Open my Eyes, that I May See Wondrous Things from Your Word!

Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,

Who seek Him with the whole heart!—Psalm 119:2

Open my eyes, that I may see

Wondrous things from Your law.—Psalm 119:18

As I read through the Scriptures this morning both the Proverb (3:21-26 )and the Psalm (15:1-5) selection reminded me that our God is merciful.  He reminds us throughout the entirety of the Bible that His word is where wisdom, understanding and the fear of Him are found.  I am so grateful for His reminders to depend on Him, the all-sufficient One, in my own inadequacy and insufficiency.  This year as I slowly memorize and meditate through Psalm 119, I have been continually amazed at its unifying truth in relation to the rest of the Bible. In fact, I see the message of Psalm 119 (glorifying God and His word) all over the tapestry of Scripture.  God tells us in countless ways that immersing ourselves in the truth of His word brings us into His Presence and in so doing brings grace, faith, peace, blessedness, cleansing, wisdom and a steadfast peace to our heart that cannot be obtained anywhere else.  Thank you, Father, for Your word!  I am once again encouraged to abide...choosing as Mary, the sister of Martha, did...the better part, the part that cannot be taken away from me.  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

My son, let them not depart from your eyes—Keep sound wisdom and discretion; So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck. Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the LORD will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.—Proverbs 3:21-26

LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.—Psalm 15:1-5

The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do [His commandments.] His praise endures forever.—Psalm 111:10

The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge, [But] fools despise wisdom and instruction.—Proverbs 1:7

Shepherd of my Soul, I Give You Full Control...Psalm 119:15-16

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”—Matt 11:28-30

Oh Father!  Help me today to come to You...not to me...not to distractions. To settle my mind and my heart and surrender to You and Your Plan. To really see me and know I need You!  Thank you that you are gentle and lowly.  Thank You that in You I can rest.  Your rule is easy and Your burden light. 

I will meditate on Your precepts,

And contemplate Your ways.

I will delight myself in Your statutes;

I will not forget Your word.—Psalm 119:15-16

Oh. Father!  Make this the desire of my own heart...to meditate, contemplate, delight and not forget Your word.  I want Your word to fill my heart and my life. This IS my desire,but it is the one that I have the most trouble doing consistently.  It is so hard for me to settle my mind to REMEMBER and then PURPOSE to think about Your word instead of the bazillion other things my mind gravitates toward.  Sometimes it feels like I am trying to reign in wild horses!  I liked what Boice said about meditation.  

"Meditation is recalling what we have committed to memory and then turning it over and over in our minds to see the fullest implications and applications of the truth." (Boice)

Lord...I will set aside time each day devoted to memorization and meditation.  I want Your word to be mine.  I have done this in the past and the results were  wonderful...even supernatural.  I could almost feel the “eureka” like explosions of understanding occurring in my synapses.  I think it scared me...like I was headed for something from which there was no return. Perhaps it brought me a piece of heaven that made me lose my grip “control” on the earth.  In reality I have no control here in the earthly realm.  Shepherd of my soul I give You full control. 

Praying God’s Promises..Genesis 32 and Psalm 119:15-16

Jacob praying Gods promises...

Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. 11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. 12 For You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”—Genesis 32:9-12

Jacob prays for deliverance by rehearsing God’s own commands and His covenant promises to him.  He begins by confessing his unworthiness of the least of all Gods mercies and acknowledging his fears. I love that Jacob prays God’s own words to back to Him in his prayer. He knows he is unworthy of any mercy and places all his confidence instead in God’s promises to him. I have been studying Psalm 119 of late and reading Jacob’s prayer this morning has encouraged me even more to meditate and hide God’s word in my heart as David did.  I want my prayers to overflow with the abundance of His word...I want them to be less about me and more about God who alone is worthy of my trust. 

