Convictions

"F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, 'At 18 our convictions are hills from which we look; at 45 they are caves in which we hide.'  Another analogy would be:  convictions are the fires that propel us and the fences that protect us."  (quoted from Turning Points by Dr. David Jeremiah.)

Having just celebrated Memorial Day, I've been giving a lot of thought to the word "convictions".  I'm in awe of the conviction of men and women in our armed forces who voluntarily put themselves in harm's way for the cause of freedom.  I'm in awe of, and grateful to, the men and women of generations past who sacrificed so much for our freedom.  And I am eternally grateful for the sacrifice paid at Calvary that secured my eternal freedom.  It seems almost tragic that we set aside one day a year to think on these things, rather than remembering every day the great price that was paid.  Is it not important enough to reflect on daily?  Is it not important enough to impact our daily lives?  Should we not also be living our lives with conviction?

As we have journeyed through Psalm 119, I think we can easily see that the psalmist was a man of conviction.  Here are some examples of his convictions:

• verse 8 - "I shall keep your statutes."
• verse 11 - "Your word I have treasured in my heart."
• verse 16 - "I shall delight in Your statutes."
• verse 30 - "I have chosen the faithful way."
• verse 44 - "I will keep your law continually."
• verse 83 - "I do not forget your statutes."
• verse 89 - "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven."
• verse 93 - "I will never forget Your precepts."
• verse 112  - "I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, even to the end."

This is certainly not an all-inclusive list.  We can learn much about the psalmist as we carefully read this Psalm.  And we can learn much from him!  His example of living with conviction regarding God's Word is an important lesson for us.  As we face daily living in a world that has lost its regard for the Word of God, we would do well to learn from the psalmist and follow his example.  Something to think about today......