By Joe Bragg Marriage is hard. Marriage requires us to put in the work. Marriage is the joining of two fallen people who tend to think of themselves first. Marriage requires sacrifice, patience, and surrender. Marriage is beautiful, it is a precious gift from God designed by Him, to help sustain us, grow us, and shape us. Marriage is hard, but God is good.
We see all over the scripture how husbands and wives are to function. God is good to give us instructions on how this should look, I for one praise Him for this. Ephesians 5 verses 21-33 will be the source text. Please take a minute to read it and then come back here. This is a heavy passage but I would like to simplify it by using verse 21 & we will go from there. “And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” We don’t tend to like the word submit, it carries with it negative connotations. However, I contend this is a beautiful and powerful word when properly understood. Paul, in Ephesians 5, gives us a picture of what it means to be submitted to one another as husbands and wives. Paul shows us how marriage is a reflection of how the church, the bride of Christ, finds itself submitted to Jesus, the bridegroom. Paul uses this illustration to show us how our roles are to function in marriage, but simultaneously he makes it plain that it is an “illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.” Again, submittance is a beautiful, and powerful word. We as believers are first and foremost submitted to Jesus, He is our Lord, and our submittance to Him is wonderful as it is life giving, and redemptive. Jesus laid down His life for us, and as a result we live for Him. Now check this out. Paul in Ephesians 5 tells wives to submit to their husbands as they are the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He goes on to tell husbands to lay down their lives for their wives like Christ laid down His life for the church. Do you see it? Husbands, if we long to revive our marriage, we must be submitted to Jesus and we are to follow His example by laying down our lives for our wives. When husbands live in this way, their wives have a tendency to follow them, why? Because like Jesus, when we lay down our lives for our wives, they see it and much like we follow Jesus, they follow us. This relates to marriage between believers, but what about those who are unequally yoked, or have a spouse that proclaims Jesus but isn’t currently following Him? I’m glad you asked…If you are the believing spouse, you are called to simply live for Jesus. Take some time to read 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 which ends by saying; “Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?” It is certainly difficult to reduce such a heavy topic down to a one page devotional, so if you are serious about reviving your marriage, may this simply be the starting point of much more study and investment. Paul ends Ephesians 5 with these remarks; “However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” It boils down to love and respect. Husbands love their wives (regardless of whether they are following Jesus), and wives respect their husbands (regardless of whether they are following Jesus). Speaking to those who are devoted followers of Christ, live for Him in your marriage. Be submitted to Christ, and then one another. Husbands, lay down your lives for your wives as Christ did the church, and wives, submit to your husbands as the church submits to Christ.
0 Comments
By Simply Kerri Article by Simply Kerri Let’s talk friendships. I love having best friends! Best friends are the best! I tend to keep my close circle small because, well, less drama and, honestly, I’ve been burned by some close friends in the past. It hurts. It stinks. Jealousy is ugly, judgment is ugly, betrayal is painful, being honest and speaking truth can be hard. And when you have been hurt by a friend, confronting them is reallllly hard! Let’s be honest, even the best of friendships can sometimes be difficult to maneuver. As with everything, there are seasons. Seasons of joy, and seasons of struggle.
