This post’s passage reference: Psalm 119:69-74
Watching the Holy Spirit guide your life is such an interesting thing. I have mentioned previously how God managed to place people in my life that strengthened and encouraged me in my Christian walk. I have seen, first hand, that my faith is worth much more than silver and gold.
If you pay attention, God will send others your way to strengthen your faith. Sometimes He sends complete strangers right up to you. Mom and I stopped at the grocery store. She waited in the car while I ran in. We were parked right beside the buggy return. Mom was sitting there with her window down. This lady came and returned her buggy. I’m sure mom probably smiled at her and said hello. She came over to the car and asked mom if she was a Christian. Mom told her she was. The lady says, “You just look like a Christian.” She asked mom if she would pray for her. That was the Holy Spirit leading.
One of my favorite memories about seeing the Holy Spirit at work was the first time I met my brother and sister-in-law’s Pastor for the first time. We had gone to church with them one day. After the service, my brother was introducing us to his Pastor and his wife. He shook my hand, paused, and then he put his other hand on mind and said, “Your spirit is ministering to my spirit.” I felt that one. I’d never thought of it like that before. Now I seek those situations where I am in the presence of other God-honoring people and I can feel the Holy Spirit ministering to me through them. Those times are sweet, but sometimes you do have to get through difficult times to get to the times when God’s Spirit will minister to you.
As we start to read Psalm 119:69-74, we see that the psalmist begins the first of this passage with a lament of how proud, arrogant people have made his life miserable by spreading lies about him. Even so, he is determined to keep God’s precepts with his whole heart. The hearts of those that have run him down are shrouded so thickly with unbelief and untruth that they do not understand God’s precepts. But, even through that situation, the psalmist’s delight was in the Law of the Lord.
He determined that everything he had been through, his troubles and trials, was worth it because it helped him learn the statutes of the Lord more fully. To see God’s Law in action was worth more to him than silver and gold.
He acknowledged that God had created him intricately with His hands. He, again, petitioned God for understanding so that he could understand the concepts of His commandments. He was thankful to be warmly greeted by other people that were God-followers. They saw that he loved God’s Word, and that it had seen him through to the honor and glory of God.
As people who follow Christ, what is the challenge within this passage for us? I think we all run into times in our lives that people are against us for one reason or another. For those that are trying to keep the precepts of God, a lot of times, that is the reason that arrogant, proud people come against us. I think the challenge here could be to try and get through every situation in life thinking about who is watching us. A lot of times we will go through things that are not really about us. The situations could be about others mistreating us and then watching us to see how we live out our Christian faith, or people just watching how we walk our walk each and every day in general. We need to be consistent with our walk no matter what is going on around us.
How can we apply this to our lives? As it was with the psalmist writing this passage, we will have times where we suffer trials. If we are paying attention, what we will see when we come through to the other side is that God was with us. Not only was God with us, others that honor and follow God are there cheering us on as we come through. We need to apply God’s precepts to our lives and ask Him to help us understand them and apply them. I really believe that it makes God happy when we truly seek knowledge from His Word and then put it to use in our lives. Give whoever is watching a big ole “God show.”
What does this mean to my faith? My faith is strengthened when I walk through trials and then at the other side, right there are my “God honoring people” lined up to encourage me and lift me up. I am also encouraged when I come into the presence of the Holy Spirit within someone and my spirit is ministered to through them. Interactions within the Body of Christ can strengthen the whole community.
My Lord, Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice. Thank You for making me part of Your family so that I can be encouraged by my brothers and sisters as I walk on this journey. I pray that You will grant me wisdom and understanding of Your precepts so that my journey here will be as smooth as possible. I am truly thankful that I have found when I follow close to You, my path is smoother. The truths within Your Word are worth much more than silver and gold, and will shine much more brightly in eternity.
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“69 The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart. 70 Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law. 71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. 72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. 73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. 74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.” Psalm 119:69-74 (KJV)
“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart.” Psalm 40:8 (KJV)l
“How much better [is it] to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!” Proverbs 16:16 (KJV
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I feel that since God has given me the gift of this platform, I must always tell you about my Jesus.
What is your relationship to the all-knowing God of the universe? Do you know Jesus? Do you know the peace that can come only from an intimate relationship with Him? You can know Him. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, born into human flesh, sinless, crucified and giving His life freely, buried, arisen on the third day, will come into your life and change the outcome of your eternity. You just have to be willing to believe and accept His truth.
Here is an excellent website that can give you additional information about making your decision for Jesus Christ! PeaceWithGod.net
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Restricted Vision, Unburdened Sight 