Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Images from Psalm 119


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Face Blindness

Scripture for Today: Psalm 119:58 “I have sought Your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your promise.”

Imagine seeing everyone, even those closest to you, as strangers!  Those dealing with the neurological disorder “prosopagnosia” or face blindness, sometimes do not even recognize their own faces in the mirror!  Those who have this disorder use other techniques to distinguish people including: voice, gait, hairstyle, clothing, body type or context.  Brad Pitt and Jane Goodall are among the 2.5% of Americans who suffer from this problem, which sometimes runs in families.  Not remembering names can be annoying but how much worse this would be!

Today’s verse comes from the longest psalm in the Bible.  The author values God’s law and precepts more than life and makes following them his life’s mission.  With the same ardor he seeks God’s face with all of his heart.  And in seeking God’s face he asks for God to remember His promises and be gracious to him.  One of His promises is that the upright or those in right standing with Him will see His face (Psalm 11:7).  To those who wholeheartedly seek Him, He reveals Himself, His character and His love.  He is the rewarded of those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

He is worth the effort of seeking and searching!  He rewards such effort with more and more revelation of Himself!  Nothing on earth can compare to Him.  I cannot see His face with anything but spiritual eyes.  But one day I will be face-to-face in His literal presence.  But even today I can recognize His face shining on me (Numbers 6:25) when I see all the ways He has been gracious to me.  With all my heart I want to seek His face more today than I did yesterday.

Lord, help me recognize Your face.


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Plenty of Fish

Scripture for Today: Psalm 119:116 “Sustain me, my God, according to Your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.”

“There are plenty of fish in the sea,” is a phrase often used to console those who have loved and lost.  The idea is that there are plenty of potential mates still to be discovered out there.  There is even an online dating service called, “Plenty of Fish,” with 40 million fish in its waters.  The problem comes from those “predators” who raise hopes in others only to dash them.  One predator in particular decided to dine and dash, leaving his online date stuck with the bill!

Today’s verse is found in the longest psalm extolling the joys of knowing and following God’s law.  The author prays that God would sustain him.  He acknowledges that true meaningful life is found in following God’s ways.  He can pray for God’s sustaining power with hope as it is a prayer calling on the Lord’s promises.  When God makes a promise, He will always be true to His word.  Hope placed here will not be dashed.

If I were to place all my hope exclusively in human love, my hopes would sometimes be dashed.  No one can love me the way the Lord does.  Placing my hope in His promise to never leave me is a hope that will never be disappointed.  He sustains me when I am feeling weak.  He upholds me when I am discouraged.  His peace has kept me close to Him.  No other relationship can be this consistent.  His love will never let me down.  I can always count on Him because His word means something!

Thank you Lord, that with You my hope is never disappointed.

Look familiar?  This is a repost due to summer ministry.


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Free Range

Scripture for Today: Psalm 119:45 “And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts.”

I like the idea that chickens can roam freely to graze and forage for food.  The label, “Free Range” for poultry implies a freedom of movement in outdoor spaces.  It is said that if they do not have the opportunity to peck at the ground, they will often peck at their own feathers.  Of course, allowing them to freely graze outdoors does not mean they can run around where they like.  They are cage-free but for their own protection they are not barrier-free!

When I think of liberty and being free, I do not normally think of something or someone telling me what to do!  But in today’s verse, walking in liberty is equated with following God’s laws.  It seems a paradox.  How can I walk at liberty and be seeking His Law at the same time?

This liberty is not freedom to do whatever we please.  It is a liberty from the sin that enslaves and entangles us.  It is a liberty that allows us to follow Him.  Sin can have the power to keep us in chains, obligating us to do evil.  But because of what Christ did on the cross, I have a choice to follow His Law.

To be honest I do not always use my liberty like He intends.  The pull of the world, my old habits and just my ugly sin nature  all conspire to convince me that I have no choice!  But as a believer, I have the power of the Holy Spirit living within me.  And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (II Cor. 3:17).  His precepts are the arms that enclose and protect me for my good!

Thank you Lord, for making me free!

 

 

 


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Charging Stations

Scripture for Today: Psalm 119:27-28 “Cause me to understand the way of Your precepts, that I may meditate on Your wonderful deeds. My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your Word.”

When I enter the airport lounge, no longer do I look for the most comfortable chair, or the place with a view out the window.  I do not worry about who I am sitting next to or how close I am to my gate.  Like so many others, I am scanning the waiting area for those power stations for my phone.  I have a horror of my phone being without enough power to text people about schedule changes or missed flights.  There is something reassuring about having my phone charged up and being ready for any eventuality.

Today’s verse reminds me that it is God’s Word that can strengthen my soul.  Understanding His precepts, meditating on His wonderful deeds and being in His Word gives solace to a soul lethargic with sorrow.  Sadness depletes our strength and we need to be built up and encouraged.  His Word does that.  And even when it is inconvenient to be actually reading the Bible, there are always the memories of His faithfulness in the past that can bolster my faith and strengthen me.

My alone-time with Him is my charging station, renewing my spirit and my strength.   I do not, however, need to wait until I am dangerously low on power.  Being “prayed-up” and “charged up” keeps me in a state of preparedness for whatever unknowns are ahead of me.  I want to have full strength to face anything, but that can only happen as I stay connected to Him and His Word.

Lord, I am tired of being sad.  Strengthen me with Your Word today.


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My Heritage

Scripture for Today: Psalm 119:111-112 “Your statues are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. My heart is set on keeping Your decrees to the very end.”

When leaving this earth at the ripe old age of almost 105, my Grandmother did not have much money left to leave her grandchildren!  She did however leave each of us a small sum and I along with my siblings were told to spend it on an object that would remind us of her.  I chose this music-playing clock and for years it has kept good time.  Unfortunately, it no longer plays the music disks to the end of the song.  And someday, it will not work at all.  Nothing lasts forever.

Today’s verse talks about a heritage that will last forever.  God’s statues or laws do not become void in the next century.  They never become out of date or no longer valid.  God established His laws to last forever.  And what God says will stand for eternity.

Unlike my clock, this is an inheritance that will endure forever. (Ps. 37:18)  I am not sure though that His precepts are always “the joy of my heart.”  There are plenty of times I think I know better.  It is so easy for me to rationalize my behavior in the light of what everyone else is doing.  Somehow, I can water down what He says to make it easier to follow.  But His standard remains high and unchanged.  Thankfully, Christ has fulfilled all the Law of the Older Testament for me as I can never completely keep it.  His righteousness is mine through faith in His Son.  Even so my heart’s desire is to follow Him and His way more closely.

Thank you Lord, for Your standards.  Keep me faithful to the very end.