I’ve recently had a loss of friendship of sorts. It has been really bothering me. It hurts! I don’t even know what I did. I think that’s what makes it even harder. I’ve talked with a couple people, understanding what I believe the main issue to be, even justifying what could be possibly going on, but it still bothered me. So I got down on my knees and took it to the Lord. Over the last few months every time I thought about that person I was so angry. Hurt, confused. Every time I got this way, God would just put it on my heart to pray for them. So I did. For months I prayed for that person. Then, one day I heard an Internet friend talking about letting go of “those friends”. It kind of hit me, and made me sad. It would seem that God has me in a season of learning to let go and although it’s sometimes needed to prune away the dead parts that don’t bring life, it’s also painful and hard. I loved this friend. As we all know sometimes our pain turns to anger and we start picking away at everything they did or didn’t do. We want to lash out, write long letters that share our hurt and anger. Maybe if you’re like me you just want to be like, “what did I do?!” But in the end, it’s the hurt that is rearing its ugly head. I started looking through the Bible at how Jesus handled his friends. My conclusion: He loved them. He encouraged them, He cheered for them, He supported them, He served them, reached out to them in their time of need, washed their feet. He spoke truth to them. He loved them. Even when He knew He was being betrayed or rejected. He still loved them. And eventually, He died for them. This brought new questions in my heart. And a feeling of, but it’s not fair. And as God lovingly convicts the human heart, He asked me some hard questions back. Have you loved them back, supported them, cheered for them or with them, served them and their needs, reached out, spoken truth to them? Have you loved them in return? Some things I can clearly say a strong “yes”, but there were also some very big “no’s” in there too. Jesus was judged, and mocked, and I’m sure faced situations where people were jealous of Him or his friendships with others. He was betrayed and hurt! In today’s society we are so quick to walk away without a second thought. And don’t get me wrong, there are certainly some situations that are toxic and you should really just take the loss, forgive, bless and release. It’s probably healthier. I also believe that you can still love someone, pray for them from a distance, want good for them, but still protect your heart. But I’m talking about those deep rooted friendships that have taken years to cultivate. I think it’s important to seek the Lord before you let go and walk away. As I said, some times it’s needed. But also, God doesn’t desire for us to be divided. So, I think we have two choices. One, we can love them and wish them well, pray for them, and just accept the fact that we are in different seasons of life. Or two, you can dig deep, first in your own heart, asking God to show you your own errors in the friendship. Then begin praying for them. Not that they would be convicted, but that God would bring healing to the friendship, that He would give you wisdom whether or not to address a particular issue. Confronting someone that you love can be really difficult and if their hearts are not ready to receive it, you’re just throwing pearls before the swine and it will most likely end with more conflict. Here’s another thing you can do.. Be their squire. A good knight always has a squire. A squires job was to serve his knight. He would carry his armor, shield and sword. He would sharpen his knights sword. He would protect his knights back during battle. And if the knight was captured it was the squires job to try and rescue him. We need to be as Jesus was to his friends. It’s not our job to rescue them, per say, only God can do that. But we can be there for them just as Jesus was there for his friends. He served them with a true servants heart, just as a squire serves his knight. Lastly, we are called to love. Love can have a pretty big definition with a wide range of acts to show it. Another thing God showed me was; we cannot control others or what they think, feel and say. And that is not our business anyway. That is between them and God. But we can control our own behaviors. Our own choices. Our own thoughts and feelings. We can choose to stay angry and hurt, or we can get down on our knees and be the squire for our knight. Iron sharpens iron. One of my favorite friendship scriptures. Maybe, like me you’re in a season where you’re not speaking to that person. If that is so, you can still be that iron for them. Pray and intercede for them. Prayer is powerful! Continue making small efforts as God leads healing and conviction on the other end. But also allow God to convict your heart, let him search your heart and motives so that you too can be a good friend in return. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” PROVERBS 27:17 Like what you are reading? Read more at simplykerri.com By Ashtyn Washington Right now, the world is in a frenzy due to the Coronavirus and the effect that it has had on families, schools, businesses, etc. It’s so easy to be consumed with news, fear, worry, and anxiety. Right now, it is important that we remain grounded and remember that this won’t last forever. We will come out on the other side.
