Good Morning!
We are doing some serious study. Pam has picked up the pace significantly this week!
What an encouragement and challenge to see the Psalmist's knowledge and dependence on who God is. It has been impressed on me that the Psalmist is clear about God's role in his life and desires to more fully understand God's ways through the Word. He knows how to set himself up to receive God's word and acknowledges his limitations. He seems to grow in this knowledge as new situations arise and cause him to call out anew. The repetition and desire are very encouraging. It is a continual practise that satisfies.
Here are a few questions to get us started...
Comment freely on the week...
What have you learned about the Word of God from these stanza's?
Is there something that spoke to your heart this week from the study?
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The scripture passage is a very good one. Sums up what our focus is to be. I have posted mine in the kitchen, so I can 'review' it often.
ReplyDeleteGood idea Mom; to place it in an area you will be often. If you need another idea, I have written mine in my index card spiral. Index cards coiled together or spiral bound.
ReplyDeleteThe longing for God's word was one of the things that struck me this week.
Both verses 20 and 40 talk about a deep longing for God. I desire this longing for God's ordinances in my life - to be revived through God's righteousness as the Psalmist says.
I know this longing to find God through His Word is present. I confess I don't always go to the right place for fulfilment or wait for God's timing on matters. Sometimes I panic and want to see where we are headed. I want to see results.
As it is now, sometimes we don't see the outcome. We don't know what will come of a coffee we had with someone. We don't know what will come of the seeds we are planting in our kids hearts. We don't know if dreams planted in our hearts are for our lifetime or our children's. I want to believe that I am significant to God. That He wants to use me for His good purposes. Sometimes my longings aren't very purposeful, they are just selfish. These kinds of longings - the ones out of God's calling weigh very heavy. Even if they are completed or fulfilled they are never satisfying. We just want more of what isn't good because, well that must be what will satisfy our longing. The Psalmist intimates belief in God's way with a longing after God's Word. In other verses surrounding, the Psalmist shares the benefits of the word. This confidence or way of reciting what he knows to be true is wonderful to read and a good practise to follow.
This continual state of longing (at all times, v 20) that the Psalmist talks about seems to be connected to being fixed on God's word and that this binding to the ways of God will produce within us a worshipful spirit. One that is only fully satisfied with loving God.
OK I hope that makes some sense. What I am saying in summary is that I too long for God's ways through the Word of God. I long to learn how to fully seek it for counsel, for developing greater reverence, for joy and delight. I long to cling so tightly to God's word in an unshakable manner that can be seen in every aspect of my life.
It was impressed on me how over and over the psalmist asks for God's word to be apart of his life, how he wanted teaching, understanding, counsel, direction, etc. He knows God through His word, and it brings him so much delight.
ReplyDeleteOver the last 5 years or so of studying precepts has caused me to delight in God's word more and more, I love studying it, but too long to learn how to fully seek it for direction in my life...to have greater application...I think many times I can feel like the psalmist when he says in v19 that he is a stranger on earth, and so he needed guidance...just as I (we) need God's word to direct us so we don't wander aimlessly, and totally miss what God has called us to do. I just want to learn to commit everything, everyday to God. More and more I'm learning that to keep a prayer journal (mine is very point form, but works for me) helps me to commit more things to prayer, and to see that God does answer, which causes me to rejoice and worship Him more.
Hiding God's word in our hearts is a way to keep sin out of our lives. (v11) This alone increases my desire to meditate and memorize scripture.
I do long to fully realize the benefits of God's word, and have been imagining what our church and world would look like if they all could fully cling to Gods word.