Thursday, May 14, 2015

May 14, 2015: Psalm 119


Psalm 119
The Glories of God’s Law
Happy are those whose way is blameless,
    who walk in the law of the Lord.
Happy are those who keep his decrees,
    who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
    but walk in his ways.
You have commanded your precepts
    to be kept diligently.
O that my ways may be steadfast
    in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
    having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart,
    when I learn your righteous ordinances.
I will observe your statutes;
    do not utterly forsake me.

Reflection:
This is quite a Psalm, one of the longest in the Psalms and it has power. Today, I am drawn to the first stanza, the opening 8 verses. Happy are those that keep God’s commandments and follow God’s paths. There is this idea I have heard throughout my life that it is no fun to be a Christian or it is more fun to get in trouble or to do things that Christians are not supposed to do. It seems to imply that God doesn’t want us to have fun, or that we can either have fun or be good. It is not how I see faith or life. There is a certain amount of excitement that comes from breaking a rule, but there is also the risk of consequences. God understands, better than we ever could, the consequences of actions. God does not want us to suffer consequences, God wants us to be happy. God wants what is best for us, and sometimes what is best for us is beyond our ability to understand. It is part of why we have faith and trust. Trust, God wants you to have a wonderful life, God wants you to be happy and it can be incredibly fun and rewarding to live the way God calls us.
Reflection Questions
Morning: Reflect on the last time you did the right thing and it was also a fun things?
Midday: How has God been at work in your life today?
Evening: Have you ever done something you were sure was going to be a lot of fun, and it turned out to be no fun at all? Or with the benefit of what you know now you wish you had not done it?

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