So I wanted to write this post for anyone who is feeling worn out, fatigued, tired, or unsure of what to do in this season. You can still remain purposeful in seasons of uncertainty. Here’s how: 1) Spend Time With God Now is the time that we as believers need to get serious about our relationships with God. It’s not just enough to go to church on Sundays. We must learn how to meet God in our own homes and secret places. During this time, we must seek God’s face for His direction and guidance. I urge you to spend at least 30 minutes every day in prayer and bible study. If you need help, I have multiple bible study videos that you can find here, as well as a Bible Study Journal that I use daily. I also have a post on how I study the Bible myself. 2) Develop a Morning Routine + Daily Habits The next thing that I would encourage you to do is develop a morning routine and daily habits. When your life gets turned upside down, it’s easy to feel anxious and overwhelmed. The one thing that you can control is how you start your day. Make a list of everything that you would like to accomplish in the morning, and start creating a daily habit of doing those things. For me, I know that I need to make coffee, read my Bible and pray every morning before I do anything else. You can check out my full morning routine blog post here. 3) Journal + Make Gratitude Lists It’s easy in times like these to be upset over the way that things currently are. One way to keep yourself grounded and purposeful during this time is to journal through your thoughts. Another good thing to do is to make daily gratitude lists. Writing down what you’re grateful for each day brings a new perspective and can change your outlook. Every day I write down my prayers, and I also write in my 90 Day Affirmation Journal. This journal has helped me remain calm in seasons of uncertainty and has encouraged me that I can and will make it through these times. 4) Read One of the things that I am trying to do to get myself through this season is reading more. Not only is reading a good distraction, but it’s also a great way to learn more about something that you have been wanting to do. You can read books and learn new languages, how to start business, how to have a better relationship with your spouse, etc. Use this time to build yourself up and become a better you! 5) Work On That Thing You’ve Been Putting Off Lastly, you can remain purposeful by remaining productive. Use this time to work on that special project that you’ve been putting on the back burner. If you’ve been wanting to write a book, you can check out my Author Bootcamp. If you’ve been wanting to start a business, now’s the time to do your research. If you’ve been wanting to learn how to dance, draw or play the piano, there are plenty of places that you can take classes online for free during this time. Just remember that we will come out of this, and you can come out better than you went in! By Ashtyn Washington In 2019, I published a blog post about my morning routine and how I spend more time with Jesus while balancing being a full-time college student, having an internship, writing for my blog, and trying to maintain a social life. That has been one of my most popular blog posts to date. Now that I have graduated from college, and work from home, I thought that I should update you guys and share what my quiet time routine looks like now. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below! I would love to hear what you guys include in your morning routine as well! My 2020 Morning + Quiet Time Routine WAKE UP - 8:00 AMSHOWER + MAKE COFFEEBIBLE STUDY - 8:30 AM By 8:30 AM, I am usually ready to start my quiet time. I think it’s important that you are fully awake when you are getting ready to spend time with God, which is why I try . to wake myself up by showering, brushing my teeth, and getting my coffee before I start my quiet time. I like to also set the atmosphere before I open my Bible. So I usually light a candle, turn on my gospel playlist, and say a quick prayer. Usually, my bible study consists of reading one to two chapters of whatever book of the bible I’m in. I’m currently reading Numbers. I read the chapter a few times, and highlight and jot down notes in my Bible. After I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of what I’ve read, I then pull out my Bible Study Journal and write down a quick summary of the chapter, as well as the things I learned and how I’m going to apply them to my daily life. Then, I try to remember to read my bible study plans in the Youversion bible app. I don’t get to these every single day, but I do make sure to read my actual Bible every day. The plans I’m currently reading are Dangerous Prayers and Rick Warren’s Daily Devotional. PRAYER + WORSHIP - 9:30 AM Typically, I spend about an hour just studying the Bible and really trying to walk away with a firm understanding of what I have read in the chapter for that day. After my bible study time, I then spend time in praise and worship. Lastly, I pray over my day and over what I read for that day. I usually write down my prayers in my prayer journal, but I have also been trying to get used to praying aloud, so sometimes I walk throughout my house praying as well. I usually pray and worship God for about 30 minutes. So my quiet time generally lasts from 8:30 to 10 am. I didn’t want this post to just be about me and my morning routine, so I wanted to share some tips to help you develop your morning routine! Tips for a Successful Morning Routine COMMIT TO YOUR MORNING ROUTINE BEFORE YOU START My number one tip for developing a morning routine is actually committing to the carrying out of your morning routine. It can be hard to go from rolling out of the bed at the last minute to waking up hours before you need to. The only way that you’re going to be successful in your routine is to make a decision from the beginning that you’re going to stick to it. CHARGE YOUR PHONE AWAY FROM YOU OR USE AN ALARM CLOCK Another tip for a successful morning routine is to charge your phone away from you or use an alarm clock. I suggest this because it can be easy to press snooze when your phone or alarm clock is right next to you. If you have to get up to turn off your alarm you are less likely to get back in bed. Secondly, if you use an alarm clock you can jump right into your morning routine without being tempted to spend time scrolling on social media, checking emails, or responding to messages. MAKE PRAYER AN INTENTIONAL PART OF YOUR ROUTINE I mention this as a tip because it can be so easy to pray as you’re running out of the door or on your morning commute, but it’s important to be intentional about prayer. Make time to actually sit down and converse with God so that you can hear from Him.
