Psalm 119:1-8:  Aleph:

“Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

They also do no iniquity; they walk in his ways.

Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

O that my ways were directed to keep thy statues!

Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I have learned to keep the judgments. I will keep thy statues: O forsake me not utterly.” 

Happy Sunday, I hope that you have a blessed day. Before I get into this, I wanted to say that Psalm 119 has always been  a very special chapter. Of course  every word of the Bible is special because it is our instructions, or creed to live by and the “road map’ as it is often called that will lead us home.

I had did a little break down on Psalm 119 years ago, called a study guide that highlighted the fact that this particular chapter is based on the Hebraic alphabet, which can you be viewed as “learning your A,B,C,”s” as we say here. So please join me daily for a bit as we do the actual verses in order, which Lord willing will take several weeks but this is His word and His word is our hope, our life and our bread. As we start this one I do want to point out something that I always love to point out, it used to be very confusing thinking about the word “blameless”, because we know we are not perfect NOR does God expect us to be.

So please remember that undefiled-blameless simple means “doing your best to keep God’s word”. Jesus is kind, and merciful, he does not expect us to be “perfect” because only He is perfect, we strive to keep his Word and do our best, our “reasonable service” as the Bible says. The Gospel is pure and easy to keep and simple to understand so don’t let anyone put undo pressure on you, God’s grace is forever.

Once you commit to serving him, you are His, He is yours and no one you can you away from Him, the only thing that can separate us from God is if we DECIDE we no longer want a relationship with him, it is complete free choice and Jesus loves us and no one is one our side more than He is. As we begin this, notice that it tells us that we are BLESSED, when we seek him and seek to know Him and his ways, and that as we learn those ways we are changed, little by little and as we learn more, we become anchored in His word and part of our praise to Him is the condition of our spiritual heart. The more you know Him the more you love him, the more you love him the more that love will flow out of you to others. The most important thing to remember in the days is the power of the name of Jesus, and the power of the blood of the Lamb and his love for you. i love the fact that this chapter start us with the assurance and confirmation that you are blessed!

And the blessing of God can NOT be overruled or taken away from you by anyone!

As a reminder of this, I want to point to the story of Balaam trying to have God’s children cursed, “listen” to God’s response as he would NOT allow them to be cursed.

“And GOD said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt NOT curse the people: for they ARE blessed.” Numbers 22:12 

Study theses scriptures and hide these verses that confirm your blessing in the Lord, hide them in your heart and in your mind because they are powerful, they are your promises from God.

And I want to take our thought for today and mirror it to the words of our beautiful, Holy Savior, as he gave us comfort with His words and pay special attention to the ending verses, this is why he gave us these words, so we would have hope, and comfort to finish our out our journey home, times when we are “poor” in spirit, when we feel we can’t go another “step”, times when we are discouraged, downtrodden, and beaten. Jesus reminded us that in it all and through it all we are BLESSED.

“And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set (seated), his disciples came unto him:

And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

BLESSED are the poor in spirit: for their’s IS the kingdom of heaven.

BLESSED are they that mourn: for they SHALL be comforted.

BLESSED are the meek: for they SHALL inherit the earth.

BLESSED are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they SHALL be filled.

BLESSED are the merciful: for they SHALL obtain mercy.

BLESSED are the pure in heart: For they SHALL see God.

BLESSED are the peacemakers: for they SHALL be called the children of God.

BLESSED are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for their’s IS the kingdom of God.

BLESSED are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDING GLAD; FOR GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN; FOR SO PERSECUTED THEY THE PROPHETS WHICH WERE BEFORE YOU.”  

Matthew 5:1-12 And he assures you that when these things happen to you, it is NOT because you are not right, or that God doesn’t love you, it is BECAUSE YOU ARE RIGHT and they hated him so they will hate us.

John 15-18: “IF THE WORLD HATE YOU, YE KNOW THAT IT HATED ME BEFORE IT HATED YOU.

If you were of the world, the world would love his own; BUT BECAUSE YE ARE NOT OF THE WORLD, BUT I HAVE CHOSEN YOU OUT OF THE WORLD, THEREFORE THE WORLD HATETH YOU.

REMEMBER THE WORD THAT I SAID UNTO YOU, THE SERVANT IS NOT GREATER THAN HIS LORD, IF THEY HAVE PERSECUTED ME, THEY WILL ALSO PERSECUTE YOU; IF THEY HAVE KEPT MY SAYING, THEY WILL KEEP YOUR’S ALSO.” 

And mention of the world, I want to you leave you with HIS word’s of comfort concerning all these things : 

John 16:33:  “This things I have spoken unto you, that IN ME YE MIGHT HAVE PEACE, in the world ye shall have tribulation; BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER (hope) ; FOR I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.”

Φλογιζω NBJ 2020/ Reverend Nina Brown Johnson