Psalm 119 Loving the Law?

This morning was the first time I think I really made it through Psalm 119 without getting distracted, or bored, or just thinking, "Wow this guy goes on and on and on."

This morning I was struck by the thought that culturally the psalmist in the old testament used "the Law" the way we might use "God's Word" or even the Living Word, "Jesus."

So now instead of reading, meditating, loving, ingesting "the Law," think about looking to God's Living Word, Jesus as the focus of our thoughts and meditations.

The other thought that came through in this reading, is that God gave the psalmist Adversity, Affliction, and Suffering to help his life become closer intertwined with the "Living Word of God." The bad stuff and the good stuff of this life, and the promise for a future all purposed for our best at the hand of God.

Spend some time with the Living Word today. Meditate on some of the bad stuff in your past and how God may be using it for your long term good, and to draw you closer to Him.

Ever screw up… really bad?

Ever screw up … really bad? I mean, broke one of the big, ten commandments? Go to jail type stuff? But, you didn’t get caught. No one saw. You thought. But just to make sure, you did what you thought was some really creative thinking and worked a cover up? But wait, somebody knows. In fact it’s going to become public. Does this mean embarrassment? Loss of career? Loss of relationships? Condemnation? Punishment?

I had a Christian friend in the insurance business that spent a client premium on his own bills. Needless to say he’s no longer in the insurance business. But can God forgive? Will he restore us? Will there be lifelong consequences? Will we permanently lose our standing with God?

That depends. It depends on us. Do we fess up? Do we turn around (repent) and seek God? Do we face the music, or submit to the law and restitution?

Let’s remember King David and his experience. And let’s look at his change of heart.

The SIN

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.” 2 Samuel 11:2-4

The COVERUP

In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he wrote, “Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die. Vs. 14

Getting CAUGHT

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Vs 12:7-9

The LIFETIME CONSEQUENCES

Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ “This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.* You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’” Vs 10-12

“But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.” Vs. 14

The CHANGE OF HEART

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned* against the LORD.” Vs. 13

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:1,2,7,9,10,11

FORGIVENESS

Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. Vs.13.b

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

OK, what about us? What about you? Are you carrying a sin, something you don’t think God can forgive? What lifetime consequences are you living with?

Has God changed? Will He not forgive and restore? Are you willing to pay your debt and make restitution?

Have you had a change or heart? Have you turned back to God? Are you ready to cry out to Him for forgiveness?

My friend never could return to the financial services industry. And, he struggled with money his whole life. But, he did repent of his sin, and confessed publicly before his whole congregation at church one Sunday. And, he's in heaven with Jesus today!

Never Give Up

Guys,

Here's a super verse with some interesting, bittersweet encouragement for us...

We know that the same God who raised our Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself along with you. All of these things are for your benefit. And as God's grace brings more and more people to Christ, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.… For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:14-18 NLT

It's worth reading again ...

We know that the same God who raised our Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself along with you. All of these things are for your benefit. And as God's grace brings more and more people to Christ, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.… For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:14-18 NLT

I received a reasonably good report on my uncle Jim the other night, at age 81, the doctors said the spots of cancer in his bones and on his lungs are of a slow growing type. So they said they could treat them for pain, and give him years of life yet. When you talk about the "big C," and you are 81, years instead of months is a good report.

But as the scripture above says, our bodies, sin cursed, are slowly or quickly dying. But the real us, our soul, and our God given spirit is being sanctified and being renewed every day.

John MacArthur, and the Bible say that at a believer's physical death, we are immediately in the presence of God, with a perfected soul, the real us is no longer sin cursed and we are the best we'll ever be and in perfect joy and fellowship with our God forever. Then, when the Lord returns, our bodies will be resurrected, perfect, imperishable, fit for heaven, so "the joys to come will last!"

Have you got troubles? God's plan is working out. His grace is bringing more and more people to Christ.

So as Winston Churchill said, "Never Give Up!"