We are in week five of our study on integrity and I love that God has been teaching me so much. I had intended to share week three, our lesson on the beaditutes, but there was so much. I hope to do that another time.
As I was doing my study this morning, it led me to several scriptures, including the one above, Psalm 19:7-14 ...
Psalm 119:11 - I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against
you.
Luke 4:4 - Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.
Deuteronomy 8:3 - He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you
with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man
does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the
LORD.
It is so easy to look at these, see the obvious, and then move on. So these scriptures tell us to read, know or learn the Word of God. But then God brought me back to Psalm 19:7-14 and also had me read Psalm 119:9-16, not just 119:11. I hope you will take a moment to go back to that scripture and read it too.
This is what these scriptures say to me, what it means to live a live of integrity. Knowing the Word of God is not, in itself, enough. Even Satan knows the Word of God. We must Live by the Word of God.
- We must know it.
- We must believe it.
- We must meditate on it, which means think and pray about what it means.
- We must obey it in every area of our lives, not just the convenient or acceptable ways.
- We must delight in it or learn to love it.
- We must depend on it.
- We must revere it.
- We must give it full authority over all decisions and every area of our life, from the tinyest detail to the greatest problem.
And it speaks two awesome promises when we do these things.
- A great reward.
- The pleasure of God.
To me there is nothing greater than pleasing God.
These are not things we do from a distance. These are things we do up close and personal with God. I am really looking forward to our discussion of this in class this Sunday and welcome your thoughts on this too. Is God stirring up your heart with these Words of His like He has mine?
19 comments:
Hey, Edie! Thanks for your kind words on my blog. You will love this book!
Your blog is awesome! I'm getting ready to go to child # 1's cross country meet, so I will visit again later when I can take a minute to ponder over your post.
Blessings,
Susan
"We must give it full authority over all decisions in every area of our life."
I am reading several books and blogs and it seem this subject keeps coming up.
It sounds so easy...yet I am SO stubborn. I'm glad God is so patient with me.
Susan - Thanks for the compliment.
ADHD-Jo - Don't you just love when God chases you with a message or scripture? ;) Now I know why I like you, God always puts Stubborn people in my life. No lie, there is a real pattern there.
ADHD-Jo - "He likes you! He really likes you!" *grin*
Ha Ha , Now THAT was funny!
I can't believe you have won the bubble game even once much less several times! I played a single game today that lasted WAY longer than I should have allowed myself to play. I had an awesome score of 69,240 (my last top score was 19,139) but I STILL didn't win.
We ARE alike. Just today I was thinking my comment section was more like a forum than a blog. There's Just SO Much To Say!!
My pastor spoke on Sunday about "bible intake" and he said we need to hear the bible, read the bible, study the bible, memorize the bible, meditate on the bible and apply the bible. You can't just get a bible "fix" on Sunday and leave it at that. Good words here, Edie!
I loved that you thought the "chat" room should be at my blog. Haha! But it's just so fun over at ADHD's. It's a place where it's not just okay to off topic, but expected! LOL!
My kids enjoyed your bubble games! They had a ball playing - no pun intended.
And I love the art work on this blog. You are so talented. By the way, I've gotten several compliments on my blog button. THANKS for designing it.
Sigh. I feel I'm really failing in this aspect of my life.
I pick up my bible in fits and starts but too often I let life get in the way and too often I don't trust God to handle important issues in my life for me.
In order for God's word to permeate my life I have to go over and over and over it and still my stuborn ways come through. Thanks for your encouragement!
Hi Edie,
I love these scriptures that you shared with us today, And they are ones we should really meditate upon. talk about hidding his words in our heart, so when the enemy comes messing with us we can give him a black eye just with the words of God as our weapon. Great post.
Hugz Lorie
Scripture presents us with an interesting dichotomy here. I will hide your word in my heart, that I might not sin....But I how can I know all the sin in my heart?? Cleanse me!
Surely, for us to walk uprightly, we have to know what the word says and how to use it. Storing the word in your heart isn't about strictly memorizing it, as if building up a storehouse of information. At some point, whatever is stored up needs to flow out of us to be of good use.
We also have to understand that our storehouses are not clean, even though we ask for them to be cleansed. It's not a one-time deal! And anything that can contaminate what we store up is not going to help our walk.
Thankfully, God's word is complete and infallible, and brings us joy, promise and direction. And those are things we need to keep in our heart, even as we deal with those things that we shouldn't keep!
OH WOW!!
I was in three of four of these Scriptures just this morning!!
I have index cards that I write Scriptures on and read aloud each mornning...Ps. 19:14 is one of those.
And then I read Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest" and he wrote of temptation. The kind that Jesus was tempted with...that led me to look up exactly what the devil was tempting Christ with (Luke 4:4) and then His response to the temptation for bread eventually led me to the same Scripture in Deuteronomy!!
GOD IS SO COOL!!!! :-)
Sue J - I love what you said here. It does have to flow out to be useful. Good thoughts.
Chel - I'm always so excited when I get to see that God has used me to say something to someone else. Funny that He would use my post to speak to "same dirt".
Oh, yes, Edie. There's not a thing to add to this. Wonderful!!
"Knowing the Word of God is not, in itself, enough. Even Satan knows the Word of God. We must Live by the Word of God."
Amen! Such a good point! Thank you for this wonderful post, Edie!
I love your heart, Edie!
It is so true: even Gods' word tells us that just reading is NOT enough. The Bible is like an owner's manual for humans!
James 1:23-24
"Anyone who listens to the word, but does not do what is says is like a man who looks in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."
Now that I am thinking on this verse, it seems pretty deep. I may have to do some analyzing! The word of God is so neat. I hope you are having a good week!
Love,
Angela
Only Sue J-- "Dichotomy". As I've said before, I use my dictionary even in her comments.
I've changed my mind about the bubble game. I said I loved it....well I HATE IT!!! JK (a little).
I beat my high score again with a whopping score of 72,180-----BUT STILL CAN'T BEAT THE GAME!!! I haven't given up yet though.
ADHD-Jo - Now I know why you only have 9 comments on your current post. You're *busy*! lol
Hi Edie!
I saw on Lea from Shabby Olde Potting Shed's blog that you just started reading Lysa's book...I'll be keeping the chapter discussions on my sidebar even though we just finished it and will be starting the new study next Tuesday. So, if you ever want other's input on the chapters you read..stop by and check them out. ;)
hope all is well with you.
I loved what you wrote here on this post: We must obey it in every area of our lives, not just the convenient or acceptable ways.
Wow! That is so true!
Blessings,
Lelia
This is a very interesting site...I love your scripture tags...I will return to check out some of the fun stuff when I have a little more time...
A friend of mine recently had a revelation of we were created by and for Christ...she had a revelation of how we are His...I shared that although I know this I don't know this...well need I say what I keep running into with the books and blogs I read...I still don't have that revelation but know that the Lord is leading me...it is amazing the word of God says He who lacks wisdom let Him ask God...What's amazing is that it's there written for us in black and white...That God wants to give wisdom all we need to do is ask...and that He gives it in such a personal, individual way...I often wish He would just pour it into my mind, heart or spirit...but after I have learned whatever He is teaching me...I am so glad for the process...if only I could learn to enjoy the process while in the midst of it...I tend to go on and on and on sometimes...
In His Love,
Debrah
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