Blessings

God's Voice

To whom do you turn when you need help?

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

When Help Is Needed

When was your greatest time of need? Was it during times of marital problems? Was it during life-threatening health issues? What about times of great financial upheaval? Maybe you need His help right now. We all need help from time to time; and in the very serious issues of life when it seems that only a miracle can help us, we must turn to the God of the supernatural. God rules the universe, but He also overrules the natural laws when those of us need His intervention the most. These are times when God loves to make Himself known as the Mighty God and show Himself strong and the God Who delivers us from all of our troubles. God’s Word says that when He hears the righteous cry out, He will deliver them from all of their troubles (Psalm 34:17); and even when the righteous are afflicted, He delivers them out of it (Psalm 34:19). The psalmist declares time and time again that He delivered him from all of his fears (Psalm 34:4).

Falling Many Times

This time we turn to Solomon. He says that even if we fall seven times, God is there each and every time to pick us up (Proverbs 24:16); and how far we fall. Sometimes it seems down to the depths of the earth (Psalm 71:20). Even the poor call out to Him, and He rescues them (Psalm 34:6). Can you think of a time when He wouldn’t help you? God says that He will deliver the righteous; and if someone has repented and put his trust in Him, He sees him as having Jesus’ own righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). So if one of those He has declared righteous needs help, He will deliver him. He never promises that it will be in our timing, but He will be there for them just when it is needed the most.

Paul’s Example

Paul may have been the most persecuted Christian to ever have lived; and when he needed deliverance, God was there for him and rescued him from death, stoning, shipwreck, and just about everything else we could imagine (2 Timothy 3:11). Even at a time when everyone else had abandoned him, the Lord Himself stood by him (2 Timothy 4:17). Paul was rescued from every evil deed, even the lion’s mouth, to bring him safely into the kingdom (2 Timothy 4:17). Many a present-day Christian martyr has died, some having even been beheaded; and they cried out to Jesus just before their death. These also will He bring safely home to the Lord (Romans 8:38-39). When you need Him, He is there.

A Closing Prayer

Great God in heaven, thank You for Your promise to be my present help in my times of need and that You never forsake me and will never leave me (Hebrews 13:5). When I reach a time when I will need Your help, thank You for being there for me. I know You will deliver on Your promise, and for that I thank You, in Jesus’ name.

Amen

Are you trying to master your plan, or allowing God to be the master of your plan?

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope

God has a Plan for Us

I realize that Jeremiah 29:11 was written specifically to Israel for when they would eventually come out of captivity from Babylon, but doesn’t God also have a plan for us? Surely He does. God has said that we are His handiwork and that, from before we even existed, He planned ahead of time for us to do particular good works for His glory (Eph 2:10). We should realize that God created us for a purpose, and that is for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). For Paul it was God’s master plan to make him the apostle to the Gentiles (Eph 1:1), so the point is to find out what God’s plan is for you and me, and then we can pursue it.

Your Plans for You

If you were to compare plans like the one that God has for you against the one you have for yourself, you can guess which one would be better in the long run, can’t you? Part of God’s plan was to choose you in Himself, and part of that plan was for you and me to be blameless and holy before Him.  That plan originated before we were even born (Eph 1:4)! He predetermined to make us His sons and daughters (Eph 1:5), and this was according to His counsel, not ours (Eph 1:11). Which would you rather have:  your plan or God’s? It seems when I plan things, they don’t always work out the way I expected them to, and they often turn out badly. God’s plans never do.

Your Choice

God gives us all a choice. He gives us a choice between death and life, between blessing and cursing, so He strongly urges us to by all means choose life (Deut 20:19) but He never forces His will on us. He will always frustrate the plans of man (Psalm 33:10). We might think it’s our plan, but God has the final say (Prov 16:1). Even a pagan king’s heart is directed wherever God purposes and directs it wherever He wills (Prov 23:1); therefore, if we commit to God and to following His plan for our lives, known or unknown, He will establish us in the right way (Prov 16:3). God makes null and void the plans of man, including yours and mine, but He always does what is pleasing to Him, for what pleases Him will in time please us.