By Ashtyn Washington “WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT.”
It’s a simple command, but it can be so hard to actually put into action. For we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises].” - 2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP Does the way that you live your life prove that you confidently believe in the promises of God? Does every action you take align with the idea that you completely trust God’s Word and plan for your life? Are you truly walking by faith and not by sight? I’m not going to lie and act like it’s easy, especially because we’ve been conditioned to only do things that “make sense”. Often times, walking by faith requires you to do things that don’t make sense to you or anybody else. It didn’t make sense for me to quit my stable job to go into entrepreneurship. It didn’t make sense for me to move back to my hometown. None of it has made sense in the eyes of man, and that’s exactly why we can’t walk by sight. If I was walking by sight, I would’ve waited to leave my job until I felt like I was financially secure. What does that say about my trust in God if He told me to leave knowing my financial situation? Often times, walking by sight instead of moving by faith indicates a disconnect between us and God. When we are saved and enter into relationship with God, we acknowledge Him as not only our Savior but our Lord as well. This means that He becomes our master, ruler, and boss. So when He says go, we should go. When He says move, we should move because we are submitted to His Lordship and authority in our lives. if you are struggling with walking by faith and not by sight, here are three tips for you: SURRENDER FULLY TO CHRIST If you are not fully surrendered to God, it will be very hard for you to walk by faith. When we surrender to God, we are laying down our will and our desires, and picking up God’s will and desire. When you begin to want what God wants, it will be easier to walk by faith even when it doesn’t make sense. “And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].” - Luke 9:23 AMP STAY IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH GOD Because it doesn’t often make sense to walk by faith, it’s important to pray continually and without ceasing. That is how we stay up to date with what God is doing and get directions for where to go next. When we fail to communicate with God, we often fall back into walking by sight or simply doing what makes sense to us. “Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 AMP MOVE WHEN GOD SAYS MOVE When you’re walking by faith, it’s important that you move immediately when God says move. If you don’t, you are giving Satan time to plant seeds of doubt, fear, and uncertainty. The time between Gods instruction and your obedience is Satan’s playground. Don’t give him any time to play with your mind. “Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8 AMP While walking by faith and not by sight may be difficult, it’s not impossible. Remember that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 NLT
The definition of “Revive” is pretty awesome. To revive something simply means to restore to life or consciousness, give new strength or energy to. When we put our faith in Jesus, He revived us. Ephesians 2:1,4-5 states; “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins...But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” This is no small thing, through Jesus we go from death to life, praise God Almighty! This is a beautiful truth but let’s get real with each other for a minute. You and I both know that even in Christ life is hard and continues to weigh us down. We were revived when we put our faith in Christ but we are also in desperate need of His constant reviving, so often, daily. Time and time again in the Scriptures we see God telling His people to wait on Him, to run to Him, to lay our burdens at His feet, to not be anxious but to trust Him, and so on. God knows we will experience many trials, but even more so, He knows He is the answer, and He is what we need. Our God is in the business of restoration and we will not find true strength, true life, anywhere other than in God Himself. You and I, we have a tendency to try and take the world on by ourselves. We often think “I’ve got this” or that we are in control. The reality is, we don’t have it, and we are not in control. God wants us to know that He has it, and that He is in control. When we lay our life out before the Lord, trusting that He knows what He is doing, it is not only freeing, it is life giving, it revives us. The Lord our God is the orchestrator of our lives. He desires to play a beautiful melody that is for our good and to His glory. So often we seek to add notes that simply don’t belong. Let us meditate on Hebrews 12:1-2; “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Revival