In Chapter 31 Jacob stood up bravely to Laban’s small army that came after him.  Here, however, facing his brother Esau, he crumples and divides God’s camp—Manaheim—into the two camps of Jacob.  Why...what is the difference?  Maybe because Jacob knew he was in the right as far as Laban was concerned and in the wrong with Esau. Our guilty consciences and baggage from our past can get in the way of our walking with God in faith as opposed to fear.  We are His. We are forgiven...past, present and future.  Again, Psalm 119 comes to mind.  Father...may I walk undefiled in the way!  Give me the courage to trust You despite the guilt I might feel in regard to my past. Help me to walk forgiven knowing that I can come boldly to Your throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in my time of need.  

I will meditate on Your precepts,

And contemplate Your ways.

I will delight myself in Your statutes;

I will not forget Your word.—Psalm 119:15-16

Rejoicing in the Way of Your Testimonies...

I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,

As much as in all riches.— Psalm 119:14

Father...I am so thankful for your testimonies!  Truly my heart fills with joy when I pick up your word each morning and read...I have You...the all sufficient Becoming One who never leaves me and never forsakes me.  The One who directs my path, perfects that which concerns me, performs all things for me  and to whom I come to find rest, is MINE!  Truly, I rejoice at Your word, as one that finds great spoil.   I feel like Jeremiah when he says this in chapter 15:

Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Your way also is in Your word and my delight is in both!  There are many things that I could live without in this life, but Your word, Father, is not one of them.  Too many go through this life without ever reading Your word or read it sporadically without understanding.  Use my love of the gift of Your word to change that. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by Your word.  Speak Your word through me to others during the course of each of my days.  May they know its praise and its power by coming to know its Author.  

The fear of the LORD [is] clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD [are] true [and] righteous altogether. More to be desired [are they] than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.—Psalm 19:9-10

47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. 72 The law of thy mouth [is] better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. 77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law [is] my delight. 111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they [are] the rejoicing of my heart. 127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. 162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.—Psalm 119: 47,72,77,111,127,162

With My Lips...Psalm 119:13

With my lips I have declared

All the judgments of Your mouth.—Ps 119:13

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deuteronomy 6:7, ESV)

Father...may Your word not only be on my heart, but may it be also on my lips. May my conversations with others ALWAYS point to You. When I bring You into my personal interactions with others, I bring You glory, edify those around me and encourage my own heart.  I want my mind, my heart and my lips to be occupied speaking forth Your judgments and Your praise. I want my prayers to be pleading Your promises. I want my delight to be in Your word. 

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper [in the thing] for which I sent it.—Isaiah 55:11 

Use me, Father, to prosper it and accomplish Your good pleasure...

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.—Hebrews 4:12

Teach Me Your Statutes..Psalm 119:12

BETH

How can a young man cleanse his way?

By taking heed according to Your word.

10 With my whole heart I have sought You;

Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You.

12 Blessed are You, O LORD!

Teach me Your statutes.

13 With my lips I have declared

All the judgments of Your mouth.

14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,

As much as in all riches.

15 I will meditate on Your precepts,

And contemplate Your ways.

16 I will delight myself in Your statutes;

I will not forget Your word.

The first set of verses (1-8) in Psalm 119 are all about the Blessedness of Obeying the Word.  This second set (9-16) are about Cleansing By the Word.  The song that came to mind as I read them is Holiness by Scott Underwood.  

Holiness, holiness is what I long for

Holiness is what I need

Holiness, holiness is what You

want from me

So, take my heart and form it

Take my mind and transform it

Take my will and conform it

To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord

Focusing this morning on verse 12...

Oh, Father!  You are deserving of all my praise!   I have seen that all human perfection has its limits no matter how grand and perfect and noble...Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits into eternity.  You have magnified it above Your name. You are my blessed God forever and ever...Your word has given me life!  Make me holy!  I want to share in Your blessedness and be blessed in You!  Instruct me in Your magnificent word...Let Your word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  Open my eyes that I might see the wondrous things that are in it!  I want You to be my teacher!  The entrance of Your word gives light and gives understanding to the simple.  Look upon me and be merciful to me.   Direct my steps by Your word and let no iniquity have dominion over me!  Make Your face shine upon Your servant and teach me Your statutes. Make Your testimonies my meditation.  Place them in the innermost part of my soul so that I may not sin against You. 

