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The Word of God says:

Psalm 119:154 (ESV)
¹⁵⁴ Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise!

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today we come to another response of the Psalmist to the Word of God, and the God of the Word. The Psalmist plea is for the Lord to redeem him.

It is practically impossible for a child of God to read the bible, and remain the same. The Word of God creates a hunger and a thirst to be more like our Savior.

When we read God’s Word and obey God’s Word it has a life changing affect on our lives. In the verses that we will meditate on today we see the Psalmist plea and prayer for the Lord to renew him, and to preserve him. He asked the God of the Word to give him life.

This is the kind of prayer that the Lord delights to hear from his people, and He delights to answer those prayers.

Psalm 119:37 (ESV)
³⁷ Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.

Psalm 119:156 (ESV)
¹⁵⁶ Great is your mercy, O Lord; give me life according to your rules.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, I praise and thank You for Word of God that shows us the only way to have real life.

Father God, I praise and thank You for the price that Your precious Son, Jesus Christ, paid on the cross to provide for the means of our salvation.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV)
⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.
¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Saved, Saved (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

Saved, Saved - MIDI and Lyrics - Sacred Hymns - Bible Study Charts.com - Free MIDI Hymns

The Word of God says:

Psalm 119:14 (KJV)
¹⁴ I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

My reflections on the Word of God:

The focus today is on the Psalmist response of rejoicing. Every day can be a day of rejoicing when we read and meditate upon the Word of God, and upon the God of the Word.

Psalm 119:74 (KJV)
⁷⁴ They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.

Psalm 119:162 (KJV)
¹⁶² I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, I praise and thank You for all that You have done for Your believing children. I praise and thank You for the Word of God, and for the God of the Word.

Father God, I praise and thank You for the joy that floods my soul when I think about the love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness that I have received from Your tender hands and Your loving heart.

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.ehymnal.com/joyful.shtml

The Word of God says:

Psalm 119:15 (KJV)
¹⁵ I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today we return to Psalm 119, and to another of the responses that the Psalmist had to the Word of God, and to the Lord. The response that is our focus today is meditation.

The dictionary defines meditation as to reflect on; contemplate. It also defines meditation as to engage in devotional contemplation, especially prayer.

The Psalmist loved the Lord, he trusted in the Lord, and he delighted in the Word of God. Today we reflect upon how he meditated on the Word of God.

Psalm 119:23 (KJV)
²³ Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.

Psalm 119:148 (KJV)
¹⁴⁸ Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, I praise and thank You for the privilege I have of daily communing with You by meditating on the Word of God.

Father God, I pray that You will speak Your Word into my heart today, and every day.

Speak to My Heart (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

Speak to My Heart

The Word of God says:

Psalm 100:1-5 (KJV)
¹ Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
² Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
³ Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
⁴ Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
⁵ For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today is a day that is set aside as a national holiday. It is a day to be thankful to Almighty God for what He has done in our lives. Being thankful is not something we should do just with our lips, but we should do it with our lives.

This Psalm is a call to praise the Lord with a joyful voice; it is a universal call to all of God’s people. Not only on this Thanksgiving Day, but everyday should be an occasion to sing praises to God, and to thank Him for His bountiful blessings to us His people.

Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day.

Psalm 96:1 (KJV)
¹ O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.Psalm 97:1 (KJV)
¹ The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, I am so grateful to You for all of the wonderful blessings You have given to me not just this year, but for all of the years of my life.

Father God, You have blessed beyond any measure of my expectation. Father, I shudder to contemplate who I would be without the Lord Jesus being in my life.

I am of all people most blessed, and I choose to be thankful and grateful every day to the God of my salvation.

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

The Word of God says:

Psalm 119:34 (KJV)
³⁴ Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

My reflections on the Word of God:

We have been looking at the responses of the Psalmist to the Lord, and to the Word of God. Today we look at his obedience to the Word of God.

We have seen in the previous two days how the Psalmist loved God, and the Word of God. Also, how he delighted in the Word of God.

Reading the Bible is praiseworthy. That is the purpose of National Bible Week. It is to encourage America to read the Bible. However, as we shall see in the scriptures that follow that reading is not enough. We must read and heed the Bible.

Psalm 119:8 (KJV)
⁸ I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

Psalm 119:167-168 (KJV)
¹⁶⁷ My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.
¹⁶⁸ I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Lord, I pray that You would quicken my heart, and that I would respond in faith, to read Your Word and to be not only a hearer but a doer of the Word.

Psalm 119:5 (KJV)
⁵ O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

Psalm 119:145 (KJV)
¹⁴⁵ I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes.

Trust and Obey (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

Trust and Obey - MIDI and Lyrics - Sacred Hymns - Bible Study Charts.com - Free MIDI Hymns

The Word of God says:

Psalm 119:47-48 (KJV)
⁴⁷ And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.
⁴⁸ My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Yesterday we started to look at Psalm 119, which we will continue for the remainder of this week in observance of National Bible Week.

Our focal verse for today contains two of the ways in which the psalmist responded to the Word of God. Yesterday we looked at the verses in which his response was his love for the Word of God, and his love for the Lord.

Today we will look at verses in this featured psalm that reflect his response of delight in the Word of God.

Psalm 119:16 (KJV)
¹⁶ I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Psalm 119:174 (KJV)
¹⁷⁴ I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.

When you read this Psalm you are able to identify with the Psalmist in his various responses to the Word of God, and to God. The God who sustained the Psalmist will sustain you and me if we put our trust in Him, and if we love and delight in His Word and in Him.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, I praise and thank You for the bible. Father God, I praise and thank You for the promise that Your Word will stand forever.