A Closing Prayer

Oh Father in heaven, thank You for overriding my imperfect plans and my will so that You can achieve Your perfect plan for me. That is what I want, even when it doesn’t feel like it. I trust You above anything that I plan. Give me the help to trust You in the way that I should go, and in your Holy Son’s Name, Jesus Christ, I pray.

Amen

Could an unanswered prayer be because God has something better planned for you?

First Corinthians 2:9

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

What We Think

It is one thing to pray for something that we believe we want, but it may be an altogether different thing that God knows we need. Needs and wants are not the same thing. When my son was very young, he wanted to play with a knife, but what he wanted was not what he needed. I knew better. I knew he’d likely hurt himself, so I said no. Many a person who has inherited a fortune from their parents got just what they wanted, but it wasn’t what they needed because they ended up destitute and in poverty. Some ended up in bankruptcy, and a few even committed suicide. This all started from the desire for wealth, so money may not be the best thing for us, even though we think it would be. For one thing, if we were rich, we might take our eyes off of God, feeling that since we now have all of our needs met, we don’t need anything from God. The deceitfulness of riches and cares of this world can lead us away from Christ (Mark 4:19) and can lead to many sorrows (1 Tim 6:10). In Solomon’s wisdom, he warned about being too rich, lest we forget about God, or being too poor, where we’d have to steal to survive (Prov 30:8). If God doesn’t answer your prayer to be financially secure, He must have something better for you.

What God Thinks

A few times I have actually heard people tell me that they thanked God for unanswered prayer because they later realized that it wouldn’t have been the best thing for them. In fact, it could have turned out harmful for them in the long run. Prayer doesn’t really change God’s mind; it usually changes ours, sometimes for the better. Jesus once prayed to have the cup of the dregs of human depravity (or sin) pass from Him, but God said no each time, and aren’t we thankful for that (Matt 26:39-42); otherwise, we would have no redemption from our sins and we would still have the wrath of God abiding on each one of us (John 3:18; 36b).

What Do You Think?

Have you ever wondered if what you are praying for is in your best interest? I have a few times, but in the end God’s will is the thing that we should qualify all prayer with. If it’s not God’s will, we have no business praying for it because He surely knows what is best for us, better than we ourselves do. God knows the future (Isaiah 46:10), and we don’t (Eccl 8:7; 10:14). We should be content with what we have, and if we are praying for God’s will, then we know that it’s the best thing that could possibly happen to us. An unanswered prayer could certainly be because God says, “Wait, not yet.” At other times He says, “No, you’ll hurt yourself,” but sometimes it’s “No, I have something better for you.”

A Closing Prayer

Righteous, Holy Father, thank You for Your wisdom of always knowing what’s best for me because I cannot know what is always for my own good. Thank You for what You have already given me, and please forgive me for not being content with what I already have. I pray for Your perfect will to be done in my life and that my prayers align with that. I pray this in the Strong Name of Jesus Christ.

Amen

Need Help?

Psalm 18:6

In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.

Cry Out for Help

The human heart tends to be self-reliant, and we all seek to solve our problems in our own strength. How sad, because God is both willing and able to help us if we would only cry out to Him. If you were drowning, wouldn’t you cry out for someone’s help? Would you be so pride-filled that you’d wait until the last second and even risk drowning before you cried out for someone to save you? That is the tendency of my own heart, but I miss out on the greatest power in the universe–the Creator God, for Whom nothing is too hard. What a pity, because God has promised that when the righteous cry out for help, He both hears them and then delivers them (Psalm 34:17). David knew the wisdom of crying out for help, and he knew what needing help was all about since he had to run for his life from King Saul, who pursued him for many years trying to kill him.

God Helps Those Who Can’t Help Themselves

The false idea that God helps those who help themselves is wrong–it is not found in the Bible. God actually helps those who can’t help themselves, and in this way he is glorified (2 Chro 16:9). God wants us not to have fear or be dismayed because He says, “I Am your God who will strengthen you in your time of need and uphold you by My righteous hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Do we believe that? When Israel faced 900 chariots of iron, their only hope was to cry out to God for help, and He came through for them, delivering them (Judges 4:3). God actually loves it when we cry out to Him for help. Our cries absolutely do reach His ears (Psalm 18:6).