I want to bring glory to Your name!  Your love constrains me! You have by Your promises to me given me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness so that I would be called a tree of righteousness...strong and magnificent...distinguished for integrity, justice and right standing before You.  I am Your planting and my purpose is to glorify Your name. Teach me Your statutes...make me holy. 

Lord, If You Are Willing...

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.—Matthew 8:1-3

I am including quotes from several commentators on the BLB here, because I tend to gloss over leprosy. I mean who wants to think about it.  In order to understand this story, however, I think it is important to really try to identify with the plight of this leper.  If we are honest, all of us have a tendency (rightly so) to not want to think about pain, isolation, rejection, sickness, suffering and death.  We avoid it and tragically we avoid even the people who are facing it.  The sick and dying are often, for all practical purposes, abandoned out of fear into the care of  strangers, volunteers or medical personnel.  Their loved ones that remain faithful are likewise also left alone during this time of great trial and need.  The rejection and the isolation of the ancient leper was far worse and it was sanctioned by the religious authorities.  Here are the quotes...

i. “Leprosy might begin with the loss of all sensation in some part of the body; the nerve trunks are affected; the muscles waste away; the tendons contract until the hands are like claws. There follows ulceration of the hands and feet. Then comes the progressive loss of fingers and toes, until in the end a whole hand or a whole foot may drop off. The duration of that kind of leprosy is anything from twenty to thirty years. It is a kind of terrible progressive death in which a man dies by inches.” (Barclay)

ii. According to Jewish law and customs, one had to keep 6 feet (2 meters) from a leper. If the wind was blowing toward a person from a leper, they had to keep 150 feet (45 meters) away. The only thing more defiling than contact with a leper was contact with a dead body.

iii. “In the middle ages, if a man became a leper, the priest donned his stole and took his crucifix, and brought the man into the church, and read the burial service over him. For all human purposes the man was dead.” (Barclay)

iv. For all these reasons, the condition of leprosy is a model of sin and its effects. It is a contagious, debilitating disease that corrupts its victim and makes him essentially dead while alive; and it followed that almost universally, society and religious people scorned lepers. Rabbis especially despised lepers, and saw them as people under the special judgment of God, deserving no pity or mercy.

v. In Jesus’ time, rabbis sometimes boasted about how badly they treated lepers. One bragged that he refused to buy even an egg on a street where he saw a leper; another boasted that he threw rocks at lepers upon seeing them.

With no hope of improvement and DESPITE all of the sanctioned isolation and rejection, this leper came to Jesus.  He came to Him alone (who would take him) in desperation and in great need.  He came to Him and he worshipped Him.  Now if I am in desperate need and bring my heart to my God, worship is not and would not be my first go to...asking for healing might.  But this leper humbly got on his knees to worship the One who was kind...the One who understood and cared for those rejected or forgotten by the world.  He honored Him as the One, who if He was willing, could meet his impossible need.  He came to Him, called Him Lord and worshipped Him saying, “Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean.”  He didn’t demand, He left his heart, his life and his fate in the hands of Jesus.  

Oh Father!  Would that I would do this in everything!  How much simpler my life would be and oh, how blessed!  

Mark 1:41 says when Jesus looked, He was moved with compassion. What was it like for the leper to look into the face of compassion itself.  Even if Jesus chose not to heal him, how wonderful that we, like this leper can pour hearts out to our LordJesus who cares for us and gives us the grace to get through all He brings our way.   

2Co 12:7-10 NKJV - 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail;

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.—Psalm 76:23-26

Your Word I Have Hidden in My Heart...Ps 119:9-11

9 BETH
How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.—Ps 119:9-11

Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the LORD!  The word is our best weapon against encroaching sin.  Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 in Matthew 4:4.