in the Lord boils down to trusting Him with our lives. I don’t know where you are at in your walk with Jesus. Maybe you have been following Him for years, maybe you are yet to enter into the most glorious relationship one could ever have, or anywhere in between. The truth is, we are all in desperate need of Jesus, from the seasoned saint to the non-believer, Jesus is the answer for everyone. Another reality is not everyone will come to know Jesus, but if you are reading this and you are looking for answers, look no further than the one who plainly stated in John 14:6; “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” If you have been following Jesus for a short time or a long time, this is still true and a truth that we must never forget. It’s not our way, it’s His, as He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If you are seeking revival in your life, turn to Jesus, “the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” "But I [Jesus] say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same? Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:44-48
Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Jesus wants us to fight the right war, and that is the spiritual one. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Eph 6:12) Our battle isn't against each other, it is far deeper than that. Of course the spiritual war manifests itself physically in the agendas we see, and how people treat people, but make no mistake, this is about souls, and eternity. Jesus telling us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us is not Him trying to be cute or nice. Rather, it is Jesus bringing home the point that those who belong to Him live differently because we know the truth. There is no greater example of this than Jesus' death on the cross. Can you imagine, just for a second, if those of us who are Jesus' followers would love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us instead of responding in our flesh? This has the power to be transformative, not only drawing us closer to God, but being a bold witness that may bring even our enemies and persecutors to know Him... To love like Jesus, it requires us to lay down our lives, keep our emotions in check, and remember the true war in which we are frontline soldiers. In chapter 12 of Romans, Paul states this; "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never repay evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Rom 12:14-21) God, through Paul, tells us that if our enemy is hungry we should feed him, and if he is thirsty, we should give him a drink. Paul states that in doing so, we will heap burning coals on our enemies head. In our flesh, we are all like "Yes! Burning coals!" but I contend this is so much deeper of a statement. When I hear the phrase "burning coals" my mind goes to Isaiah chapter 6. This is where the angel grabbed a burning coal from the alter, put it to Isaiah's lips and said his sins were forgiven. The coals had a purifying effect and represented grace. Remember, Isaiah thought it was over for him, he thought God was going to destroy him. Isaiah admitted his guilt and God demonstrated grace, He restored him. Then, Isaiah falls all over himself to get about God's business when he famously stated "here I am, send me." When we love our enemies, when we give grace rather than vengeance, this has the power to baffle our enemies. When we don't allow evil to overcome us but rather, we overcome evil with good, we speak volumes of who Christ is and what He has done in our lives. I am not saying that all our enemies will come to know Jesus, but, we do have a better opportunity for them to encounter Him if we point them to Him. When we recognize and know that our war isn't with flesh and blood but rather it is spiritual, this changes how we respond to those who seek our harm. Is it our heart that those who are our enemies come to know Jesus? Are we praying for those who persecute us so that they may taste and see that the Lord is good? This isn't easy but it is important. I praise God that He has given us His Spirit and that His grace is available. May we continue to learn and grow as we are being molded to Christ likeness. Our emotions can be a wonderful tool, one that was given to us by our Creator. They can also be dangerous and lead us astray. Something I have often pondered and thought amazing, is that truth isn't connected to our emotions. It doesn't matter how we feel about something, it only matters whether that something is true or false. For example; if we have the same headphones and you think they sound awful, and I think they sound amazing, our feelings about the headphones, don't change the fact that they are headphones. Truth is independent of our emotions. This is a very important thing for us to understand because we might not always feel God's presence.