He is Listening, Are we Speaking?

We can have the confidence that when we pray to God for help, He does hear us (1 John 5:14) since He is quick to hear the humble of heart (Psalm 34:2). He hears us in the morning and in the evening (Psalm 5:2-3). When we need saving, even from our own mistakes, He will save us (Psalm 145:19). When we hunger and our tongues fail for thirst, He hears us (Isaiah 41:17). Interestingly, He even hears us before we have the chance to call out to Him (Isaiah 65:24); however, it is still up to us to cry out for Him and for His intervention in our lives, but He can’t hear us until we humble ourselves and acknowledge that we need His help.

A Closing Prayer

Great God in heaven, I know Your ears are always attentive to my cries for help. Thank You for Your deliverance out of my many troubles. I thank You that when I needed Your help, You listened to my cries. I thank You that no matter what time it is or what trouble there is, You hear me. I give You thanks for being such a good God. In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen

Rhetorical Jesus

John 3:36

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Someone on Your Heart?

Is there someone who comes to mind when you think about sharing your faith? Who is that person? Who has God placed on your heart that often comes to mind when you think about someone who’s not yet saved? Is it your spouse, your child, your neighbor, your co-worker, or just a friend? Frequently, God will place someone into our thoughts and make us think about them from time to time. He may be trying to tell us, by His Spirit, that He would like us to tell them how they might be saved and the only Name given to us to be saved by (Acts 4:12).

Saved or Lost?

Notice how Jesus puts the message of the gospel in John 3:36. He contrasts believing in Him and having eternal life with rejecting Him and still having the wrath of God abiding on him or her. Whoever believes in Him has no fear of facing His judgment (John 3:18a), but whoever doesn’t believe in Him is condemned at that moment (John 3:18b) unless they repent and believe. There is no middle ground. Some have told me that they are waiting and haven’t made a decision yet, but that’s a dangerous place to stand because any of us could die at any moment and suddenly face judgment (Heb 9:27). To make no decision is to still make a decision to not believe in Christ. To make no choice is choosing to not believe. Indecision is a “no” decision. There is no fence to sit on in the matter of salvation. The fence and all who sit upon it get burned up in the judgment. I heard one preacher say that there are only two kinds of people: the saints and the aint’s.

Who’s Your Father?

Jesus once called the religious crowd the children of the Devil (John 8:44), but to whoever believes in Him, God gives them the right to be called the children of God (1 John 1:12). You have only one parent, God or Satan, and you know where Satan’s ultimate destination is (Rev 20:12-15). Has God placed someone on your heart that you need to share the gospel with? Is there someone you know who Jesus wants to be saved? The fact is, He wants all who are not yet saved to come to saving faith in Him. Who doesn’t Jesus want to be saved? No one (2 Pet 3:9)!

A Closing Prayer

God my Father, You are such a good God, saving me and so many others I know. Please give me the encouragement to keep sharing my faith and to give me the courage even when I know it’s going to be hard, especially with my unsaved family members, and I pray this in the name above all names, Jesus Christ.

Amen

WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?

Luke 8:25

He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?

Jesus, Sovereign over Nature

Jesus knew there would be a storm coming, and He knows when ours will come. These storms might be God’s voice saying, “Where is your faith?” These storms of life hit every believer from time to time, and they will test our faith to see if it is the genuine thing or not. This testing of our faith is not intended to discourage us but to strengthen our faith, as it can produce steadfastness (James 1:2-4). Strong, persistent winds strengthen the trees around us just as the storms of life strengthen our faith in God, and this is so we’ll know that we can lean on Him and trust in Him during these times in our lives.

Jesus Sleeps through the Storms. Can We?