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert, He overcame by employing the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God to counter Satan’s accusations. There is no substitute for the truth, and there is no truth more useful to the Christian in his battle with Satan than the truth of Scripture. Just as Jesus quoted Scripture when Satan tempted Him, we too, can use it in the temptations that we face.  Earthly food provides only for our physical need. The word of God nourishes and nurtures our spiritual needs in a way that benefits us eternally.

How can we cleanse our way and become more like Jesus?  We can do this by hiding His word in our heart...by internalizing it and allowing it to become part of the very fabric of who we are.  God uses the truth of His word to sanctify us and set us free from bondage to sin.  He begins at salvation. We have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God.  Hebrews tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by His word. He continues this sanctification process throughout our earthly lives.

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”—John 15:3

"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.—John 17:17

that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,—Ephesians 5:26

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of manfn as the flower of the grass.  The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever.”  Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.—1 Peter 1:22-25

We are not just to internalize it though...we are to receive it without argument and heed it by surrendering to it.  We are to keep our “way” according to His word by conforming our lives to His precepts.

I love David’s prayer that comes in the middle of these three verses.

With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

David declares his heart here.  He is committed to seeking and following His God while simultaneously acknowledging his weakness and need.  It is clear that the Psalmist didn’t want to just obey a set of rules...His heart sought God Himself.  David understood that without God’s abiding Presence in his life, he was helpless and hopeless and could do nothing good.  He knew it was God who would keep Him in the way.  It is the same with us.

One last thing about this second set of verses...they begin with the Hebrew letter Beth which also means a house.  According to David Guzik some have suggested that this section tells us how to make our heart a home for the Word of God.  I love that. That is what I want.

Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.  Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! —Psalm 25:6-7

A Tribute to Abraham...Genesis 18:19

17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,

18 “since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19 “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”—Genesis 18:17-19

James MacDonald tells us not to miss the tribute God paid to Abraham as an outstanding family man in verse 19.  I am glad he did.  I would have missed it.  What an expression of divine confidence...what a tribute to Abraham’s faithfulness and obedience!   Oh, that God would be able to say that of me!   That He could trust me to consistently obey His commands to keep His way...to practice righteousness and justice and in so doing ALWAYS point others...esp my family...to Him.

I Will Praise You! Psalm 119:7-8

I will praise You with uprightness of heart,

When I learn Your righteous judgments.

I will keep Your statutes;

Oh, do not forsake me utterly!—Ps 119:7-8

How good is our God that he condescends to teach us how to conduct ourselves in this world by giving us His commandments.  God’s laws are good and more to be desired than fine gold.  They are the “Creators Handbook for Life” and are among His very best gifts to us. They provide an escape from misery and bondage and show us how to have life abundantly both in the temporal sense and eternally.   God’s commandments are not burdensome...by them I am warned and keeping them brings great reward.  

I WILL praise thee when I learn Your righteous judgments.  God not only gives us good gifts, but He also gives us the grace by which we are able to praise and thank Him for them.  I can remember opening my bible and reading it for the first time.  As I read (Genesis 1) my heart began to rejoice and fill with thanksgiving.  My mind didn’t quite understand the import of what had just happened, but my heart did and it rejoiced with a whole-hearted pure joy.  I had found what I had been looking for...a guide to make my way through this life.  I had not yet even begun to learn His law by obeying it, but when I did, it brought my joy to a whole new level.  I wanted to please Him...I wanted to know His will for me and do it.  What a mercy and a blessing for us that He gives us not only the ability to learn His righteous judgments, but also the desire to want to please Him...to want to apply His word and walk in those works He prepared beforehand for us.  

