tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13008220805288377172024-03-24T08:46:26.883-07:00A Semple Walk With GodAdam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-17513469959583198172024-02-04T07:23:00.000-08:002024-02-04T07:25:20.543-08:00Psalm 119 Tzaddi<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_a2Uitav850Tpxv8SM26RNf0cWKYC6nUSgezbdFyp1GFTZQ7XZojrLR-89_5q6GckD823yiQLjP0Y6dLQvSlPR16_SIJM64KGeUGI9vpJVLZfjnzwFdecDuAulUGrFJsJbPUT6HMuovd90Ls7ZihjsyuYWsGGQZ_k0GE443ahctZoEddldCcoe4YnWWM/s200/tzaddi.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_a2Uitav850Tpxv8SM26RNf0cWKYC6nUSgezbdFyp1GFTZQ7XZojrLR-89_5q6GckD823yiQLjP0Y6dLQvSlPR16_SIJM64KGeUGI9vpJVLZfjnzwFdecDuAulUGrFJsJbPUT6HMuovd90Ls7ZihjsyuYWsGGQZ_k0GE443ahctZoEddldCcoe4YnWWM/s1600/tzaddi.webp" width="200" /></a></div><br />"You are righteous, Yahweh, Your Judgements are upright.<p></p><p>You have commanded your statutes in righteousness. They are fully trustworthy.</p><p>My zeal wears me out, because my enemies ignore my words.</p><p>Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.</p><p>I am small and despised. I don't forget your precepts.</p><p>Your Righteousness is and everlasting righteousness. Your law is truth.</p><p>Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me. Your commandments are my delight.</p><p>Your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding, that I may live."</p><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Psalm 119:137-144</span><br /></p><p><span><span> </span></span></p><p><span><span><span> </span>Ask any builder working on any kind of structural project and the majority of the people should tell you that before a single post goes up, the foundation of the building goes in first. Then you can build up and out and any which way you want to go. I love that God's word continues to model this formula for success. In the last post, I mentioned how if the windows to the soul are taking in sights that are pure and good, the things that come out will be pure as well. What the psalmist is saying with this stanza, <i>Tzaddi</i>, is that a person cannot be righteous, if they eyes and they mouth are not pure and blameless Jesus describes this beautifully when he says, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will love one and hate the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. (Matthew 6:24 NIV) In order for a man to take on the mantle of humility and righteousness, he must be vigilant of what he allows his eyes to see, what his ears to hear and his mouth to speak. Righteousness is also not something to be praised and revered. Imagine your scrolling on your various social media platform and you see a video of someone giving to the poor. Although the act itself is good, if it is only done for the likes and hearts it will undoubtedly receive, that is not righteousness, but pride. David understood what it meant to be humble before God, because he witnessed the result of a prideful heart. Whenever David did things to show off his power, God always came in and showed him the greatness of his "strength" and David then had to admit his sin so that God's peace could return to the people. </span><br /></span></p><p><span><span><span> Our actions carry more power than we might ever realize while on this earth. Should we not try with everything in us to be good and pure simply because God says it is right, not because the world will see it. May we go every day, operating like a shadow in the night, doing things for the people around like a year-round Santa Claus that only lives to give. Never to receive a pat on the back for "helping the less fortunate", but being a person who has nothing to offer but our lives, not allowing pride to create a false sense of "holy righteousness". </span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> "Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what you do in secret, will reward you." - Matthew 6:1-4</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms. </span></span></span></span></p>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-44864384083401113512024-01-22T10:48:00.000-08:002024-01-22T10:48:54.312-08:00Psalm 119 Pe<p> "Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.</p><p>The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.</p><p>I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.</p><p>Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name.</p><p>Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. </p><p>Redeem me from human oppression, that I may obey your precepts.</p><p>Make your face shine on your servant and teach me your decrees.</p><p>Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.</p><p><br /></p><p> Psalm 119:129-136 <i>Pe</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i> </i>God always has a plan and a purpose for everything that we do and every path we walk on throughout this life. The way His holy word, the Bible, is structured is no different. </p><p><span> <span> </span><span> </span></span>"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 </p><p><i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>"</i>He has made everything beautiful in its time"- Ecclesiastes 3:11</p><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>"Oh, the depths of his riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out."- Romans 11:33</p><p><br /></p><p> Throughout the Bible, there are moments when God tells his people to watch and see, then go and tell. The 119th chapter in the Psalms lays this out from one stanza to the next. In the previous secction, <i>AYIN</i>, we see that this letter, essentially a vowel in our alphabet, describes the window to the soul, our eyes. What we see and what we choose to focus on will be what ultimately comes out of our mouth(<i>PE)</i>, and heart. This 17th letter in the section means simply that, the mouth by which we speak. From the blog <i>A Small Drop of Ink,</i> the writer has this to say about the correlation between <i>Ayin </i>and <i> Pe</i>, </p><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>"Rabbis point out that “Pe” (mouth) follows the letter “Ayin” (eyes), suggesting the importance of seeing (understanding, having awareness) before opening the mouth. If this order is reversed, the result is mindless chatter."