No sooner than Jesus was in the boat He fell fast asleep, but He did so before the storms came (Luke 8:23). How could He sleep knowing there was such a fierce storm coming? He was full of faith, that’s how. He could rest in peace knowing that God is always in control. He could easily fall asleep because He was either so exhausted from His continuously full days of ministry, or He was so certain that nothing would happen that He would rest without ever having to worry about the boat and all of its occupants sinking. Maybe it was for both reasons, but the disciples panicked, and one of the most humorous statements you’ll likely ever hear comes from the disciples when they woke Him at the height of the storm basically saying, “Master, don’t you care that we’re all going to drown” (Luke 8:24a)? Now think about that statement. Does Jesus care about them? Naturally He does. Do you think Jesus was about to let them drown? Oh, by the way, Jesus was in the boat. Do you think He’d let the boat sink and, oh no, all of the disciples drown, including Jesus!? Their faith was shallow, but instead of pointing my finger at them about how little faith they had, I ask myself, “How am I like that too?”

Fear of Man or Fear of God

When they finally woke Jesus up, He rebuked the storm, and immediately everything was perfectly calm (Luke 8:24b). Right after Jesus rebuked the storm, He rebuked the disciples by asking them a rhetorical question: “Where’s your faith” (Luke 8:25)? When the disciples saw that Jesus had power over nature, that’s when they feared Jesus even more than the storm, saying, “Who is this that can command even the winds and the water and they obey him” (Luke 8:25)? Their fear was reprioritized; they now feared Jesus more than anything else. If they knew from the beginning that Jesus had power over the storm, would they have feared the storm as much? Or would they have had more fear of Jesus since He is also God? Where’s their faith? Where is mine?

A Closing Prayer

Righteous Father, You are sovereign over all nature. You are always in control of all things, so please help me to trust more in You than my eyes. I must fear You, God, more than fear what man or nature can do, and I ask for Your help in these things in Jesus’ name.

Amen

THE FIRST TRANSFORMER

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5).

I realized that God had made the first transformer. He created man from dust. He created him in such a way that, if need be, He could pull a woman out of him without ever having to reach back into the dust. Out of one creative act God transformed the man into a marriage. Then He transformed the marriage into a family, the family into a society, et cetera.

God never had to reach into the ground again, because the power to transform was intrinsically placed into man. All types of potential were locked into our spirits before birth. For the Christian, transformation at its optimum is the outworking of the internal. God placed certain things in us that must come out. Every word of our personal prophetic destiny is inside us. He has ordained us to be.

Only when we are weary from trying to unlock our own resources do we come to the Lord, receive Him, and allow Him to release in us the power to become whatever we need to be. Actually, isn't that what we want to know--our purpose? Then we can use the power to become who we really are. Life has chiseled many of us into mere fragments of who we were meant to be. To all who receive Him, Christ gives the power to slip out of who they were forced into being so they can transform into the individual they each were created to be.

T.D. JAKES

BELIEVE IN HIS NAME

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (John 1:12).

 

I pray that we as Christians never lose our conviction that God does change lives. We must protect this message. Our God enables us to make the radical changes necessary for fulfilling our purposes and responsibilities. Like the caterpillar that eats and sleeps its way to change, the process occurs gradually but nonetheless powerfully. Many people who will rock this world are sleeping in the cocoon of obscurity, waiting for their change to come. The Scriptures declare, “. . . it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Rom. 13:11 KJV).

 

A memory of my twin sons playing on the floor when they were children tailors the continuity of this text for me. They were playing with a truck, contributing all the sounds of grinding gears and roaring engines. I didn’t pay much attention as I began unwinding from the day’s stresses and challenges. Distractedly, I glanced down at the floor and noticed that the boys were now running an airplane down an imaginary runway. I asked, “What happened to the truck you were playing with?”

 

They explained, “Daddy, this is a transformer!”

 

I then inquired, “What is a transformer?”

 

Their answer brought me into the Presence of the Lord. They said, “It can be transformed from what it was before into whatever we want it to be!”

 

Are you being transformed through believing in His name?

 

T.D. JAKES

Walking with God

April 10, 2016

Daily Blessing

May you look around and notice all of the answers to prayer you enjoy because of prayers you prayed some time ago. May the breakthroughs you've experienced and the open doors you've walked through compel you to pray with more fervency, specificity, and tenacity. God loves your faith. He loves it when you pray. He's very protective of you and won't give you something that's not good for you. He makes you wait because He's making you ready. Keep praying. God is moving, even when you can't see it. One day, your faith will become sight.