The next verse is my favorite because I can really identify with it.  "I will keep Your statutes." “Oh, do not forsake me utterly!” A quiet resolve followed by a humble plea for help.  I so understand both statements.  My desire is to obey God, but as soon as the words are out of my mouth my heart cries along with the Psalmist...don’t leave me!  I am weak and insufficient!  I need Your help!  I don’t want to even imagine what my life would be like without my God directing my path and leading my heart. He has redeemed my life from destruction and crowned me with tender mercies.  To know from His word that He promises never to leave me and is the same yesterday, today and forever is a gift of grace without which I would not want to live.  

Bless the LORD, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!—Psalm 103:1

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold,

Yea, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,

And in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can understand his errors?

Cleanse me from secret faults.

13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;

Let them not have dominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless,

And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.—Psalm 19:7-14

You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees”

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!—Matthew 6:16-23

You are with me Father in my secret place.  You hear my heart. “You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees”.  You see all that I do, say and think.  My life is as an open book to You.  I don’t want my existence to be about the ostentatious outward...what is seen and discussed by the people around me.   I want it only to be about You.  Oh Father!  May my outward life reflect my inward life with You in the secret place of my heart.  The life I live before You with an unveiled face beholding You.  Transform me into Your image by Your Spirit.  Be my treasure, Father...you are where I want my heart to be.  You, my God, enlighten my darkness.  In Your presence is fullness of joy. 

My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.—Proverbs 2:1-5

Have Mercy on Me, O LORD...

Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak—Psalm 6:2

This is one of my favorite prayers to pray, because it makes its plea to God on weakness. I read that the word “weak” in the original literally means “I am one who droops.”  I so get that feeling.  I am fading fast.  My body and my spirit are like a withered plant in need of water and TLC. Deal gently with me Lord...give me encouragement and strength.   How good and kind is our God that we can plead weakness with Him and expect kindness.  A bruised reed He will not break and a smoking flax He will not quench.  There are few men in this world to which we could plead weakness and move any of them in our favor.  But our God is RICH in mercy.  His love for us is great and His desire toward us for our good.  His grace is EXCEEDINGLY rich in kindness.  Pleading helplessness, hopelessness, unworthiness, insufficiency, need, misery or tears pierces His heart and opens the door for Him to deliver and show us the exceeding riches of His kindness toward us. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit.  For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, in order to revive the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite ones.

As a father pities his children,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

For the wind passes over it, and it is [b]gone,

And its place remembers it no more.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,—Psalm 103:13-17

But As For Me...

But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;

In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.—Psalm 5:7

Father...My prayer is unto You. Hear me Father for Your lovingkindness is good, turn unto me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. Thank You Father for Your Son, Jesus.  Thank You that there is forgiveness with You.  Thank You that grace reigns through His righteousness unto eternal life. Thank you that where sin abounds,His grace abounds much more.  As for me, I will call upon You, my everlasting God, my Redeemer, my Friend and You shall save me.  I WILL trust in Your mercy for ever and ever.  

In You, My Sleep is Sweet...

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. 2 How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood? Selah 3 But know that the LORD has set apart* for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him. 4 Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD. 6 There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. 7 You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. 8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.—Psalm 4

You are the God to whom my righteousness belongs.  You have imputed it by Your grace to my account.  I come to You, Father, when I am distressed and filled with care.  You relieve my heart...you take my cares and concerns...they are Yours not mine.  You will perfect them all according to Your perfect will.  You hear my prayer...u sustain me with Your mercy and grace as I wait for You to do what is right and needful. Your enemies slander me...they call my (Your) good, evil.  But I am set apart for You...I know You hear me...I will wait...I will pour out my soul to You and meditate on Your word and on Your goodness.  I will offer the sacrifice of righteousness...I will do the next right thing...I will place my trust in You, my everlasting, mighty and kind God.  You will lift up the light of Your countenance upon me...You will light my lamp and make my darkness light.  You have placed gladness in my heart so that my mouth is filled with laughter and my tongue with singing. You alone bring me peace.  In You, I dwell in safety.  In You, my sleep is sweet. 

But You, Oh Lord, Are a Shield For Me...