</p><p>How can we speak the words of truth and love and grace, if we have yet seen them for ourselves? If you have every been around someone giving a testimony, you believe the words more easily when you can see in their eyes that they have seen what they are speaking, and that they are speaking truth. Whenever someone speaks on a matter they know nothing of, their words fall short and the truth is far from them. </p><p>I want to live a life of someone who has seen the works of the Father firsthand, so that when the time comes to share what I have seen, people will see the genuiness of my words. </p><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight. O Lord, my strength and my redeemer"- Psalm 19:14</span><br /></p><p>May the words that come from your heart be full of truth and pleasing to God, because you only speak about the things you have seen, and the things you have seen are good things bestowed on you by the Father. </p><p><br /></p><p>Adam Semple, AYoung Man on a Journey Through the Psalms</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2Z8gJbtAU34jRISCd79wXMirMGca1anItXOdT6qOwFj4LEKeSBnTDO6g8PZwJQ-hhSFJmXkB6nkuVP9BWEtMJrMM8GBjPbMivbcwTDn8A4ldhsszXoX9aDmD_HOoSdla33SkBcH4xZL4pLdW5Atp0OpQjiuaQ1qVoXI-0oWuMcbXZGWewNLnLNcaOFk/s249/peh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="136" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2Z8gJbtAU34jRISCd79wXMirMGca1anItXOdT6qOwFj4LEKeSBnTDO6g8PZwJQ-hhSFJmXkB6nkuVP9BWEtMJrMM8GBjPbMivbcwTDn8A4ldhsszXoX9aDmD_HOoSdla33SkBcH4xZL4pLdW5Atp0OpQjiuaQ1qVoXI-0oWuMcbXZGWewNLnLNcaOFk/s1600/peh.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><i><br /></i></p>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-84706858765194817332024-01-08T11:46:00.000-08:002024-01-08T11:50:24.519-08:00Psalm 119 Ayin<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="text-align: left;">"I have done justice and righteousness; </span><span> Do not leave me to my oppressors. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Be surety for your servant for good, Do not let the proud oppress me.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation, And your righteous word</span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span>Deal with your servant </span>according to your mercy and teach me your statutes </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span>I am your servant; </span>Give me understanding, <span><span>T</span>hat I may know your testimonies</span> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span>It is time to for you to act, O Lord, </span>For they have regarded your law as void.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span><span>Therefore, I love your commandments </span></span>More than gold, yes, than fine gold.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span><span><span>Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things </span></span></span>I consider to be right: <span style="text-align: left;">I hate every false way.</span> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK45wU3sY2fTg4eWkXCX0MZFcDr_6ls8W94x9RuNPm9hEgdHWuJ4sTE3apWU3zHp46SiNbFhDdw7hf9tS-CKo7e1FG6wooF1nn34sdhITEwcoHBO8JUkAKUGjalM_Jvsd8esOMsTbhlaXcPFsUen3Jw8qO-6H-jLEHb51zBgzgIccH-hlgCc0-qWpxzyY/s1080/AYIN.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK45wU3sY2fTg4eWkXCX0MZFcDr_6ls8W94x9RuNPm9hEgdHWuJ4sTE3apWU3zHp46SiNbFhDdw7hf9tS-CKo7e1FG6wooF1nn34sdhITEwcoHBO8JUkAKUGjalM_Jvsd8esOMsTbhlaXcPFsUen3Jw8qO-6H-jLEHb51zBgzgIccH-hlgCc0-qWpxzyY/s320/AYIN.jpg" width="296" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><p><span><span><span><span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> Psalm 119:121-128 AYIN <span>ע</span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span> </span>The Hebrew letter portrayed in this passage of the Psalms is the 16th letter Ayin,(Ayen). It is more regarded as a vowel due to the fact that the letter itself does not typically have a sound, but it adds to other letters to create new words. The creation of this letter is believed to be tied to what it means, which is basically the window to the soul, or in layman's terms, the eye,(eyes): One being good and one being bad. This unwraps what Jesus was taliking about in the Gospel of Mattheww when He says this to the people, "<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-style: italic;">The eye is the lamp of the whole body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. Matthew 6:22-23. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;">Although the verbage here might be a little hard to grasp at times, what Jesus is saying is that the things we choose to focus on will be the things that permeate our entire soul. Say you know someone who looks at the world and only sees despair and disappointment. The reason they see the world this way is because they have chosen to focus solely on these things. Now, take someone who goes through life with a smile in all circumstances and joy in their heart. If you put these 2 people in the same environment and told them to tell you what they see, you would receive 2 very different answers. Person one would see all the things wrong with the place you have put them in, but Person 2 would see the blessings and the beauty that is all around them. So where does the difference come in? Why do 2 people looking at the exact same view come to 2 very different responses? Because throughout their life, they have to decided what they want to focus on, therefore allowing those things to take up their whole focus. Person 1 has decided that the world is only out to disappointment and fill them with heartache, so that is what they have chosen to set theirs eyes on. Person 2 realizes that life is filled with big and small joys, and God has proven to reveal Himself to his children through these little beauties. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;"> The author of this psalm is trying make it very clear that what we choose to set are eyes, our <i>AYIN</i>, upon will completely change our outlook on life. Look back at the beginning of this section. When the psalmist has his gaxe on the world, he sees only his oppressors and the trouble they bring. It is only when he shifts his perception back to the Father, the ones coming against him mean nothing to him, because he knows the one he has set his eyes on will carry him though and watch over him as long as he trusts in what he sees, not just what is around him.