Lent 2021 - Jeremiah's Vow

Lent 2021, Day 32 | Psalm 119:145-148

Psalm 119:145-148

¹⁴⁵With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!
    I will keep your statutes*.
¹⁴⁶I call to you; save me,
    that I may observe your testimonies.
¹⁴⁷I rise before dawn and cry for help;
    I hope in your words.
¹⁴⁸My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
    that I may meditate on your promise.

* Through these reflections, those phrases that identify God’s word, revelation, or law will be highlighted in the text in the hopes of accentuating the many and varied ways we can visualize what God has given to us for our good.

Reflection

As we approach Holy Week, I am reminded of how ill-prepared the disciples felt they were for what was about to happen. The difficulties they were about to face were many.

I find it interesting to see how they were able to rebound. I do not have a naive view of the situation. It’s just that when I look at all that happened, the reality of Jesus resurrection restored their hope and renewed their strength.

It is a rare occurrence where we know what will happen in life. Sometimes we can have a good idea of what will happen. If we are honest, most of the time, we are just doing the best we can with the information we have available.

That is why being grounded in God’s word is so helpful to living in this world. God has given us some tools for living well. Those tools provide us of countering the downward pull of sin and hopelessness. But we have to receive this wisdom from above. We have to trust it. We have put into practice.

The disciples of Pentecost were the same disciples of Good Friday. They just had some new information. What Jesus said had become what God did. This shift is so important to live lives that are pleasing to God and satisfactory to ourselves.

Commentary

Verse 145: We should approach God with a sincere heart. Not with half-hearted measures. To seek the counsel of God with our whole heart is key to our faith journey. Why? Because when we fully commit to this pursuit, we can know that God was the one who came through. We did not put our trust in ourselves, but in God.

Verse 146: If we desire to be living witnesses of God’s grace, we desire a good thing. The writer shares their desire for deliverance so that they might continue in service to God. Our service to God can be both an opportunity for glorifying God, but also a time where we see the word of God come to life in us.

Verse 147: The discipline of taking time throughout the day for focused attention on God’s word is not new. It is a practice that has been around for a long time. There has been much discussion over what time of the day this activity should be done. Here the Psalmist suggests that before the dawn of a new day is good. A practical reason for this early allocation of time is it precedes all other activity in the day.

Verse 148: Continuing on the theme of the previous verse, the Psalmist reiterates the practice of early meditation on God’s promise. Remembering and reflecting on the promises of God is a good way of orienting our days. This kind of perspective can have a calming effect on our minds when we know of specific challenges we have to face.

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Lent 2021, Day 31 | Psalm 119:141-144

Psalm 119:141-144

¹⁴¹I am small and despised,
    yet I do not forget your precepts*.
¹⁴²Your righteousness is righteous forever,
    and your law is true.
¹⁴³Trouble and anguish have found me out,
    but your commandments are my delight.
¹⁴⁴Your testimonies are righteous forever;
    give me understanding that I may live.

Reflection

Of the many attributes of the psalms in the Bible, one that I greatly appreciate is the honesty we find there. The sharing of private thoughts and fears, of the struggles and frustrations of life. There are few emotions that are not explored. And some of them are uncomfortably raw.

But life is like this. So many of our private thoughts never find expression. As a result, they are buried and can have a negative effect on our minds and hearts. The regular reading of the Psalms is a practice we should all take up.

One of the oddities of life is how little we are able to express, without judgment, some of the darker thoughts we have. We need to cultivate a habit of this with a trusted friend. The idea is not to burden another person with our struggles, but to share our burdens with one another. In the process, we learn to live together in the hills and valleys.

It can be scary to be this honest. But God is neither afraid nor ashamed of hearing about the deep hurts and worries we have.

Commentary

Verse 141: As the days and years of life accrue, the opportunities to be reminded of our condition apart from God increase. We are lost without God. We have no real reason for eternal hope if we do not fellowship with God. However, when we have been reconciled to God; when we have experienced the grace of God in the cross of Christ; when we have been filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, our frailty is no longer an obstacle. Our reception of God’s precepts gives us the ballast we need so we do not succumb to the tempests of life.

Verse 142: The writer calls us to ponder: How long will God’s goodness last? While the question may appear non-sensical, how we answer it matters. God will be good for as long as God is God. This is axiomatically true. So, what does that say about God’s law? It says that as long as God is God, his law shall be true. God’s character is the guarantee of his law’s veracity.

