Psalm 119:171
“My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.” Supplication is often followed by praise. When a request we have made unto God is fulfilled, we should worship Him for His provision and grace. His Word tells us of His promises. Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Many times throughout Psalm 119, we see an asking or reference to being taught from the Word of God. The previous two verses, before our text today, end with “according to thy word.” When our perspective and pursuit is according to what the Word of the Lord says, we cannot fail. Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Our voice unveils the condition of our heart. We speak what we know and believe. The more we are in the Word, the more our words will reflect the Word. If we want the Lord to order our steps, we must speak our praise according to His Word. Bible Reading: 2 Kings 17-18 | Ephesians 2 | Psalm 140
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Psalm 119:170
“Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.” Similar to the previous verse, we again find a reference to our prayer coming before the Lord. Rather than a cry, there is a supplication made. A prayer of supplication always involves a request being made unto God. Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” When we offer a supplication unto the Lord, our request is submitted earnestly and humbly. Our humility is met with the mercy and grace of God as we bring our need before Him, allowing Him to work in our situation as only He can. 1 Samuel 1:10-11 “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.” Hannah prayed so fervently unto the Lord that Eli thought she was drunk. She poured out her soul before the Lord while making her supplication. 1 Samuel 1:13-15 “Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.” She sincerely asked with humility, and the Lord gave her Samuel. Her supplication preceded God’s provision. When there appeared to be no way, she pleaded for the Lord to intervene. How would your prayer life compare to hers? We are not to just pray about some things, but Paul wrote that every thing should be brought unto God. “…but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” If we want the Lord to order our steps, we must make our requests known unto Him. Bible Reading: 2 Kings 15-16 | Ephesians 1 | Psalm 139 Psalm 119:169
“Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.” The Lord hears our prayers when we cry unto Him. When we come into His presence, He hears our voice even if we do not utter any words. He hears our hearts. Psalm 18:6 “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.” Psalm 61:1-2 “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. The question is what is our intent when we cry unto Him? When we are distressed or overwhelmed, we must choose how we respond in our prayers. Complaining, pleading, and asking are forms of crying out to the Lord; but notice what was asked for in today’s verse,“…give me understanding according to thy word.” When we cry unto the Lord, we must appraise the nature of our prayer. He hears our complaints, our pleas for deliverance, as well as our asking for understanding while enduring our affliction. Such wisdom can only found within the pages of the Word of God. Proverbs 2:6 “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” If we want the Lord to order our steps, we must evaluate our cry unto Him based upon the Word of God. Bible Reading: 2 Kings 13-14 | Galatians 6 | Psalm 138 Psalm 119:168
“I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.” God sees every step that we take as we walk before Him. Nothing can be hid from the Lord, because He alone knows our hearts. Psalm 139:1-3 “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.” Since He knows all our ways, should we not seek to obey? The omniscience of God should motivate us to live as His Word teaches. He knows everything about us; yet He still loves us, so much so He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins. “…for all my ways are before thee.” He sees our ways, because He is the Way. John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” The Word of God is the Way of God. May we desire today to earnestly obey His Way as we walk through His Word. Psalm 119:101 “I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.” Psalm 128:1 “Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.” If we want the Lord to order our steps, we must obey His Ways. Bible Reading: 2 Kings 11-12 | Galatians 5 | Psalm 137 Psalm 119:167
“My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.” Our love for the Scriptures is best shown to the Saviour our obedience to His Word. We have the Word of God, and we must keep the Word to express our love for Him. John 14:21 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” When we love the Word, He will manifest His presence to us. The more time we spend searching and studying the Scriptures, the more of Him we can experience. We can hold His Word with our hands and our hearts. 1 John 1:1-3 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” Our fellowship with God will exceedingly grow our love for Him and His Word. We have no communion with Him if we do not obey the Scriptures. 1 John 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: If we want the Lord to order our steps, we must love His Word exceedingly. Bible Reading: 2 Kings 9-10 | Galatians 4 | Psalm 136 Psalm 119:166
“LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.” Having hope is to faithfully wait for God to move in your situation. When we reach the point of wanting to give up, we can increase our faith through the Word of God. Psalm 119:81 “My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.” Faithfully waiting brings protection. Psalm 119:114 “Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.” Faithfully waiting brings provision. Psalm 119:116 “Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.” The Word of God provides us protection while we wait on Him to move on our behalf. Trust Him today. Allow His Word to comfort and encourage you through the waiting. Psalm 130:5-6 “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” If we want the Lord to order our steps, we must obey His Word while faithfully waiting. Bible Reading: 2 Kings 7-8 | Galatians 3 | Psalm 135 Psalm 119:165
“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” When we truly love the Word of God, we are promised to have not just peace, but great peace. This peace can only come from our Lord Jesus Christ. He can give us a satisfaction that cannot be found within the world, but rather only the Word. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Jesus Christ promised to give us peace. The simple requirement is that we love His Word. Our love for the Scriptures and the Word is shown forth when we become unoffendable. When we apply the Truth of God’s Word that He is working everything for our good and His glory to our lives, we find that great peace. There is no explanation that warrants the vastness of the peace of God from His Word. Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Keep your heart and mind on Him today, and rest in His peace. Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” If we want the Lord to order our steps, we must strive to be unoffendable because of our love for His Word. Bible Reading: 2 Kings 5-6 | Galatians 2 | Psalm 134 Psalm 119:164
“Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.” David was faithful to praise the Lord because he believed in the Righteousness of His Word. Psalm 56:4 “In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Psalm 56:10 “In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.” Our faithfulness, or lack thereof, in praising the Lord for the Word of God is displayed in daily living. When we love Him with all of our heart, it is shown through our actions and words. The purpose of our lives is to give praise to Him. Psalm 138:1-2 “I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” The magnitude of the Word of God is shown in this passage. As powerful and wonderful as the Name of Jesus is, the Lord has chosen to magnify His Word even above His Name. May we praise His Word in the Name that is above every name, the Name of Jesus! Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” In the midst of discouragement, we can still praise the Lord! In the midst of disappointment, we can still praise the Lord! In the midst of despair, we can still praise the Lord! In the midst of depression, we can still praise the Lord! Regardless of what goes on in our lives, we can praise Him for His Word. “…I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.” If we want the Lord to order our steps, we must praise Him for His Word in spite of our circumstances. Bible Reading: 2 Kings 3-4 | Galatians 1 | Psalm 133 Psalm 119:163
“I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.” The dishonesty of others should only cause our love for the Truth of God’s Word to increase. When it seems as if many around us are lying, we must cling to the One Who cannot lie. Paul expressed this at the beginning of his letter to Titus. Titus 1:1-3 “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;” The promises of God are written throughout the Word of God for our encouragement. When God speaks, His Words are always true. 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Allow dishonesty to cause you to draw nearer to the Saviour. Ask Him to cleanse any deceit from your heart and life today. James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” If we want the Lord to order our steps, we must remember His Word is always true. Bible Reading: 2 Kings 1-2 | 2 Corinthians 13 | Psalm 132 Psalm 119:162
“I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.” Standing in awe of the Word of God often precedes rejoicing in the Scriptures. The more we reverence the Word, the more we will rejoice in the Truth. When we allow the presence and power of God’s Word to have It’s rightful place within our lives, we will be overcome with awe and with joy. Jeremiah 15:16 “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." We can rejoice while we read His Word. Nehemiah 8:8 “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” We can rejoice while we hear His Word. Acts 11:28 “But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” We can rejoice while we meditate upon His Word. Psalm 1:2 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” We can rejoice while we delight in His Word. Psalm 119:47 “And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.” The Word of God is an Exhaustible Resource for rejoicing. Psalm 40:16 “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.” If we want the Lord to order our steps, we must rejoice at His Word. Bible Reading: 1 Kings 21-22 | 2 Corinthians 12 | Psalm 131 |
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