We live in a day and an age where everything seems to be sensational, including certain sects of Christianity that have bled into the modern evangelical landscape. It has become about being consumed with God's presence and feeling Him, almost as if to confirm He is with you. If we are being honest, we don't always feel God's presence, and the reality is, that is okay. If you belong to Jesus, the Holy Spirit resides in you and "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God..." (Romans 8:16) There is an assurance that comes with knowing God that transcends our emotions. I don't want to downplay our emotions as God has created them and they are apart of our lives but due to sin, we have put them an in an improper space. The fact of the matter is, God is who He says He is regardless of what we feel about it. God can and most certainly does use our emotions but they are not our guide, He is. Our emotions are a gauge, not a guide. I thought Jon Bloom from Desiring God summed it up well, so instead of re-working what he wrote, here it is. "God designed your emotions to be gauges, not guides. They’re meant to report to you, not dictate you. The pattern of your emotions (not every caffeine-induced or sleep-deprived one!) will give you a reading on where your hope is because they are wired into what you believe and value — and how much. That’s why emotions like delight (Psalm 37:4), affection (Romans 12:10), fear (Luke 12:5), anger (Psalm 37:8), joy (Psalm 5:11), etc., are so important in the Bible. They reveal what your heart loves, trusts, and fears. At Desiring God we like to say pleasure is the measure of your treasure, because the emotion of pleasure is a gauge that tells you what you love. But because our emotions are wired into our fallen natures as well as into our regenerated natures, sin and Satan have access to them and will use them to try and manipulate us to act faithlessly. That’s why our emotional responses to temptation can seem like imperatives (you must do…) rather than indicatives (here’s what you’re being told). Just remember, that’s deceit. Emotions aren’t imperatives; they’re not your boss. They’re indicatives; they’re reports. That’s why Paul wrote, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions” (Romans 6:12)." If you are struggling to feel God's presence and long for that closeness. My encouragement would be to spend ample time in the word and in prayer. Something I started doing recently and hope to make a more consistent practice, is hand writing the Scripture out. For me this had an intimate feel and the words started to jump off the page. May we not be tossed back and forth by our emotions, rather may the be a gauge and may we walk in the truth as revealed in God's word. If you wanted to read the full article from Desiring God click here. If you want to continue the discussion, leave a comment! Have a blessed day! By Vicky Montaie In Psalm 119 there are eight words used continuously. Law, Word, judgment, Testimonies, Commandments, Statutes, Precepts, Word.
Law- Teach or direct. Word- God’s revealed word to man . Judgment- being judge by our words and works. Testimonies- Word for witness, signifies loyalty to the term of the covenant made between you and God Commandment- authority of what God said, His orders. Statues- The written word of God and authority of His written word; declaring His authority and power of giving us law. Precepts- Points to clear instructions of the Lord, as of one who cares about detail. Word- God has spoken, commanded, and promised. Our true happiness comes from knowing the bible not just searching scripture when we are in need. As Christians, as disciple’s, our focus should be on having a personal relationship with God through reading His word, and everyday living. We must come to God un-defiled, that’s where the true blessing comes from. Once you walk in God’s word, we will know the true blessings of living and enjoying an un-defiled life. We should be familiar with this saying, ”we are all sinners in our own way.” Let me seek to illustrate this. Our sins can cause us unhappiness; and the reason we may sin as much as we do, is that ( I hope you ready for the truth) we do not know the bible well enough; apart from being instructed by God. We as people do not know how to achieve happiness on our own. When we abide by the word of God, we become happier, enjoy life more and we become content. Psalm 119 gives us clear picture of the importance of why we should read, and mediate on the Word of God, and how crucial it is to our lives. Want to learn more? Read this article on True Freedom Lets continue to chat! Feel free to leave a comment or a questions. Remember to keep it Christ-like, we are all in process and we need to demonstrate grace and love. |