<br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"> In the boat, as the waters were tossing every which way around him, Peter was able to walk on the water if he kept his eyes on Jesus. It was only when he looked away that he began to sink. Let us always keep our eyes on the Father and whatever trials and tribulations come our way, we will be able to walk above them, because we know what has our focus. </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;"><span> I want to go through this life walking with the Father, not sinking from the troubles of this world.</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">"Turn your eyes, upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of Earth, will grow strangely dim. In the Light, of His Glory and Grace" - Lauren Daigle <i>Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus</i></span></span></p><p><span><i><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></span></p><p><span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: medium;">Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms. </span></span></p><p><br /></p>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-85056246251875630702023-07-08T18:51:00.001-07:002023-07-08T18:57:27.780-07:00Psalm 119 Samekh<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4B4EzZPixiCYd3_DtcRSaW3f8WKNQPoT3_JkumWZKece_uS7-gsM6DZYOyPeHws2SMwpzcXQuUmSSz8Cuk1EaaYoYIFlBzkWsmXEGu3Cc60pYfEqSXUOhv9XN3WzK8uh7c-teXT0ZS31eKqOmRbX-QPCBqRu2RzarAmxlK6nVT9_pmRpq-rPfUvd_kHg/s237/hebrew-letter-samekh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="237" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4B4EzZPixiCYd3_DtcRSaW3f8WKNQPoT3_JkumWZKece_uS7-gsM6DZYOyPeHws2SMwpzcXQuUmSSz8Cuk1EaaYoYIFlBzkWsmXEGu3Cc60pYfEqSXUOhv9XN3WzK8uh7c-teXT0ZS31eKqOmRbX-QPCBqRu2RzarAmxlK6nVT9_pmRpq-rPfUvd_kHg/w320-h288/hebrew-letter-samekh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> "I hate double-minded people,<p></p><p><span> </span><span> but I love your law.</span></p><p>You are my refuge and my shield; </p><p></p><p><span><span> I have put my hope in your word. </span><br /></span></p><p><span><span>Away from me, you evildoers,</span></span></p><p><span><span><span> That I may keep the commands of my God!</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, <br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> </span> and I will live;</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> do not let my hopes be dashed.</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>Uphold me, and I will be delivered;</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> I will always have regard for your decrees.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span>You reject all who stray from your decrees,</span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> for their delusions come to nothing.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> therefore I love your statutes.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>My flesh trembles in fear of you;</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> I stand in awe of your laws."</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> -Psalm 119:113-120</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Here in the 15th section of the psalms, the writer expresses the fact that having emotions, and not just the ones the world has deemed as good, is in fact a good thing. A commentary from Haven Baptist Church, breaking down the longest chapter in the Bible, breaks down 2 pairs of contradicting emotions laid out in this stanza of 8 verses. <i>Hate</i> and <i>Love, Hope </i>and <i>Fear</i>. In the eyes of the Lord, these emotions usually represent 2 different types of people, one who lives a life of Love and Hope, the other a life of Hate and Fear. But according to King David, as followers and lovers of the Word, there are times to express a full spectrum of emotions. Without Hate, how are we to appreciate love? If there is no Fear, what is there to have hope against? "But as Christians, we are called to Love all and Fear nothing." In most cases, yes. Love your enemy, Do not Fear, Live a life of Hope. That is not what the psalmist is saying here. David lays out the truth that, even as born-again believers, full of God's Love, there are specific things in this world we are to hate.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> "These six, things the Lord Hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him. A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren."- Proverbs 6:16-19<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span> Our God is a God of Love, and Grace and Mercy, and he wants not one of his children to perish; He is also a Just and Holy and Perfect God who could not even look upon the face of Jesus, his perfect son, when the weight of the world's sin was upon his shoulders. Because of this, the God of all love and peace and truth, has certain things that he hates. As believers, we must hate these things too. In this section of the psalm, David states that one thing he hates is someone who is unable or unwilling to make up their own mind. This person is swayed by the thoughts and actions of another, like a dumb sheep led to food by the shepherd. Whatever the other person says is fact until someone else comes along with new and better truth. It brings to mind the saying, "In life, if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." As believers, we need to be sure that what God says is truth and life and we cannot allow our minds to swayed by the masses, just because their voice might sound louder than the Lord's. </span><br /></p><p><span><span> Contradicting Hate, of course, is Love. We can know for sure that if the bible is clear on the things God hates, it is all the more clear on the things He loves. A heart of humility and unity with his neighbor, an honest tongue, someone who jumps at the chance to bring life to a situation, not death. here in the psalms, the Love of God's word is one of the common themes throughout all 22 stanzas. David knew what it was like to be disobedient to God and his commands, but he also saw the provision and the stability that came when he humbled his heart and submitted to God's word. So much so, that when push came to shove, David wanted nothing else to but please God and obey his law and commands. Not out of fear, but out of love and reverence.</span><br /></span></p><p><span> This naturally brings us into the 3 emotion expressed in this section, Fear. We have probably heard one time or another about having the fear of the Lord in our hearts, not of trepidation, but reverence. The fear expressed here is not the same. This is the fear expressed by Job in chapter 31, "..For destruction from God is a <i>terror</i> to me..."