Verse 143: In the midst of the toils of life, it is good to have a safe harbor in which to rest. God’s commandments have not always been seen in this light. However, the implication of the Psalmist’s joy in spite of the trials of life should give us pause. To delight in God’s commandments does not require a trouble free life. It does require a us to put our focus on the gift of God’s word.

Verse 144: The testimonies of God shall be good and for our good as long as God lives. What a glorious truth. Our confidence in living according to what God commands is not in our ability to execute what God says, but in trusting God to lead us into greater understanding and deeper commitment.

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Lent 2021, Day 30 | Psalm 119:137-140

Psalm 119:137-140

¹³⁷Righteous are you, O Lord,
    and right are your rules*.
¹³⁸You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness
    and in all faithfulness.
¹³⁹My zeal consumes me,
    because my foes forget your words.
¹⁴⁰Your promise is well tried,
    and your servant loves it.

Reflection

It is difficult to trust in God’s word when we do not always trust in God. I am not sure what other conclusion we can draw.

If we say that we believe that the Scriptures are God’s revelation to humanity, but we do not seek to understand its meaning or conform our lives to its mandates, questions must be asked. Do we actually believe what we claim?

One of the initial challenges to the Christian life is accepting the whole of God’s word as God’s word. To begin to grapple with all that the sacred texts contain.

The life of faith is not merely about performing rote functions at religious meetings. This is not what God desires or expects from us. However, if we do not honestly engage with what God has provided, but rather find reasons and ways of explaining away what is there, we will not find our faith in God growing. It will have been sabotaged before it even has a chance to get up to speed.

Commentary

Verse 137: The righteousness of God is what instills within us confidence in the rightness of the rules he gives to us. When we know God has command us to do something, we do not have to question whether we should do it. By virtue of it having been given by God, we should proceed with urgency.

Verse 138: What God has said will not be overturned. There is nothing that can do it. And there is no one who as the authority to do it. God’s word is unchangeable for God himself is unchanging. While this should cause us concern in our fellow human beings, we ought not have any such fears related to God. Human nature can be fickle and erratic. God’s nature is nothing of the sort. For this we can be ever thankful.

Verse 139: To be zealous, is to have a deep and constant passion for something. In this verse we see the zeal of the writer is overwhelming. They look at what is happening to those who forget the words of God and are motivated to redouble their efforts. To know God’s word is to become passionate about all it instructs.

Verse 140: When a child of God takes God at his word, the result is a fulfilled promise. The Psalmist tells us they have tested God’s promises and they have been found firm and unimpeachable. When our confidence in God is reaffirmed over and over again, it is difficult to lose hope or become distracted by the many trials and temptations of life. God’s faithful fulfillment of his promises gives us all the more reason to rejoice in God.

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Lent 2021, Day 29 | Psalm 119:133-136

Psalm 119:133-136

¹³³Keep steady my steps according to your promise*,
    and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
¹³⁴Redeem me from man’s oppression,
    that I may keep your precepts.
¹³⁵Make your face shine upon your servant,
    and teach me your statutes.
¹³⁶My eyes shed streams of tears,
    because people do not keep your law.

Reflection

Once you have tasted of the goodness of God, it becomes difficult to forget what you have experienced. This is one of the more surprising aspects of the Christian journey.

The longer I live, the more aware I become of what it means to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The irony is that I am not saying I understand it better. As a matter of fact, I feel like it makes less sense. Not because I am confused, but because I understand what it means!

God the Father made a plan with Jesus the Son to enter into the brokenness of this world. As a part of that plan they formulated a way for lost sinners to be redeemed from their fallen condition and be reconciled with God.

When you really think about it, that just doesn’t make any sense. Why would God do that? And even more to the point, why would I believe that? The answer is both simple and overwhelming. It is simple because if we take God’s word at face value, that he actually means what he has said, then we have to accept that his love is without reservation or boundary.

But, believing the Gospel is also overwhelming. It is so because to acknowledge God’s action to save we have to accept how terrible our sin actually is. If that is what it took to save lost sinners, how could we not want others to know and enjoy this love with us?

Commentary

Verse 133: As we walk the journey of faith, the opportunities to stubble do not decrease. They may very well increase. It does not matter in which direction it is, as long as we keep walking towards God’s will, we can trust in God’s direction. This is the request here. “Keep steady my steps.” An honest prayer, for a certain reality in this world.

