Welcome to Monday

Is it Monday again already!  I remember being told by my mother when I was a child that time would pass much more quickly as I got older.  Of course, I didn't believe her!  But, it turns out that she was right.....as she was about so many things!

We closed out last week thinking about that very familiar verse....."Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  You may be like me and seeking some answers, some direction concerning some issues that are nagging at you.  If so, like me, you need to hold on to that truth.....that the Word is a lamp, not a headlight or a floodlight.  The lesson here is to walk step by step in the light that we have, and more light will be available for the next step.  This is a faith issue, a trust issue, an obedience issue.  I've often heard Dr. Charles Stanley teach this principle - obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.  I think that applies here as well.  If we walk obediently in the light that we have, God will take care of the consequences AND He will provide light for the next step.

Are there other lessons that we can learn from this portion of Psalm 119?  Begin by reading Psalm 119:105-112 again. Here are some questions for you to consider as you focus your attention on these verses today.

• What is the psalmist's attitude in this stanza?  What commitments does he make?
• Are you committed to remember God's Word and faithfulness to you?  Are there any areas of your commitment that need attention today?
• In the nun stanza the psalmist pairs affliction and joy.  How well do you pair joy with affliction?  In your times of affliction, is your joy evident?  How does the psalmist maintain his joy?  (Look for specific behaviors.)
• Do you have joy in your life?  What does it typically depend on?
• If you have time, you might want to take a little extra time to do some word study on the word "joy".  Start by finding out which Hebrew word is used in Psalm 119:111.  You might also want to look at other words which are translated "joy" in both the Old and New Testaments.  Look up the verses where the words are used and see what you can learn.  I think you will be blessed!  (If you don't have a library of word study books, remember that you can use on-line resources such as http://www.blueletterbible.org/ or http://www.biblegateway.com/, for example.)
• The psalmist says "I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, even to the end."  This statement reflects a purposefulness, a deliberate commitment.  The New Bible Commentary says"the idea of deliberate commitment is strong in this section.  The verbs express determination......We must not expect to drift by accident into devotion to the word."  What about you?  Do you have a settled, determined purpose, a deliberate commitment to be devoted to the word?  Think about that today.  I'm not talking about a legalistic attitude that requires you to read a pre-determined number of verses every day so that you feel guilty if you don't check that off your to-do list.  Rather, I'm talking about a deep-seated commitment of the heart to be consistently in the Word of God and a deliberate commitment to be obedient to what God says to you through His Word, no matter what it is! 
• Finally, think back over the benefits we have discovered in this Psalm that the Word of God provides.  How would your life be different if you lived in light of those benefits?  If you feel you are falling a little short in this area, prayerfully review your findings and then ask God to help you reap that benefit!  You will be blessed!

"You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever."  (Psalm 16:11)