Psalm 119 HE

Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
    that I may follow it to the end.
Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
    and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands,
    for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statutes
    and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
    preserve my life according to your word.
Fulfill your promise to your servant,
    so that you may be feared.
Take away the disgrace I dread,
    for your laws are good.
How I long for your precepts!
    In your righteousness preserve my life.
                                                                  - Psalm 119:33-40



God's laws and commands have been clearly laid out for us as almost as long as Israel has been a nation. Even though some of them don't apply to our lives today,( animal sacrifices and putting lamb's blood over our doorpost), we are still expected as believers to follow and learn the standards God has set aside for us. For most of us, whenever we hear the words "rules and regulations", we become a little critical of following them," because if I'm already saved, why do I need to follow so many rules. Church ain't nothing but a strict law code that I don't have time to follow." We need to take a different approach to how we follow the guidelines set in place. We can easily see throughout the entirety of this psalm so far, David is making a conscious decision to not only know and understand God's commands, but to follow after them with delight and to jump all in in order to do so.
I'm going to be honest here, that is not always easy, not by a long shot. But if we go through life on the simple path; yes we will make it to the other side, but we will have remained the same throughout the journey. There would be no stretching us out of our comfort and complacency, and we would still be as babies in the faith, even though God has called us to be Mighty Warriors sent out to break down the gates of hell. When we take the easy road, Satan doesn't fear us because comfort is not going to remove one bar from his prison. We need to follow the path of David, ask God to show us his commands and give us his understanding to carry them out, then storm the walls of the enemy that has trapped and pull down too many Christians and non-Christians into its fiery grasp.

I want to be so connected to the will of the Father in my life that when I rise to do something for the Kingdom of God, Satan takes notice and shutters in fear. I want God to move in my life, not for my glory or to build myself up, but because we were designed with a purpose to take back what the enemy has held captive for far too long.

Who's with me?

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms

Psalm 119 DALETH

"I am laid low in the dust;
  preserve my life according to your word.
I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;
  teach me your decrees.
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.
Keep me from deceitful ways;
  be gracious to me and teach me your law.
I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
  I have set my heart on your laws.
I hold fast to your statutes, Lord;
  do not let me be put to shame.
I run in the path of your commands,
  For you have broadened my understanding."- Psalm 119:25-32



We see in the psalms a very similar pattern, Praise and thanksgiving to God. There is another occurrence that appears throughout the book as well. David, or the current psalmist, tends to write his psalm out of desperation and despair. To say that all the Psalms are out of hardship would be an exaggeration, but I have found that this is true for most. This should encourage us as Christians tremendously. All throughout the book, the psalmist is between a rock and a hard place and the only hope he has for a better tomorrow is the promises and commands that have come from the Father.
Let's jump right in. " I am laid low in the dust, preserve my life according to your word." David is saying he that he is essential at death's door, and on his own strength, he will not be able to pull through, and get himself out of this slump. So what does David do? David does what he has seen tested time and time again, he asks God to give him the strength to rise up and continue to do his duties.
"I gave an account of my ways and you answered me; teach me your decrees. Cause me to understand the way of your precepts, that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds." David is giving us an example on what we need to be doing as followers of God: we need to know his decrees, and allow the Lord to take them from our head knowledge, to our heart truth. God has laid out a full plan to living the life he intends for us. It is our job to let the Holy Spirit reveal to us what we need to know, when we need to know it. Don't let this confuse you into thinking we must know every lay and command and always meet the requirements that come with them. What I am saying is that as we allow the Lord to work and move in our hearts, we will begin to live out the commands naturally because we will be so focused on living for God and nothing else. In this set of verses, David asks God to teach him his ways and laws several times, 3 times specifically. We should not take this lightly. The psalmist would not feel the need to bring home this point if it was not important for us to hear, so lets open our hearts and minds to hear and receive everything God has placed in front of us.
King David, one of the greatest heroes of the bible,(my personal opinion), understood that in order to be not just a good man, but a great king, he had to rely on God to show him how to understand his commands and follow them wholeheartedly. Even in times of trouble or sorrow or pain, we must do the same. God hears our prayers, and he comes down to us with a comforting spirit that assures us of every promise spoken over our hearts and lives.

Let's walk every day, right behind the Father, so that we may observe and follow the things that are important to God.

Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through Psalms 119.