Verse 134: The life of faithful obedience will have a cost. That cost, most often, manifests itself in the opposition of those who do not live with a similar conviction. Submission to God’s commands will identify us and mark us for greater scrutiny. Whether that evaluation leads to blessing or hardship cannot be determined before hand. Each person we encounter in life must choose how they will respond. But regardless of their choice, we must continue to keep God’s precepts.

Verse 135: In a poetic sense, almost all references to God’s face is an acknowledgment of an intimate relationship with God. To see God’s face or to speak to God face-to-face is to connect with how God referred to his relationship with Moses. This is what we should aspire to. This is why the link between the request for God to make is face “shine upon your servant” and God’s statutes is interesting. The implication seems to be that the more intimate our relationship with God, the greater our receptivity to God’s commands.

Verse 136: The Psalmist laments how so many others fail to keep God’s law. The sadness comes from a keen awareness of all that the writer has enjoyed as a result of accepting the revelation of God’s wisdom. To see others deny themselves of this, either by ignorance or by choice, is a deeply troubling realization.

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Lent 2021, 5th Sunday in Lent | Psalm 119:129-132

Psalm 119:129-132

¹²⁹Your testimonies* are wonderful;
    therefore my soul keeps them.
¹³⁰The unfolding of your words gives light;
    it imparts understanding to the simple.
¹³¹I open my mouth and pant,
    because I long for your commandments.
¹³²Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    as is your way with those who love your name.

Worship

Reflection

The first verse in the selection for today points to the wonderful nature of God’s testimonies. What makes these testimonies wonderful is that we can participate in them. Throughout all of the events contained in the Bible, we are made witnesses to what God was doing in and through the circumstances recorded.

As we witness these moments and events, we are given a glimpse of how God works in the affairs of men. How God weaves his purposes through the faithful choices of the various players. We see how God is able to take even the most unwise decisions and use them to advance his will.

The danger we face as we reflect on these events is failing to see the hand of God in the story. While the Bible contains the history of God’s people, these stories are a chronicle of God’s own history with the world. From the opening majesty of creation that is described; to the glorious miracle of Jesus resurrection from the grave; to the final triumphant victory by God over the devil at the end of the ages; all of these highlights and the all of the moments in between are exposing the wonder of God in time and in the world.

We can often miss it because we become distracted by the everyday challenges of life. But, we must find a way, from time to time, to pause and see how much wonder that actually is all around us.

Commentary

Verse 129: The word of God is filled with wonderful realities. The stories that convey these truths can be difficult, even harsh. But, through them we can gain a glimpse of what God has been doing. The wonder of God’s word can fill us. That is one of the main attributes of the entire process. We should not forget this. But this wonder inducing power of God’s word is how we are drawn closer to God. Our soul’s keep what can actually fill us with wonder.

Verse 130: The word of God is revelation from the mind of God. The totality of what it contains cannot be understood in one sitting. It will take a lifetime of study to even scratch the surface of all God has shared with us. However, the more time we spend with God’s word, the more of it we understand. Not because we become wiser, even though that will happen. We understand more because the Holy Spirit illuminates our minds to receive what is there waiting to be learned. To grow in understanding takes time. Therefore, we should take the time to grow in our understanding. We should not feel like we have missed something, when we can reflect on how much we actually have acquired.

Verse 131: The longing described by the Psalmist here is telling. It not only describes a keen awareness of what God offers, but it exposes a knowledge of the value of what God provides. To receive and take in what God gives is to truly satisfied. Only God fill what our soul most desires. And the reason is simple. Only God has the infinite resources to accomplish the task.

Verse 132: For those who love the Lord, there is no need to fear about how God will treat us. When we have understood his grace and have experienced his mercy, our perception of what it means to serve God changes. The Psalmist describes this graciousness according to the surety of its continuation. The writer says, “as is your way.” The reason we can know how God will act is not because we have figured God out. It is because God has revealed to us how he will act, and we can either trust or not. To trust is to enjoy the benefits of God’s unchanging character.

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Lent 2021, Day 28 | Psalm 119:125-128

Psalm 119:125-128

¹²⁵I am your servant; give me understanding,
    that I may know your testimonies*!
¹²⁶It is time for the Lord to act,
    for your law has been broken.
¹²⁷Therefore I love your commandments
    above gold, above fine gold.
¹²⁸Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right;
    I hate every false way.