Psalm 119:89 (KJV)
⁸⁹ For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

The Bible Stands (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

The Bible Stands - MIDI and Lyrics - Sacred Hymns - Bible Study Charts.com - Free MIDI Hymns

The Word of God says:

Psalm 119:1-2 (KJV)
¹ . Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
² Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Since this week is National Bible Week I can think of no better place to spend this time than reflecting on Psalm 119. It is the longest of the Psalms, and has more verses than any chapter in the bible. The theme of this Psalm is the Word of God. The Psalmist drew great strength by meditating on the Word of God.

To begin our journey through this Psalm we will look at the various responses that the Psalmist had toward God and toward God’s Word.

The first response that I want to focus on is to look at the many times that the Psalmist expressed His love for the Word of God, and His love for the person of God.

Psalm 119:47-48 (KJV)
⁴⁷ And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.
⁴⁸ My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.

Psalm 119:167 (KJV)
¹⁶⁷ My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I unite my heart with the heart of the Psalmist in singing praises to You for Your Word.

Oh, how I love Your Word, and how I love You for sending Your beloved Son Jesus into the world to be my Savior.

My Jesus, I Love Thee (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh172.sht

The Word of God says:

Isaiah 55:10-11 (NASB)
¹⁰ “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
¹¹ So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today is the beginning of the observance of National Bible Week (November 23-30). The scripture that came to mind when I heard about this emphasis on the Bible is the passage I have selected for our focal passage for today.

One of the things that we can be sure of is that the Bible will accomplish its purposes. The Lord says this in our focal passage. He compares the rain and the snow that water the earth and accomplishes its purpose of giving abundant vegetation.

Isaiah 55:10 (NLT)
¹⁰ “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.

The bible says that just as the rain and the snow accomplish its purpose so shall the Word of God accomplishes its purpose.

Isaiah 55:11 (NLT)
¹¹ It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

The bible says that the Word of God is seed.

Luke 8:11 (NLT)
¹¹ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word.

I have been involved for almost 40 years of planting the Word of God in the traffic lanes of the world through the ministry of The Gideons International. The thing I have cherished about this ministry is its singular dedication to getting the bible into the hands of needy people. I know that the Word of God will never fail to accomplish the purposes of God in the lives of those who will read it and heed it.

Isaiah 40:8 (KJV)
⁸ The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Matthew 24:35 (KJV)
³⁵ Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Father, we thank You for giving us Your Word. I pray that we as Your people will cherish Your Word, and that it will nourish our hungry souls.

I Love the Bible, the Word of God (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

Hymn: I love the Bible, the Word of God

The Word of God says:

Luke 10:40 (NASB)
⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

My reflections on the Word of God:

We have been looking at the lives of Martha and Mary who were sisters, and who were also friends of Jesus. Yesterday we looked at the first of two lessons we can learn from the life of Martha. We have seen that both Martha and Mary had some praiseworthy characteristics in their lives.

However, an area of strength can become an area of weakness under stress. Yesterday our focus was upon Martha’s distraction by her great servant’s heart.

Today we will see how material things distracted Martha. Martha was apparently a woman of some wealth. Her sister Mary and her brother Lazarus lived with her. She also hosted Jesus and his disciples in her home. She was a woman given to hospitality. She displayed organizational and management skills. She was what you would call a self-starter.

What Martha did in serving others is praiseworthy. She had a legitimate complaint. Notice that she questioned Martha and Jesus. However, in putting such great emphasis on hospitality and food she had neglected a higher priority. The things that Martha was concerned about were important, but sitting at the feet of Jesus, and listening to Him was more important.

Luke 10:39 (NASB)
³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.

The bottom line of lessons learned from the life of Martha is that service is important, and we should serve others with our whole heart. However, we should not allow the pressure to get to us, and cause us to put it above sitting at the feet of Jesus. We need to also guard against having a critical spirit of others who upon inspection are doing that which is most important, sitting at the feet of Jesus. We need to find the balance between being a worshipper and a worker.

John 6:43 (NASB)
⁴³ Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 (NASB)
¹¹ Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, I praise and thank You for the example of the right balance that Jesus set for us between being a worshipper and a worker.

Father God, I pray that we will learn to strike that balance by having as our first priority setting at Your feet, and learning from Your Word.

Lord, I realize that I am not fit to serve others until I have been with Jesus, and learned from Him. Then I am prepared to serve You, and I pray that I will do it with gladness and with my whole heart.

Serve the Lord with Gladness (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.geocities.com/cigneto/thctxt/en/servethel1.html

The Word of God says:

Luke 10:40 (NASB)
⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

My reflections on the Word of God:

There are two important lessons that we learn from Martha and Mary, who were sisters, and friends of Jesus. Today we will look at the first lesson to learn from the life of Martha.

There are valid needs that people have such as food, clothing, housing, and transportation. However, these needs and concerns should not cause us to be distracted. If we are not careful an area where we are strong will become for us an area of weakness. Martha had a servant’s heart. That was her strength. However, her strength became a weakness when it caused her to be distracted.

If we are not careful in our servant role we will lose sight of a higher priority. When we do this we will put ourselves in the position of being irritated and critical of those who we feel are not doing their part in sharing the load of caring and doing the work of the Lord. We need to heed the Word that speaks to us about these matters.

Luke 8:14 (NASB)
¹⁴ “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

Luke 21:34 (NASB)
³⁴ “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap;

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, I praise and thank You that I don’t have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders because I serve a God in heaven who carries that burden on His shoulders.

Father God, help us to remember that You are able and willing to carry our burdens if we will give them to You.

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)
⁷ Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

He Will Carry You (Click on link below to watch and listen to video):

YouTube - “He Will Carry You” By Lynda Randle