(Job 31:23) This is what the world means by the emotion of fear. I have sinned, therefore God's judgment will smite thee dead, kind of fear. But don't fret. David is not implying his reborn believing man is in fear, but the flesh that fights against it. -"My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments"-vs 120. Our flesh has every right to be afraid of God and His power, but that does not mean our spirits do. The opposite in this context is Hope. The Hebrew letter Samekh resembles that of a shield, and it is because of the verse listed here, -" You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word." "Hold me, and I shall be safe, and I shall observe your statutes continually."- vs 114, 117. Keeping hope in a Father who will never fail us is one of the greatest gifts, in my opinion, we have been given, not negating the gift of salvation itself. A person without hope is someone who tends to live in fear that the curveball life has thrown them is the best they will ever get and nothing can be done to change it. A person who is full of hate and fear becomes someone who is so skeptical of others that nothing can break down the stronghold they have constructed around themselves, and only someone who lives a life of Love and Hope can prayer and intercede on behalf of the other and belie that God will change their hearts in ways only he can. </span></p><p><span> David is truly one of my favorite Bible heroes, not just for his feats in battle or his numerous adventures, but for the absolute fact that He never claimed to be perfect, he just knew and loved and reverend a Perfect God, and that God is available to us all, if we open the word and desire to chase after the things that God loves, and doing them with full humility and sacrifice. </span></p><p><br /></p><p>Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms. </p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-57112911151713005192022-05-14T02:00:00.001-07:002022-05-14T02:00:00.178-07:00Psalm 119 Nun<p> "Your word is a lamp for my feet,</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU79ZMzdvjmlCEw5VFdASE2m5X5lTeIWZgYFpKE8OtmseZeyLBS7OwZ5iFVHziw-Tv3Q2WFKQIQk5CX_R7ghJoEBiJlslObTM_avnOXwOJDAnmb4lySR1v5ZG1A9g7NfjEv-5cUJOY04rRQiKtKb4ClMy_qvbhdYcOQWqpVoN3xUt0f1g4b9HoT14y/s994/hebrew-letter-nun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="994" data-original-width="987" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU79ZMzdvjmlCEw5VFdASE2m5X5lTeIWZgYFpKE8OtmseZeyLBS7OwZ5iFVHziw-Tv3Q2WFKQIQk5CX_R7ghJoEBiJlslObTM_avnOXwOJDAnmb4lySR1v5ZG1A9g7NfjEv-5cUJOY04rRQiKtKb4ClMy_qvbhdYcOQWqpVoN3xUt0f1g4b9HoT14y/w252-h253/hebrew-letter-nun.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><br /></div><span> </span><span> a light for my path.</span><br /><p></p><p><span>I have taken an oath and confirmed it,</span></p><p><span><span> </span><span> that I will follow your righteous laws.</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span>I have suffered much;</span></span></p><p><span><span><span> </span><span> preserve my life, Lord, according to your word. <br /><br /></span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> </span><span> and teach me your laws.</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>Though I constantly take my life in my hands,</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> I will not forget your law.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span>The wicked have set a snare for me,</span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> but I have not strayed from your precepts.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Your statutes are my heritage forever;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> they are the joy of my heart.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>My heart is set on keeping your decrees</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> to the very end."</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> -Psalm 119:105-112</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span>This passage continues to lead us on a journey deeper into God's word. Many scholars agree and have come to the conclusion that the Hebrew letter <i>Nun</i> translates out to be either snake or fish, but the shape and continued definition leads more to the description of a fish. In the same way that a fish relies on the water he finds himself in to live, we as Christians must, in the same way, rely on the Lord and the words he has given to us through the bible. If we were to see a fish attempting to escape from the water that is its life-source, we would, hopefully, do everything we could to return it to the water. Unfortunately as Christians, we have neglected our own life-source when we do not hold the same importance to reading and absorbing God's word. We have made reading our bibles as a checkbox on our to-do list instead of a pivotal start to our hectic lives. We have forgotten that God has given us everything we will ever need through his word and his guiding and comforting voice, and it has caused us to leap out of the waters of life into the very dry and dead world that exists on the shore. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span>In the same way that a fish will swim better when it swims with the current of the river, rather than against it, when we submit to the Father and the path he has placed before us, our journey through this life with ultimately go smoother in the long run. Not to say that life will be easy to go with the flow, but we won't be fighting an uphill battle with nothing to protect ourselves with. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> Another way to look at this verse is through the use of the poetic meter, an acrostic poem. The blog <i><a href="https://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/2019/10/psalm-119-nun-hebrew-alphabet.html#:~:text=NUN%20%2D%20No%20darkness%20%2D%20Your%20Word,that%20descends%20to%20an%20heir.">God's Growing Garden</a></i> has studied this psalm and has found the best way for them to understand this endeavor by taking the Hebrew Letter and placing it in proper proportion to the beginning of each section of verses. Here is how they described <i>Nun</i><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><i> </i><b>N</b>o darkness, Your word<br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span> is a light <b>U</b>nto my path<br /></span></span></span></p><p><span> like <b>N</b>oonday sunshine.