Reflection

One of my favorite movies growing up was The Karate Kid. In that movie a young man, Daniel Larusso, moves across the country and has his life turned upside down. He moves to a new town, a different way of doing things, and with no one to help him navigate this new reality. Most people already know the arch of the story, so I won’t rehash it here.

As Daniel meets Mr. Miyagi and begins his training, Daniel is asked to perform routine chores. He does not understand what any of these tasks have to do with learning karate. It is not until Daniel has gotten fed up with being treated like slave labor that the “lessons” are revealed.

What the master knew, the pupil was now going to learn.

In the Christian life, context is key. Without context we will not properly understand what is happening around us. And whoever defines that context for us, will determine how we see what comes next.

In the tension between feeling used and being trained, we see the link between obedience and faith. Daniel thought he was being used and taken advantage of. Daniel thought that he had been lied to! But Mr. Miyagi knew he needed to have new patterns ingrained in his mind.

The repetition of the movements of washing cars, painting fences, and sanding floors were all in preparation for the revelation. And what was that revelation? Than Daniel had learned more karate doing “non karate” things than he could have imagined.

Yes, the movie is an oversimplification of the years it takes for mastery. But, it is a wonderful example of what happens when we obey our teacher and then, in a moment, we are awakened to the truth. We know and understand more than we thought, but we just didn’t see it properly. We couldn’t see it because we wanted it all to look like something else.

This, at its core, is discipleship. We obey those we trust in the faith. We follow and imitate their example. And then, when we are ready, we begin to see what was right in front of us the whole time.

Commentary

Verse 125: As we surrender to God’s instruction, we embrace a new direction for our lives. In this sense, we become servants of God. Not in an overbearing or hostile manner. But rather as a willing and appreciative response to God’s grace. As we serve, we are invited to grow in our understanding. However, there are times where we reach the end of what we know, and so we ask for greater levels of insight. God desires for our wisdom to grow. Therefore, we should not be shy in asking for more of it.

Verse 126: We do not always understand God’s timing. It can be difficult to see how much is being “overlooked” by God. So, when we have become familiar with God’s law, our sense of indignation can at times get the better of us. We see something that is out of line, or someone that is flaunting their disobedience and we wonder, “Where is God?” The answer is, he is right where he has always been. God will act when he chooses. Not when we think he should.

Verse 127: In this verse, we see another instance where the Psalmist speaks of their love of God’s commandments. While this sentiment would appear counter-intuitive, it is the attitude we should seek to cultivate. To understand what God’s commandments are, and what they do, is to see how they are also expression of God’s affection and grace toward us. They will then become the most precious gifts in our lives. Or at least we may appreciate them more honestly.

Verse 128: To acknowledge the source of God’s precepts, is to also accept that they cannot be wrong. This may be difficult to understand when we begin our journey of faith. However, to trust God is to trust what he has said. Understanding is, in the Christian life, the consequence of obedience. We do what God commands and then we learn why it is true. This is most often the pattern and process of deeper relationship with God.

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Lent 2021, Day 27 | Psalm 119:121-124

Psalm 119:121-124

¹²¹I have done what is just and right;
    do not leave me to my oppressors.
¹²²Give your servant a pledge of good;
    let not the insolent oppress me.
¹²³My eyes long for your salvation
    and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
¹²⁴Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,
    and teach me your statutes.

Reflection

God’s faithfulness to his own promises may be the most powerful reason for trusting in God. To accept and live in the knowledge that God will do what he has said brings freedom and hope.

Disappointment can have such a crushing affect on us. It can distort our understanding of self. It can make us look at others in the worst possible light. Relationships can be forever ruined because of expectations that were not met. But how do we deal with expectations that were never really possible? Expectations that we created that were not based in truth?

This is why when I find myself being disappointed with God, I have to stop and ask: Is this something God said he would do? Or is this something that I want God to do, and because he didn’t I am now angry?

God will accomplish what he has promised. God will never accomplish what he has never promised. Both of these realities are comforting. The first because God can be trusted. The second because God cannot be manipulated.

Commentary

Verse 121: The witness of our lives is a plea with God to remember his promises. When we live in accord with God’s character we will reap the blessings that come with that. However, those who do not share our faith will find reason to come against us. In spite of this opposition, we can trust in God to safeguard us through the circumstances until we finally stand before him in heaven.