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.— Genesis 6:8-9

and the LORD shut him in.—Genesis 7:16

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”—Matthew 4:4

Lord...I have found grace by faith in Your Son.  Like Noah, I did nothing to earn it.  Both the faith and grace involved in salvation are Your free gifts.  Like Noah was in the ark and safe from the rising floodwaters, I am in Christ...safe and secure from all that can harm me eternally. Father, keep me walking according to Your testimonies and living  for Your glory in the light of Your love and grace.  

3 But You, O LORD, are a shield for me,

My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

4 I cried to the LORD with my voice,

And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

5 I lay down and slept;

I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.

6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people

Who have set themselves against me all around.

7 Arise, O LORD;

Save me, O my God!

For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;

You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.

8 Salvation belongs to the LORD.

Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah—Psalm 3:3-8

Sin’s Desire is For You...

Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”—Genesis 3:16

but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”—Genesis 4:5-7

Father...Because of sin and the curse I face struggles from within and struggles from without.  Life in this fallen world is a battle of self-will.  Have mercy on me Lord for I am weak!  I need your help!  I need your divine Spirit to intercede for me, to lead me and to guide me in my relationship not only with my husband and with others, but in my relationship with You!  I often feel as Paul must have felt when he penned Romans 7...

“for I know that in me, nothing good dwells.  I want to do right, but the evil that I do not want is what I keep doing....Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

I am so thankful, Father, that In You is victory!  I am thankful that I am not in charge and am not sufficient for anything. I am thankful for my weakness because it is in my weakness and insufficiency that I see my need for You.   I am thankful that the desire of my inner being is to trust You in and for everything.  I give you me today, Father. Heart, mind body and soul. You are both my Creator and my Master...I belong to You.  You know what is best for me.  Deal gently with me and mold me according to Your mercy and grace.  Help me to resist sin and find blessing.  I am never happy when I place myself on the throne of my heart.  Keep me in Your way.  Align my will with Your perfect one. 

They Walk in His Ways...Psalm 119:1-3

Blessed are the undefiled in the way,

Who walk in the law of the LORD!

Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,

Who seek Him with the whole heart!—Psalm 119:1-2

They also do no iniquity;

They walk in His ways.—Ps 119:3

The idea from Psalm 119:1-2 is repeated here in verse 3.  They follow Him with an undivided heart and love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. They are undefiled in the way...purity marks them!  Your word has given them understanding!  They are free from the bonds and deceit of the past that have darkened their way and perverted their thinking.   

I am happy when I obey Your word and walk in Your testimonies.  My heart is full...satisfied and content when You are its whole focus...when my heart is united to trust You.   

Oh Father!  Keep me from a divided heart.  Be pre-eminent in my life. You are my “chief good and my highest end”!  I want to follow hard after....with a heart set apart entirely for You...out of love not duty.  Direct my path in Your love and let no sin have any dominion over me.  Keep me from seeking my own...protect me from the tyranny of me, myself and I. Open my eyes to see and desire Your goodness and grace in my life. May Your perfect will for me rule and overrule all else in my life.  Fill my heart with Your love and cause me to pour it out to convey others into Your kingdom. 

Psalm 119:1

Blessed are the undefiled in the way,

Who walk in the law of the LORD!—Ps 119:1

Walking in the law of the Lord keeps us pure and undefiled by sin. Our way is prospered and we are blessed.   

Father...may I walk habitually in this way.  Free me from the bonds and deceit of my past that have darkened my thinking and perverted my way.  Open my eyes that I might see the wondrous things in Your word...lighten my path and make my way straight before your face.  Your word tells me that I am blessed not by hearing your word, but by doing it.  Fill me with Your Spirit and direct my steps to seek You FIRST.  Thank you Father that my sin is covered and my transgressions have been forgiven. You are my hiding place...You preserve me from trouble. Whoever listens to You, will dwell in safety and will be secure, without fear of evil.  

Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.—Psalm 1:1-3

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.—Colossians 3:17

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.—Philippians 3:12-15

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.—Psalm 139:23-24