; then I can answer anyone who taunts me,    for I trust in your word.

We know that the Lord is unfailing, he is eternal. He is also good as we learned in Psalm 118 and he shows a love that endures forever. Our faith in Him, and His love, is supported by his His word. Those things are not flimsy, but unbeatable. We can see countless examples of the Lord’s goodness and favor if we look around. We can learn of Lord’s love and eternal nature in His word. The Lord also gives us His promise in His word, a promise of atoning love. That love accepts us and is with us and protects us. There are so many things people defend themselves with. People defend themselves by being on the right side, by having power, physical protection, money, escape plans, status, beauty, all types of things appear to offer protection. God is the right side. We are fallible humans and He offers His love and salvation in his word, in the  promise offered in Christ, to be forgiven and loved forever. By trusting in His word, nothing can undermine us.

[thisisthedaythelordhasmade]

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Psalm 119:33-40: Turn my eyes from worthless things

Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,    that I may follow it to the end

>Lord we pray that you will teach us. We can try to understand, we approach your word and pray to you but we need you to teach us.

Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law    and obey it with all my heart.

>Lord we need you to give us understanding. We can try to understand, we approach your word and pray but we need you to give us understanding so that we know your law and obey it with understanding.

 Direct me in the path of your commands,    for there I find delight.

>Direct us Lord. We seek you and try to follow the way, and we ask that you direct us, put us on the path and keep us on the path.

Turn my heart toward your statutes    and not toward selfish gain.

>Lord put our hearts onto your statutes and not on any gain. Our lives are short and we sometimes measure things by a lifetime, when eternity is the only measure and goal for us all, for your glory.

Turn my eyes away from worthless things;    preserve my life according to your word. >Lord we look at and focus on worthless, temporal things. Please keep us on track. Put our eyes and hearts on you and your eternity.

Fulfill your promise to your servant,    so that you may be feared. >Lord don’t let us down. Show your commitment to your word and fulfill your promise, so that you may be feared and honored above all. Show others that doubt as nothing compared to your promises. Take away the disgrace I dread,    for your laws are good.

>O Lord in my heart I dread the disappointment of an unfulfilled promise. Please God take away the disgrace and show that your laws and promises are good.

How I long for your precepts!    In your righteousness preserve my life.

>O Lord we may think we long for many things, but what we long for is you. Preserve us for you.

[thisisthedaythelordhasmade]

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Psalm 119:25-32:My soul is weary with sorrow;  strengthen me according to your word

25 I am laid low in the dust;    preserve my life according to your word. 26 I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;    teach me your decrees. 27 Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,    that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds. 28 My soul is weary with sorrow;    strengthen me according to your word. 29 Keep me from deceitful ways;    be gracious to me and teach me your law. 30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;    I have set my heart on your laws. 31 I hold fast to your statutes, Lord;    do not let me be put to shame. 32 I run in the path of your commands,    for you have broadened my understanding. In today’s passage, the psalmist describes a difficult position-  in dust weary with sorry He calls to be lifted up by God-  preserve my life be gracious to me do not let me be put to shame He promises to be dedicated to God’s word I may meditate on your wonderful deeds set my heart on your laws I hold fast to your statutes We can turn to God in any problem. Sometimes we think we have done something so wrong that God will not have us. We may simply think we know better. Or we may have forgotten the wondrous grace of God.  Whatever it is at any time, we can turn to God and if we turn to God we will find a grace that is better than anything in the world. When we receive God’s grace, we receive continued, blessed life. That is a gift from God and we can best respond by giving it back to God. The psalmist repeats the concept that life is given so to give it back - give me life Lord so that I may give it to you and your will and word. May my life be used for walking with your word.

[thisisthedaythelordhasmade]

[thisisthedaythelordhasmade]

Psalm 119:17-24: Be good to your servant while I live

Be good to your servant while I live,    that I may obey your word. 18 Open my eyes that I may see    wonderful things in your law. 19 I am a stranger on earth;    do not hide your commands from me. 20 My soul is consumed with longing    for your laws at all times. 21 You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed,    those who stray from your commands. 22 Remove from me their scorn and contempt,    for I keep your statutes. 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.

Psalm 119 continually appeals to God’s mercy so that the psalmist may grow in God’s word and in his relationship with him. We often pray for God’s mercy in order to advance something, for healing, for an aim that we see as valuable. But here the psalmist prays, give me life that I may give it to you, to fulfill your word and guidelines. Th heart is consumed with longing for God’s laws so that the psalmist may live out God’s plan as nothing else matters.

[thisisthedaythelordhasmade]

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Psalm 119:13-16: I will not neglect your word

Much later in Psalm 119:175 the verse reads “Let me live that I may praise you.” There was a an image today that had incorrectly marked that verse with Psalm 119:13-14. Then I thought that IS the heart of today’s reading 13-16. God grants us life, time on earth so that we may know him and praise and how do we do it? Through recounting, following, meditating and delighting in his word. We are alive in part to praise him with a life of obedience.

With my lips I recount    all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes    as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts    and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees;    I will not neglect your word.

I spend time reading the bible in a year every year. The more in depth I get, the more I repeat it, the more it is written on my heart and the closer I feel to God. God grants us time on earth to walk with him and to know him. We can rejoice in his laws and ways everyday. Lord, let me lie to praise YOU.

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