Verse 122: When God speaks, what he says must be accomplished. God has never promised anything that he has failed to provide. This is what true divine faithfulness looks like. Just because we do not always understand how God is working does not mean that he is not active and engaged in the world and in our lives.

Verse 123: It is interesting to describe the longing for salvation in the context of “seeing”. What makes this of particular interest is the way it helps us understand that whatever that salvation is, it will be something that can be seen with the eye. What will be seen will be the fulfillment of what God has promised. What the Psalmist was waiting for we have seen in Jesus.

Verse 124: God in his goodness will judge the world and discipline his children in a consistent manner. What this means is that when God acts, he cannot be accused of wrongdoing. His faithfulness to his own character is what guarantees that justice will be performed by God. Within this context, when we learn God’s statutes, we can know the standard we will be measured against.

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Lent 2021, Day 26 | Psalm 119:117-120

Psalm 119:117-120

¹¹⁷Hold me up, that I may be safe
    and have regard for your statutes* continually!
¹¹⁸You spurn all who go astray from your statutes,
    for their cunning is in vain.
¹¹⁹All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,
    therefore I love your testimonies.
¹²⁰My flesh trembles for fear of you,
    and I am afraid of your judgments.

Reflection

As the world continues to deal with and address the ramifications of a global pandemic, the words of Psalm 119 seem particularly useful. The uncertainty of the innumerable variables can cause us to feel unsteady in the world.

When we find ourselves being buffeted by the waves of life, we need to find a fixed point that can guide us home, to safety. That north star is God’s word for those of us who claim the name of Jesus. God’s word is the guiding light in the darkness and uncertainty of world trying to make sense what is happening.

The Christian faith points to an eternal reality beyond the shores of life on this world. This perspective can and should give us comfort. It is the constant reminder that we are passing through. We do not need to take a morbid posture to the uncertainties of life. We should take the attitude that what happens here and now does not have the power to rob us of what is to come.

This is the part of the eschatological hope of the Christian faith. We live today, enjoy today, and embrace today while we seek others to join us on this journey. Through it all we do everything we can to keep our eyes pointed to Jesus. In him we have hope. Not in the things of this world. At least that is the way it should be.

Commentary

Verse 117: Once we have experienced the grace of God, it is difficult to live without it. The beauty of God’s love is that we are not cast away when we falter and fail. God’s goodness draws us back when we are sincere in our remorse. There are some who would say that this is taking advantage of God’s grace. That might be true, if the person’s heart was to do as they wished. However, knowing that we will sin and wanting to continue doing it are not the same. This difference matters and it matters to God. He is the one who knows the heart of the one who comes to him seeking to be restored and reconciled.

Verse 118: To adhere to God’s statutes is to declare a trust in God’s wisdom. To reject God’s commands is to expose a lack of trust in God’s care. As a result, when those who obey God’s word experience blessings in can make those who do not to feel as if they have been rejected by God. This is not necessarily an intentional act by God, but the natural consequence of going one’s own way, apart from God.

Verse 119: One of the characteristics of many of the psalms is the personal and intimate tone they take. We see expressions of anger and desires for revenge in those places where the writer feels under attack. These emotions should be interpreted in ways that diminish the human experience. However, they should not be understood as endorsements by God about what the author should expect. One of the simpler ways of understanding this kind of language is as an awareness by God of the difficulties that emerge in the human experience. In this light, the speaker in the psalm can describe when they perceive is happening, or even hope would happen, without imposing upon God some obligation foreign to his character.

Verse 120: When we find the word “fear” in the scriptures, it has become common to speak of a reverence and honoring of God. While in many cases the context would justify this understanding of the word, this is not one of those cases. There is a real sense in which the reality of God’s “judgments” must be understood a terror inducing. The reason for this is an acknowledgement of the power and authority which God has to adjudicate sin. While it is proper to say that God desires to dispense grace and mercy, God must also uphold his righteousness in the face of sin. Therefore, to fear God, in this context, is to recognize how bad it could be for us, if it were not for God’s grace.

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Lent 2021, Day 25 | Psalm 119:113-116

Psalm 119:113-116

¹¹³I hate the double-minded,
    but I love your law*.
¹¹⁴You are my hiding place and my shield;
    I hope in your word.
¹¹⁵Depart from me, you evildoers,
    that I may keep the commandments of my God.
¹¹⁶Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
    and let me not be put to shame in my hope!

Reflection

There will never be a time when we have “all the information” we desire. All of the pieces of information, even if they were available, would be difficult to process. This challenge is what makes living without God even more difficult.