<br /></span></p><p><span><span> </span>All though the verse was changed slightly to fit, the meaning shines through. God's word is a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path. He leads and guides, through his word, and directs into still waters (Psalm 23:2). Without trying to sound legalistic or ritualistic, we need to retrain our minds to make time to dive deeper into God's word, even if it messes up our perfectly organized schedule. We grow closer to God when we desire to understand his word and his decrees, but it won't happen if we don't let the scriptures immerse our souls and become more than a checkmark on our list. </span></p><p> In the words of Dory from <i>Finding Nemo</i>, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We Swim."<br /></p><p>Keep Swimming and God will continue to lead us down the right path.</p><p>God Bless,</p><p>Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms.</p>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-58019779158398510212022-02-17T13:26:00.003-08:002022-02-17T13:26:42.155-08:00Psalm 119 MEM<p> "Oh How I love your law!</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgj-nr8X-tiNmkjUX4uUNCyPDflBat8sS3-SK14lGiXTEd7NUMrurXt9OVgvWolo1nCragjJqsb2duXLhQ_s3ce0CCprkZMhIDD-fBqkuPZtqz2gx_1-cPUBNAYbRSd-rCf8VpZ42GPoVnFgtQMIHjjb9pofFcGsfmhZ4skVPQkI9-EZHmB_lzrQHe6=s800" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgj-nr8X-tiNmkjUX4uUNCyPDflBat8sS3-SK14lGiXTEd7NUMrurXt9OVgvWolo1nCragjJqsb2duXLhQ_s3ce0CCprkZMhIDD-fBqkuPZtqz2gx_1-cPUBNAYbRSd-rCf8VpZ42GPoVnFgtQMIHjjb9pofFcGsfmhZ4skVPQkI9-EZHmB_lzrQHe6=w200-h200" width="200" /></a><span> I meditate on it all day long. </span></p><p>Your Commands are always with me</p><p><span><span> and make me wiser than my enemies. </span><br /></span></p><p><span><span>I have more insight than all my teachers,</span></span></p><p><span><span><span> for I meditate on your statutes.</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>I have more understanding than the elders, </span></span></span> </p><p><span><span><span><span> for I obey your precepts.</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>I have kept my feet from every evil path</span></span></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUK-JYhIQbfiLW4hpxEWS41m7WS3FhSnSqfcM5S69b_0OYJlgILCO3JfzeIihDuPPVCpgX-rhaJLssVBhUFEK45Nscry-D9G1eaiNXd6af66i1feQJGgMzg372wLmQQyCo-mxWRZnmNk6MbUUY8eTpdjiRmgzw8GLYwhfbIR2tm5D1n5qgUhsQwU7s=s800" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUK-JYhIQbfiLW4hpxEWS41m7WS3FhSnSqfcM5S69b_0OYJlgILCO3JfzeIihDuPPVCpgX-rhaJLssVBhUFEK45Nscry-D9G1eaiNXd6af66i1feQJGgMzg372wLmQQyCo-mxWRZnmNk6MbUUY8eTpdjiRmgzw8GLYwhfbIR2tm5D1n5qgUhsQwU7s=w200-h150" width="200" /></a></div><span><span><span><span><span> so that I might obey your word.</span><br /></span></span></span></span><p></p><p><span><span><span><span><span>I have not departed from your laws,</span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> for you have always taught me.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>How sweet are your words to my taste,</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> sweeter than honey to my mouth.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>I gain understanding from your precepts;</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> therefore I hate every wrong path."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Psalm 119:97-104</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p> Like many English words that have two different meanings, the Hebrew word <i>MEM</i> can be written out in 2 ways. One way with a gap at the bottom and the other way closed in. <i>tanyaremkiv.com</i> compares this letter to a body of water, some being closed in like a lake or a basin, while others flow from place to place. <a href="https://tanyaremkiv.com/2021/07/27/psalm-11997-104-%D7%9E-mem/#:~:text=Definition%20of%20Mem,meaning%20of%20Mem%20is%20water." target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">The open form relating to the <i>spring of the Torah</i>, (living water) and the closed being the <i>sea of Talmud</i>, (deep mysteries of God)</span></a>. The easiest way to look at this letter is to see it as the flowing water being the truth that has already been revealed by the Father. Words of wisdom from Proverbs or Words of Encouragement from Psalms. The closed side of the letter is the things that we must discover on our own as we grow closer to God. If you have studied scripture or even just simply picked it up to read a random passage, there will always be things that make sense and things that don't. The beauty of God's word is that it can't be learned and understood all in one sitting, nor was it designed to be. God has intentional kept things of his character and of his word mysterious, because he wants us, his children, to discover those things for ourself. One thing I love about the word of God is that a group pf believers could all read the exact same passage, and through prayer and mediation of the word, come to total different conclusions. Not in a way that leads to argument or divide, but in a way that unifies the body as each person travels their own journey closer to God. </p><p> Hebrew 4:12 sums up the illustration of <i>MEM</i> beautifully.</p><p>"For the Word of God is <b>Living</b> and <b>Active. </b>Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." God has revealed everything we need to become Christians, simply by reading the Living Word of God. It is our job to not be satisfied and become a little bit curious as to the nature of the deep richness that comes from truly walking a life that grows and matures along the way. </p><p><span> The importance of why this letter is in the Alphabet is to signify to us that we cannot be complete knowing just the surface level of the Father's vast greatness. We must always be willing to go deeper than the shallow end of our faith and open our eyes to the greatness of God. I love this quote from Tanya Remkiv in relation to this letter and the word.</span><br /></p><p> <a href="https://tanyaremkiv.com/2021/07/27/psalm-11997-104-%D7%9E-mem/#:~:text=Definition%20of%20Mem,meaning%20of%20Mem%20is%20water." target="_blank"> "I realized the more consistently you drink water, the more you want it! The same applies to the Word. The more consistently you study it. the more you want it. You learn to love it as you go, even if it's one verse or one chapter, one day at a time. And over time, you see the long term benefits."