#367  Ready to Turn My Life Around for God  Psalm 19.7-14

I was defensive in response to some criticism and I needed His Help!  He gave me Psalm 19.

These verses really help me deal with criticism from others with a more positive and grateful attitude.

Psalm 19:7  The law of the LORD is perfect [8549, from 8552; entire, literally, fig, morally; also as noun integrity, truth Converting [7725 to turn back, hence away] the soul

I am willing for the Truth and big picture integrity of God to turn my life around!

The testimony of the LORD is sure [539:  firm, faithful, to be morally true and certain] making wise the simple [6612:  silly, seducible]

I realize that I can be deluded by my perceptions that I think are so right and that I need the guidance of God’s Word.

Psalm 19:8  the statutes of the LORD are right [3477 straight] rejoicing [8055 to brighten up, make gleesome] the heart

I will be ready to see the joy in God’s righteous standards

The commandment of the LORD is pure  [1249, fm 1305: to clarify, that is brighten, examine, select;   1249 beloved, also pure, empty]

enlightening the eyes  [215 to be or make luminous]

I will be ready to SEE things differently, in the LIGHT of His Truth

The fear of the LORD is clean [2891 pure[, enduring [5975 to stand] forever

Reverence for the LORD is pure and that reverence is forever appropriate;

I stand always for reverence and awe for who the LORD is in every circumstance.

The judgments  [4941 verdict, sentence] of the LORD are true [571 from 539:  stability, fig certainty, truth, trustworthiness] and righteous altogether 3162, fm 3161 proper a unit, that is unitedly]

I see the decisions of the LORD as true, stable and trustworthy;  unitedly righteous:  consistent and faithful when seen in context and in eternity.

 

Psalm 19:12  Who can understand [separate mentally or distinguish] his errors?

Cleanse [5352 to be or make clean, in an adverse sense to be bare, extirpated, ie root out and completely destroy]

from secret [hidden] faults.

I cannot always distinguish between my natural and spiritual thinking:  I need Your help!

So do what You must to give me that help.  

****That means I will accept and be open to see whatever is accurate from criticism and come to gratitude for the criticism.

Psalm 19:13  Keep back [2820 to restrain] thy servant from presumptuous [2086 arrogant] sins;

Let them not have dominion over me;

Then shall I be upright [8552 to complete]

and I shall be innocent [5352] from the great [7227 abundant] transgression [7588 revolt].

O LORD I do not want to be involved in abundant revolt against You!

So show me what I need to see, regardless of the cost to me.

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable [7522 from 7521:  delight]  in thy sight, O LORD, my strength [6697, a cliff, rock boulder, fig a refuge] and my redeemer [1350 to be next of kin; to buy back]

O Lord, my strong refuge, the One who has bought me through Christ—freeing me from sin, 

May what I speak quietly to myself and what I ponder be a delight to You.

#366  Triumph Over Circumstance:  Don’t kill the Messenger!  Philippians 4.11

 

“How great a blessing it would be for all spiritual Israelites to learn well this lesson; viz., that if we accept the results of any matter as being good, and if we realize that we were guided to those results by divine providence, we should think and feel most generously, most kindly, toward those who were the instruments used by providence, notwithstanding the fact that they might have been unwilling instructors, or, like Joseph’s brethren, have verily intended opposite results. Those who are enabled to take such a view of affairs and forces operating in their daily lives are enabled “always to triumph through the Lord,” as the Apostle expresses it. And such find no room for bitterness or railing either against Satan or against any of his servants.  2 Cor. 2:14; Jude 9.” R2896

“Turn my eyes away from worthless things. Give me a new life in your ways.” Psalm 119:37 GW

“Not only have our eyes needed turning always toward the Word and towards God, but especially our hearts.”

Blaming and accusing thoughts are worthless when we focus only on them.  When we ask the LORD ‘what is Your message?’ ‘the worthless’ becomes treasure because it opens our mind to the expanse of His will.   What is the message behind these thoughts and feelings?  What is the Lord’s leading in regard to my own responsibility?  What adjustments is He indicating that I make?

“Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.”  Psalm 119:36 ASV

“My dear Father, help my heart! Let me refrain from any and all wrong spirits and habits and tendencies. Let me find the rules of love governing my words and meditations this day. Let me bring sweetness to the air all around your name.”

