“Thy hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in they word.

I know O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to they word unto thy servant.

Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

Let the proud be ashamed; for they have dealt perversely with me without a cause; but I will meditate in thy percepts,

Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have thy testimonies.

Let my heart be sound (blameless) in thy statutes; that I may not be ashamed.” Psalm 119:73-80 JOD

You know as you study Psalm 119, the overwhelming thought of the entire chapter is teaching us about the WORD and the power of that word to renew, restore, and even resurrect what is dead.

And as we are told in John 1:1: “In the Beginning, WAS the Word, and the WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD.”

Drop it down to verse 14, and it further explains, “And the WORD WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US, (and we beheld HIS glory, the glory as of the ONLY begotten SON OF GOD.”

We are also given so much comfort in knowing that the WORD is also our powerful our spiritual weapon, as it is the sword of the Spirit, the WORD of God, as we are war against the enemies that seek to destroy our souls. And the more of his word held safe inside of herat, where no one, can take it, the sharper and more effect that sword will be. As God promised us.

Isaiah 55:11: “So shall my WORD be that goeth forth out of my mouth; It shall NOT returned to me void (unfulfilled), BUT IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH THAT WHICH I PLEASE, AND IT SHALL PROSPER IN THAT THING WHERETO I SEND IT.”

So if it is one verse that comes to mind, hold onto that one verse, such as “The Lord IS my Shepherd, I shall NOT want.” Psalm 23:1

“The LORD is my rock,and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I WILL TRUST; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower.”Psalm 18:2

“The Lord IS my strength and my shield; my heart TRUSTETH in him, and I AM HELPED; therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise thee. The Lord is THEIR strength, and he IS the saving strength of his anointed.” Psalm 28:7,8

If you notice in our passage from Psalm 119, that this is also his request to be a light, a help,an encouragement to other believers.

And to do that we need hope ourselves, so that we can share that hope with others that by seeing God’s love shining through you, they will have hope through or their own journey.

The Bible gives us the road map to peace, love, and joy, there will surely be pain, sorrow, and suffering, but always, always remember it is ONLY for a little awhile, and we live because HE LIVES.

And this the reminder we are given, Acts:27,28a: “That they SHOULD seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him (in the HOPE that they grope for), and FIND HIM, though he be NOT far from every one of us. For IN him WE live, and move, and have our being,..”

And what he is saying with, is that God is NEVER as far away as we think, and even to those who have NOT accepted him YET, he is closer that they would ever know.

Because we ONLY exist because HE CREATED US, we only function, breathe, eat or sleep because he has blessed us to do so. And once we understand the simple truth that LOVES US.

Once we understand that he loves us not because of anything we have done or have left undone, he just loves us. That’s it, HE JUST LOVES US! How fabulous is that? We don’t have to earn it, or try to work to keep it, HE JUST DOES BECAUSE THAT IS JUST WHO HE IS.

And he wants us to joy in that, “listen” to Isaiah 58:14: “Then shalt thou DELIGHT thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; FOR THE MOUTH OF THE LORD HATH SPOKEN IT.“

When the Bible reference “high places” to me, it is always symbolic over overcoming and that God will in fact bless you in those areas that you were once caused to stumble by others who have hurt you or by circumstance or attacks by the enemy and those who serve him.

As we “read”earlier God promised that his WORD will do exactly whatever God desires for it to do. And God gives us that confirmation at the end of the last passage, that this is his WORD and he has SPOKEN it.

We have discussed the WORD, the POWER of his Word and that he loves you and WANTS you to be free in him and he WANTS you to allow your heart to DELIGHT itself in the love, companshioship, and grace of the one who knew you BEFORE even your parents knew you.

He wants you to rest in that love!

So I will end it with the verse, this WORD for you!

Psalm 37:4: “DELIGHT thyself also in the Lord; and HE SHALL GIVE THEE THE DESIRES OF THINE HEART.“

May God bless you with his love and peace and keep you in his care!

Φλογιζω NBJ 2020/ Rev. Nina Brown Johnson

I have used this song before but if you have never heard please listen, the lyrics are so perfect to describe the price Jesus paid for us at the cross and the love that we can never even begin to understand that he has for us, so much that he gave up his life, so we could live in him, and as he rose, he will one day resurrect us unto him, and until that day, DELIGHT yourself in that love, that love that IS him.