</a><br /></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p>The more you faithfully dive into God's word, the more you will desire to keep going deeper. Go deep into God and watch what he reveals to you.</p><p>God Bless,</p><p>Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey Through the Psalms</p><p></p>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-63470429128188178662021-10-10T06:35:00.001-07:002021-10-10T06:35:08.773-07:00Psalm 119 Lamed<p> "Forever, O Lord,</p><p><span> Your word is settled in Heaven.</span><br /></p><p><span>Your Faithfulness endures to all generations;</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsS_-IwxvZuJ2Qyf1kvOtafBTw2kLG9BBZ5Hvvv9NNIPl3y4T7P_xBEDkSxcrVMQacniGl_b_2YG6-5WWz7Lqru_cBjjuJ_XcpMu83RwAEhw_8uXFwBCLde4vOEbQHQI5LgdgE24lcUHQ/s225/Psalm+119+Lamed.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsS_-IwxvZuJ2Qyf1kvOtafBTw2kLG9BBZ5Hvvv9NNIPl3y4T7P_xBEDkSxcrVMQacniGl_b_2YG6-5WWz7Lqru_cBjjuJ_XcpMu83RwAEhw_8uXFwBCLde4vOEbQHQI5LgdgE24lcUHQ/w400-h400/Psalm+119+Lamed.png" width="400" /></a></div><span> You established the earth, and it abides.</span><br /><p></p><p>They continue this day according to your ordinances, <span style="font-size: x-large;"> <br /></span></p><p><span><span> For all are your servants.</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span>Unless your law had been my delight,</span></span></p><p><span><span><span> I would then have perished in my affliction.</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>I will never forget your precepts,<span> </span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> For by them you have given me life.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span>I am yours, save me;</span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> For I have sought your precepts.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The wicked wait for me to destroy me,</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> But I will consider your testimonies.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>I have seen the consumption of all perfection,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> But Your commandment is exceedingly broad."-</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Psalm 119:89-96</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p> The 12th section of this psalm comes from the Hebrew letter <i>Lamed. </i>It is the tallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet and it resembles the shape of a shepherd's hook, or goad. In true poetic fashion, the psalmist starts each verse with this letter, all with definitions that show how God is not only our everlasting shepherd, but also a teacher. <a href="https://motu836346214.wordpress.com/2018/04/24/lamed-a-shepherds-staff/#:~:text=The%20twelfth%20letter%20of%20the,can%20also%20represent%20a%20tongue." target="_blank">Words like <i>Le olam</i>, "to the age", or better translated "Forever", and <i>Le dor</i>, to the generations, and <i>Le Cha-ani</i>, to you I am, or sometimes translated, I am thine.</a> These simply words represent the fact that God is forever, from generation to generation, and we are always in him if we choose to be. <br /></p><p><span><span> Another side of this letter is its shape. In the same way that a shepherd would use his staff to lead and guide his sheep, God's word and his precepts are presented to us in order that we may be guided in the way that we should go to grow and mature in our relationship and knowledge in God. </span><br /></span></p><p> Lets talk about the letter itself. ל is the tallest in the alphabet. One commentary about this passage states this is so, because as we go through life and we grow and mature, our level of spiritual maturity rises and increases. This theory is not to give us a sense of pride or boastfulness, but rather a simple understanding that as we journey through life's trials, we see different aspects of how God works and the numerous ways he provides and cares for his sheep. I like how <i><a href="https://hebrewtoday.com/alphabet/the-letter-lamed-%D7%9C/" target="_blank">HebrewToday</a> </i>wraps up this letter.</p><p>"If you pay attention, you’ll see that all the verbs in these verses(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) begin with the letter ל except for the verbs סְפוֹד (sefod) mourn and רְקוֹד (rekod) dance. The scholars understand from this that these two are different – they are both situations that remove a person from their learning – a funeral (when one is mourning) and a wedding (when one is dancing)" </p><p><span> </span>As Christians, we should always be learning and growing. In times of building up and breaking down, in times of embracing and times or releasing, a time of gathering and and time of letting go. Whatever the season we are placed in, if we aren't growing as Christians, we are missing the point of the season that God has set before us. We should never be ashamed of not knowing something in relation to God and his character, but when something comes up that we aren't familiar with, we just need to press in further to what God is trying to show us. </p><p><span> God's word and his commandments will never cease to grow and shape us, if we allow them to do so. Let his word and his voice guide you and direct you wherever he is leading you, for he knows the best path for us to take and the steps needed to get there. Trust the process and never stop learning.</span><br /></p><p><span>Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms.</span></p>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-75091236498035612222021-05-24T02:00:00.001-07:002021-05-24T02:00:00.218-07:00Psalm 119 KAPH<p> "My soul faints with longing for your salvation, </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgdZKkDwY8yAY-1V71s5ML4_VVWpljaa1jHNIkp9rnuIh9QjrymfmyklcknDQNg7PH_fdFpiDuUntkK9crcmrt3sfQLC61RppMxuYSgsZd3y893tZIG4O-wPaE6aa2sri_2jM8sNSYbQ/s479/Psalm+119+KAPH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="402" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgdZKkDwY8yAY-1V71s5ML4_VVWpljaa1jHNIkp9rnuIh9QjrymfmyklcknDQNg7PH_fdFpiDuUntkK9crcmrt3sfQLC61RppMxuYSgsZd3y893tZIG4O-wPaE6aa2sri_2jM8sNSYbQ/w168-h200/Psalm+119+KAPH.jpg" width="168" /></a></div><span> </span>but I have put my hope in your word.<p></p><p><span>My eyes fail, looking for your promise;</span></p><p><span><span> </span><span> I say, 'When will you comfort me?'