God has promised that “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). What this means is that in spite of our deficits, God is able to take all that we miss into account. Therefore, even when we miss things, and we will, God does not.

The question I ask myself is this: how do I enjoy the benefits of this promise? The Psalmist reminds us that it is God’s words, and our daily consumption of it, that reminds us of what we have and what we do not have to worry about any longer.

We can find comfort in all manner of difficult situations and circumstances because we can trust God to see us through.

Commentary

Verse 113: As a thought experiment, what would be the opposite of being “double-minded”? In the implication of the phrase is that the person being labeled in this way in unreliable. They are not able to pick a path and stick with it. So, the opposite of being double-minded is being single-minded; being a person of resolve and conviction. The mistake we should avoid here is this, as followers of Christ the mind we seek to be resolved in is not our own. Rather, we should be single-minded in our resolve to do as God has commanded in his word. For it is there that God has revealed his mind to us.

Verse 114: One of the many benefits of studying and meditating on God’s word is the peace it brings. Knowing who God is and how he has promised to work in our lives is a true blessing. We have to normalize the idea that the greatest miracle is not what we can get from God, but that God has given us access to himself. He is our “hiding place and [our] shield.”

Verse 115: As we journey through this life, we must be vigilant of those who would encourage us to deviate from God’s purposes. In the simplest sense, these individuals are “evildoers.” They would ask us to substitute what we have learned about God for what they claim to know about God. This should never be. As we keep God’s commandments, we must grow in our resolve to dismiss those who would cause us to detour from where God is leading.

Verse 116: “Let me not be put to shame in my hope!” This is the call of a sincere heart. The mind of God is so much higher than ours. Because of this, we will not always understand everything God has asked us to do. In times like these we are to place our trust in God’s faithfulness and goodness. We are living with the hope that God will “uphold [us] according to [his] promise.” This is what living by faith means. We obey and leave the outcomes to God.

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Lent 2021, Day 24 | Psalm 119:109-112

Psalm 119:109-112

¹⁰⁹I hold my life in my hand continually,
    but I do not forget your law*.
¹¹⁰The wicked have laid a snare for me,
    but I do not stray from your precepts.
¹¹¹Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
    for they are the joy of my heart.
¹¹²I incline my heart to perform your statutes
    forever, to the end.

Reflection

What do we do when we can’t seem to find the answer we need in God’s word? We can get frustrated or discouraged.

Over the course of the last twenty years I have learned that an important part of my anxiety over God’s silence is me. I come to God believing that God is obligated to bend to my every whim. This is not only wrong, it exposes an assumption that hinders our relationship with God. When we demand God act, we have usurped an authority that does not belong to us.

The Psalmist throughout this psalm provides us with a multitude of reasons why we should never demand of God what God has not obligated himself to do in his word. The Word of God is a binding document, both to God and to us. In it we find everything we need to know about how God operates in the world and how we are to approach him.

God will not do anything contrary to what he has revealed. And if we approach God understanding who he is and how he works, we reduce (and maybe even eliminate) the reasons for our frustration.

Commentary

Verse 109: Every day we make important decisions that will affect the course of our lives. These decisions do not always feel as being significant, but which ones will or will not be cannot be predicted. To live with our eyes set on eternity is the best way of honoring the gift of life we have. So, it is vital that one of those decision we make is to remember God’s law. To acknowledge that what God has commanded also requires our attention every day.

Verse 110: This theme of the plans of those who are against us has been repeated several times. And each time the general direction is that of distraction. When there are people working to harm us, it can draw our attention from what we should be doing. Whether that is an objective or one of God’s “precepts.” The Psalmist admits the reality of this opposition and at the same time encourages us to recognize that a commitment to what God has said is far better.

Verse 111: As children of God, God’s word is an inheritance to us. The beauty of this inheritance is that we do not have to wait to enjoy it. We have access to it right now. All we have to do is make ourselves available to it. When we love the giver, we will treasure the gift even more. This is why we must read and meditate and study the Bible. It is ours by right. To not enjoy it is to diminish the one who provided it for us.

Verse 112: There comes a moment when we understand what is required of us. When that moment comes we must make a choice. There is no way of not making a choice. We will either chose to obey or to disobey. This same moment will occur when we understand what the word of God is to us. At that moment we will have to make a choice. Will we do all God has commanded? Or will we make a different choice?

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