“The daily experiences of life have a most important mission to us, and the manner in which we receive them should be a matter of deepest concern; for according to the use we make of them each day’s prosperity or its adversity and trial bear to us a blessing or a curse…Sorrow and griefs may, and perhaps often will come in like a flood, but the Lord will be our Stay and Strength in every experience which He permits.  R5802

The dear one that sent this quote to me, then wrote, “God be with you and give you strength on the battlefield today!”  so timely and appropriate!

It is our USE of each experience that creates our experience of it.  The intention of our Heavenly Father is always Highest Good and Blessing, but if we do not look for the gift, discover the gift, and treasure the gift, the gift has no meaning or worth to us.  The gift can escape our notice.

The circumstance itself is not the issue.  WE get to determine whether an experience will be a blessing or a curse.

“I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances may be.

I know now how to live when things are difficult and I know how to live when things are prosperous. [Phillips]

In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  [NASB]  Philippians 4:11-13

#363  Escape from Stress When We Don’t Understand Habakkuk 2

Amid human reactions from myself and others, I am seeking His will.

The issue seems complicated and I think of it as intimidating.

But when I remember Who my Lord is I am humbled and calmed in spirit.

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who give to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith without any doubting…”  James 1:5-6

We are instructed to ask the God who gives bountifully, without doubting, with full trust in Who He Is.

In His Holiness and Faithfulness and from His boundless resources He will answer.

There are some beautiful lessons in the book of Habakkuk.  The prophet questions the judgments of God and the conquest of Babylon over Israel.  “Why are you silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?”  Habakkuk 1:13  There was an application to this prophecy historically in the Babylonian captivity of the nation of Israel.  There is a greater application of these prophecies in the end of this age regarding the overthrow of Babylon and all the nations of this present evil world, culminating in the question, Why does God permit evil?

Habakkuk then seeks an answer from God.

“I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart.  And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me…”,

Like a sentinel looking out from a tower, he will withdraw from his fellow-men and turn his eyes heavenward in expectation of an answering message from God.  Soncino

We go to Him apart from human reasoning.

“And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply (#7725 to turn back with the idea of return to starting point, to retreat) when I am reproved (#3198:  corrected).”

We must come to the same attitude.  When we do not understand we are to seek God’s answer and be ready for His answer to result in our ‘return to the starting point.’  We need to be willing to let His correction and instruction replace our own impressions and opinions.  We need to be ready to‘retreat’ ‘start over’ and surrender our view to His.

God answered the Prophet with a vision, and a promise that in the proper time the vision would be fulfilled without delay.  Habakkuk 2:2-3  The vision included the judgment of the oppressor Babylon, and a promise of world-wide blessing.  “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”  “But the LORD is in His holy temple.  Let all the earth be silent before Him.” Habakkuk 2:20  In the current application of these prophecies the blessing of all the families of the earth begins with the deliverance of the nation of Israel.  Isaiah 14:1  “Thou art come forth for the deliverance of Thy people, for the deliverance of Thine anointed; Thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked, uncovering the foundation even unto the neck”  Habakkuk 3:13 (Masoretic text)  This vision of judgment and blessing was revealed and recorded by the Seventh Messenger of this Harvest period.  But there are still principles we can apply to ourselves from this account.

His Highest Good is always at work, even amid the darkest hours!

The Prophet has an emotional response to the reality of the Lord’s judgment.  He trembles and he can barely support his own weight.  3:16  And then he states strong declarations of faith:  “That I should wait for the day of trouble, when he cometh up against the people that he invadeth.”  (Masoretic text)  He was determined to wait calmly for the Lord’s will to be done.  Regardless of the temporary difficulty and challenge, “though the fig tree should not blossom..and the fields produce no food…and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD….” Habakkuk 3:17

Sometimes the will of the Lord is hard for us to accept.   But regardless of the circumstance He is the God who keeps His promises and we can exult (Strong’s 5937) or “jump for joy” in Him, for He will equip us to deal with any terrain of experience.

“Yet I will exalt in the LORD,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

The Lord GOD is my strength,

And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,

And makes me walk on my high places.”  Habakkuk 3:18-19