</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span>Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, </span></span></p><p><span><span><span> I do not forget your decrees.</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>How long must your servant wait?</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> </span><span> When will you punish my persecutors?</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>The arrogant dig pits to trap me,</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> contrary to your law.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span>All your commands are trustworthy;</span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> help me, for I am being persecuted without cause.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>They almost wiped me from the earth,</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span> </span> but I have not forsaken your precepts.</p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>In your unfailing love preserve my life,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> that I may obey the statutes of your mouth."</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Psalm 119:81-88</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span>The coolest part about the longest chapter in Psalm is not only that it is split into 22 sections, each with 8 verses a section, or that the sections are split by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The coolest part is that the sections themselves follow what is called an acrostic pattern. According to the blog <i>God's Growing Garden, </i>the author describes an acrostic pattern as a poem that is arranged to </span></span></span></span></span></span></span> is a poem where certain letters in each line spell out a word or phrase. We see in this section KAPH split like this</p><p><b> K</b>eep me </p><p> S<b>A</b>fe,</p><p> <b>P</b>reserve my life;</p><p>I place my <b>H</b>ope in your Word.</p><p><span> </span><span> The main theme of this section is the truth that even when we feel at our weakest, God, in all of his strength, has a plan, and it is through this that we find the greatest strength, despite our weakness. An underlying concept that continues to show up in this psalm are the people who are simply termed "the pride" or "the prideful". Sometimes, they accuse the righteous of false unrighteousness, or they belittle the righteous because of their belief, but this instance shows the heart of the psalmist. "How long will your servant wait, when will you punish your persecutors? The arrogant dig pits to trap me, contrary to your law. All your commands are trustworthy, help me for I am being persecuted without cause."- vs 84-86. </span><br /></p><p><span><span> </span><span> </span>What the psalmist is saying is that although he knows God has redeemed him and saved him, his enemies still rise up against him, many times without any truth in their accusations. Unfortunately for the writer, he probably couldn't see the fulfillment of his hopes. Fortunately for us, we have been given the gift of the completed Bible. The book of Revelation reveals God's plan for exactly what will happen to the prideful and arrogant, as well as the blessings and fulfillments of promises to the people who are written in the Lamb's book of Life. </span></p><p> I believe their have been times in all of our lives where we hit this same stance as Christians. We serve God faithfully, obeying his rules and following his commandments, yet we tend to get looked over and pushed around, simply because we desire to act in kindness instead of hate. Despite all this, the proud succeed and become the objects of desire for the world to admire. We wonder when will the universe shift in our favor and the arrogant finally get what is coming to them. We tell God all the reasons why our life should be in a better position then it is and clearly He must have messed up somewhere along the way. If the commands we follow are truly for our good, why is our life seemingly in shambles. "When will they get what you said they deserve?" This section <i>KAPH</i> reminds us that in times of emotional distress, God's strength will make us strong to overcome the weakness of the flesh and to allow God's plan to fall into place as he has designed and planned it to go. </p><p>Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey Through the Psalms <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-66225858393380782172021-05-19T04:23:00.000-07:002021-05-19T04:23:58.946-07:00Psalm 119 Yodh<p>"Your hands made me and formed me;</p><p> give me understanding to learn your commands.</p><p>May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0dz5aZtHco7Oof58e937TZuCsjx2jCJh6Sz5ryyfMpRna8L-En9eR3xHbhnqJ8EzvAFjEC8X5Vsnk_LOKiqlXW6QeqD3u0EwsWzjySp3PsC0Gcob9Rk1ZefSxxEifLgQTMUNdFtNHW0/s500/Psalm+119+Yodh.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0dz5aZtHco7Oof58e937TZuCsjx2jCJh6Sz5ryyfMpRna8L-En9eR3xHbhnqJ8EzvAFjEC8X5Vsnk_LOKiqlXW6QeqD3u0EwsWzjySp3PsC0Gcob9Rk1ZefSxxEifLgQTMUNdFtNHW0/w230-h230/Psalm+119+Yodh.png" width="230" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> for I have put my hope in your word.</p><p>I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,</p><p> and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.</p><p> May your unfailing love be my comfort,</p><p> according to your promise to your servant.</p><p>Let your compassion come to me that I may live,</p><p> for your law is my delight.</p><p>May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;</p><p> but I will meditate on your precepts.</p><p>May those who fear you turn to me,</p><p> those who understand your statutes.</p><p>May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,</p><p> that I may not be put to shame."- Psalm 119:73-80</p><p><br /></p><p><span> The tenth section of the psalms conveys the Hebrew letter Yodh, which represents creation and humility, and this section beautifully represents both of these concepts. It starts with the psalmist acknowledging that God has made him, and formed him, and that everything that comes up in life is ordained by God, both the good and the bad. I love in verse 75, the psalmist comes to the realization that even when afflictions come our way, God, in all his faithfulness, has orchestrated all things to work out for our life. "May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to the promise to your servant." This verse reminds us that we should never lose faith when trials come our way, rather God's love will always be with us, giving us peace and comfort. As hard as that sounds, God's love and righteousness is infinite and unfailing, and nothing we do or nothing that happens to us comes as a surprise to Him. He is forever in control and knows how these tribulations will shape our testimony down the road.