April 12, 2016

Daily Blessing

May God lift your chin, awaken your heart, and open your eyes to all you possess in Him. May you refuse to let your disappointments define you. Instead, may you stand on that barren land and envision a harvest. May you experience a revival of faith in that very place! Instead of rehashing your losses, determine to rehearse His promises because they're truer than your circumstances. Today's a good day to embrace faith, to give thanks, and to worship the One who keeps His promises. Jesus loves you and He is faithful to His Word. May His love define you and His promises hem you in and shore you up. You've got everything you need in Him. Have a blessed day.

A Family Is . . .

A deeply rooted tree with branches of different strengths all receiving nourishment from our Father in heaven.

 

Where character is formed, values are learned, and society is preserved.

 

Where all members contribute a share, cooperate and work, and accept their responsibilities toward the good of the group.

 

Where holidays are celebrated with feasting, birthdays are acknowledged with gifts, and thoughts of days gone by are kept alive with fond remembrances.

 

Where each can find solace and comfort in grief; pleasure and laughter in joy; and kindness and encouragement in daily living.

 

A haven of rest, a sanctuary of peace, and most of all, a harbor of love.

 

“And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:18)

Suggestions for Rearing Your Children for Christ [Part 2]

(6) Speak often of the joys of serving God (Philippians 4:4). Sing songs together about it (never with an instrument, Colossians 3:16). Instill in them a longing to go to heaven.

(7) Spend the necessary time to be the main spiritual teacher of your children, more than the preacher or teacher (Ephesians 6:4).

(8) Teach them that lying is one of the worst things they could ever do (Revelation 21:8, 27), and punish them firmly if they do (Proverbs 29:15-17).

(9) Train them early in principles of modesty, and you won't have to combat short shorts, scanty tops, and scanty swim suits in years to come (1 Timothy 2:9).

(10) Keep their speech pure by not allowing yourself or them to ever use profanity or even a substitute such as golly, gee, gosh, darn, and heck (Matthew 12:36-37).

Suggestions for Rearing Your Children for Christ [Part 1]

(1) Begin regular spiritual training now and continue through all their developing years (Proverbs 22:6).

(2) Clearly demonstrate to them at all times that God is the most important thing in your life, by never allowing other things to interfere with the worship and work of the Lord (Matthew 6:33).

(3) Let their early memories include daily readings of Bible stories and Bible discussions in the family circle (2 Timothy 3:15).

(4) Give them their own Bible even before they can read. Read to them from it at home and have them take it to church services (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). In their preschool years have them begin a lifetime habit of regular memorization and review important Bible verses (Psalm 119:11,16).

(5) Teach them to pray by having them repeat after you phrase by phrase. Pray audibly with them daily (Ephesians 6:18). [Never teach them to memorize a prayer.]

I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows

A young man applying for a job on a farm was asked what he knew how to do. He replied, “Sir, I know nothing about farm work, but I can sleep when the wind blows.” 

 

The farmer did not understand, but as he was desperate for help, he employed the young man.

 

A few nights later a terrible storm blew in. The farmer was wakened and ran to the young man’s room.

 

There, just as he had said, he was sleeping through the storm. Rather than trying to awaken the youth, the farmer himself ran out to the barn to check the animals and equipment. He found the doors to the barn tightly shut. The animals were in their shelter, properly secured. Then he remembered the pile of straw the wind would be blowing in all directions, but he found it covered with canvas and tied down. Everything was secure.

 

On the way back to the house, he remembered what the young man had said: “I can sleep when the wind blows.” And he understood.

 

What about us? Can we have the confidence to live through life’s storms? Are we fulfilling all our obligations to God? Are our “chores” done? - Olden Cook

 

“I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

ALL THE DOORS WERE OPENED

ALL THE DOORS WERE OPENED

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed (Acts 16:25-26).

As you read this, you may feel that life is passing you by. You often experience success in one area and gross defeat in others. You need a burning desire for the future, the kind of desire that overcomes past fear and inhibitions. You will remain chained to your past and all the secrets therein until you decide: enough is enough! I am telling you that when your desire for the future peaks, you can break out of prison. I challenge you to sit down and write 30 things you would like to do with your life and scratch them off, one by one, as you accomplish them. There is no way you can plan for the future and dwell in the past at the same time. I feel an earthquake coming into your prison! It is midnight - the turning point of days! It is your time for a change. Praise God and escape out of the dungeons of your past.

