Psalm 119:97-128

I challenged everyone in the Textually Active message to read through Psalm 119 this week so here are some of my thoughts on each 8 verse section and then an application point for myself for the day. Feel free to read along and share your thoughts as well.

Psalm 119:97-104: Vs. 104 tells us to hate wrong paths.  I once read that FBI agents never touch a counterfeit bill until many times months into their training.  Instead the study and handle a real bill so much, that when they finally encounter a fake one it is obvious.  In the same way, we should be so familiar with God and His Word that it’s easy to discern the counterfeit pleasures satan tries to lure us with.

Psalm 119:105-112: Vs. 105 is one of the most popular ones in the entire Bible, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”.  Think about that for a second…when you’re on a dark path in the forest, a lamp only gives you enough light for the next few steps.  God’s word is the same way…too many people want relevation for months and years down the road when God wants to give you just enough light to take the next step.  I believe He does this because if He gave us more light on our future, we might get scared of some of the obstacles we see down the road and freeze in our tracks, thus not getting where God wants us to be.  Also real quick, vs. 112 would make a great prayer for you to pray.

Psalm 119:113-120: Vs. 120, “My flesh trembles in fear of you, I stand in awe of your laws”. One of the great things about reading scripture over and over again is that you begin to create a mental concordance to help you understand other verses.  That’s what happened as I read this verse, immediately that Holy Spirit reminded me that, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”. (Proverbs 9:10)

Psalm 119:121-128: I love verse 124.  As I’ve been reading this morning I have felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit about some things in my life, but this verse reminds me that God will judge me according to His love (re:  Jesus dying for my sins) and not on my ability or in this case inability to keep all of the law.  So the question for some might then be, “Then why do we try to obey God’s Word”?  The answer is simple…You don’t do good works because you’re trying to be saved, rather out of gratitude that you are saved”.