“Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!”
~Psalm 119:1-8 (NLT)
Most people know that Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, but few have probably found all the treasures that lie within the words of this chapter. It’s almost like God is using this chapter as a road map for the righteous, showing them how to walk faithfully before Him. Let’s take a glimpse into some of the verses found in this chapter, using it to guide us in our walk with the Lord, and along the way enjoy the treasure we find in the words God wrote down.
Vs. 5-6 (NLT)
“Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!
Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.”
MY ACTIONS~this is a great place to start. Have my actions reflected God’s law, His image, the love that He pours out consistently? There are some days when I clearly know I have blown it. I think the days I do best are when I’m not around anyone, but honestly those days are far and few between. The truth is, we are all around people and in that we need to be careful.
People are watching us, and though they may not hear our thoughts, our actions will reflect our thought process. And God does hear our thoughts. He knows our intentions. May our actions and our thoughts line up with His Word, so we don’t have to be ashamed. May we live to please the King.
His commands are not all that difficult to follow. First, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:4).” ”The second is this: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these (Mark 12:31).”
It all comes down to love. When we align ourselves up with God’s love, placing Him first above all else. Everything else comes in the right order. He needs to be everything. Don’t ever place Him second to anything! Please don’t ever give Him the back seat to any desire you may have or any moment in time you might want to indulge in. It won’t be worth it! God needs to be number one. He deserves to be number one. And I assure you when you LOVE Him and keep your actions consistent with His Word, You will have nothing to be ashamed of.
Lord, I pray that my actions will reflect obedience for Your laws and decrees. May I consistently be reminded of how much You love me, so that I may love others. Help me to keep your commandments. May I love you with my whole heart, my entire soul, and all my strength. God, You are number ONE in my life and I pray YOU will stay that way. I offer my life to You and pray that I will love my husband, my neighbors, my family, friends, and strangers, as you would have me love them. All for Your glory Lord!
Aligning myself to the map in Psalm 119,
Sarah
Ps. Tomorrow (February 19th), I will continue with Psalm 119. Stay tuned for more great devotional thoughts from God’s Word!