Don't allow the enemy to plug into you and violate you through his subtle seductions. He is a giver and he is looking for a receiver. You must discern his influence if you are going to rebuke him. Anything that comes, any mood that is not in agreement with God's Word, is satan trying to plug into the earthly realm through your life. He want you to believe that you cannot change. He loves prisons and chains! Statements like, "This is just the way I am" or "I am in a terrible mood today" come from lips that accept what they ought to reject. Never allow yourself to settle for anything less than the attitude God wants you to have in your heart. Don't let satan have your day, your spouse, or your home. Adam and Eve could have put the devil out!

T.D.JAKES

POWER TO THE WEAK

POWER TO THE WEAK

He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength (Isaiah 40:29).
The Bible says that God "gives power to the weak [faint], and to those who have no might He increases strength" (Isa. 40:29). He is saying, "I won't kill you because you fainted or are weak. I give power to the weak."

When you start losing the strength you once had, you are fainting. When you can hardly stand up and you begin to stagger in the throes of sin, lust, envy, and strife, God declares, "I give power to you!"
If you have looked inside yourself and cannot muster the strength to get up, God says, "I will increase your strength."

God will not only raise you up, but He'll give you enough power to pull yourself up if you stumble again. He won't help you up so you can be handicapped the rest of your life. No. He gives power to the faint, and to those who are weak He gives strength.

Are you weak with no willpower, no strength, no ability within yourself to resist the enemy? When your body gets tired, remember God and His strength. When satan begins to attack you, remember the power of God residing within your innermost being. Remember that God does not faint or grow weary. In fact, the Holy One does not even sleep.

T.D.JAKES

THE COMMANDMENTS

John 14:15

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

A Life of Gratitude

Jesus went to the cross and died for us. Shouldn’t we feel forever indebted to Him? Naturally we should, but how can we ever repay Him? The truth is we cannot ever repay Him for paying a debt He didn’t owe, for a debt we could never repay in a million lifetimes, so shouldn’t our natural desire be to do what He asks us to do (Matt 28:18-20)? The debt we owe is like that of the man who owed his master five hundred denarii (Luke 7:41). Which of them would the master love more: the one who owed only fifty denarii or the one who owed five hundred? Certainly the latter, so we ought to want to obey Christ and keep His commands out of sheer gratitude and love for laying down His life for us (John 15:13).

Don’t Hurt Yourself

The commandments are not so much don’t do this and don’t do that, but don’t hurt yourself because the commandments are given for our best interests. Just like speed limit signs are there so we won’t get hurt or even killed and others won’t hurt or kill us, so the commandments are given so that we won’t hurt ourselves or hurt others. These laws are not meant to stifle our joy, but to make us live a life that is more joyful. When we obey the laws of the land, we can have peace of mind that we’re not in any trouble with the law, but when we break these man-made but God- ordained laws (Rom 13:1-4), we have every right to worry. Worry robs us of joy, but obedience gives us peace of mind and increases the likelihood of having a life that is more joyful.

Happy is the Man or Woman

The man or woman who delights in keeping God’s law will be blessed (Psalm 112:1). The person who walks in them, which means the person who obeys them, will have God’s blessing upon them (Psalm 119:1). If you think that God’s law is important, consider that the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the entire Bible is about God’s law (Psalm 119). We gain understanding when we keep His law (Psalm 119:34). There is a delightful feeling in keeping His law (Psalm 119:70). It is more valuable than all the riches in the world (Psalm 119:72). We know that the law is perfect, holy, and true (Psalm 119:142; Psalm 19:7). It brings great peace (Psalm 119:165), and it restores or revives the soul (Psalm 19:7). Why shouldn’t we desire to keep it? It is for our own good.

A Closing Prayer

Great heavenly Father, please forgive me where I fall short of loving Your law because You and Your Word cannot be separated from one another, and I know that Your law is what is best for me. I thank You for showing us Your great love for us in Your holy and perfect law, and it is in the Great Savior’s Name I pray.

Amen