</span><br /></p><p><span><span> The passage ends with the psalmist asking God to condemn the wicked for the things they have gotten away with, while at the same time asking God to keep them from falling into the same traps. "Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight." "May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees, that I may be put to shame." Here is where the psalmist addresses the humility of what this letter represents. </span><br /></span></p><p><span> <i>YODH</i> is the shortest letter in the Hebrew Alphabet, and is sometimes skipped over when studying the Hebrew language. That should not stop us from realizing the beauty of God's creation and the humility of his creation as we marvel at the character of God and understand that we can do nothing on our own. It is only because of God's faithfulness and love that we have the desire to do anything that God has set before us. <br /></span></p><p><span>Adam Semple- A Young Man reading through the Psalms. </span></p><p><br /></p>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-49055674212047437222021-02-03T09:00:00.003-08:002022-02-17T12:39:11.171-08:00Psalm 119: Teth<p> "Do good to your servant</p><p><span> according to.your word, Lord.</span><br /></p><p><span>Teach me knowledge and good judgment,</span></p><p><span><span> for I trust your commands.</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span>Before I was afflicted, I went astray,</span></span></p><p><span><span><span> but now I obey your word.</span><br /></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtMGoxMT-H5DDf5Bbpmw7r6MVjGv2oUYG_SW1tHRUnPpxy1-dcgW3Vf4rkGTrOOE8b5hD3reTSYT5TRArZRGs6_gbAOsIbKr6yxFzDGjXsJUPicJ2dvnKdhfczVAnj7HozCY266xwe50/s247/9-Teth.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="204" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtMGoxMT-H5DDf5Bbpmw7r6MVjGv2oUYG_SW1tHRUnPpxy1-dcgW3Vf4rkGTrOOE8b5hD3reTSYT5TRArZRGs6_gbAOsIbKr6yxFzDGjXsJUPicJ2dvnKdhfczVAnj7HozCY266xwe50/w330-h400/9-Teth.png" width="330" /></a></div><span><span><span>You are good, and what you do is good,</span></span></span><p></p><p><span><span><span><span> teach me your decrees.</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>Though the arrogant have smeared me with lives,<br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> I keep your precepts with all my heart.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span>Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, </span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> but I delight in your law.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span>It was good for me to be afflicted, </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> so that I might learn your decrees.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The law from your mouth is more precious to me</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> than thousands of pieces of silver and gold."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Psalm 119:65-72</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Commentary after commentary all lead to one simply conclusion about this 9th segment of the 119th Psalms. God is good, He does good, and he teaches us how to do good. That alone should compel us to trust whatever it is that God is walking us through. Over the course of his life, David composed hundreds of psalms in certain times of trouble, or times of overwhelming peace. We don't know when this was written or why, but what we do know is that David has walked with God long enough to know without any doubt or hesitation that the things God says are true, and his commands are designed to bring us into the path of righteousness and grace that he has planned for us. Right out the gate, in verse 65, David tells it like it is. "You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your servant."- (NKJV) Through every mountain top and valley low experience, David has seen God carry him through, protecting him and going before him whenever he goes, especially when he acknowledges God as the forerunner of his life. From the time of his days as a lowly shepherd fighting off wolves, to the defeating of the the Philistines, along with the countless other nations, God has provided everything needed to fight these battles. David never let the speech of the enemy come between him and God, and this laid out a framework for how we are to deal with lies and accusations thrown our direction, in an attempt to derail us, or tear us down. In verse 69, David emphasizes that although the arrogant try to smear his character with lies, God has already gone before him and had placed a protective covering around those who love him and search deeply to find the true heart of God. As Christians, there will be those around us who try to belittle or destroy the work we have done through Christ. As hard as persecution for our faith may be, we must remember that Satan doesn't attack people who are not a threat to him and his kingdom. When we stand with the full power of God behind us and all around us, Satan and his lies cannot penetrate the truth we know and stand on. God is good, and he does good, and he teaches us how to do good. We just need to be firm in our belief of who he is, we must be willing to learn even when the fires of life get hot, and we must allow God to work in us, to purge all the sin and doubt out of our hearts and mind. God wants to bless his children, we must be willing to receive all he predestined to bestow upon us.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>These verses can be summarized into one sentence, using the letters of alphabet describing this section</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><b>T</b>each me good judgement,</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><b>E</b>specially when</span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><b>T</b>imes are </span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><b>H</b>ard. (TETH)- (Godsgrowinggarden.com)</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms. </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-46159860640499256942020-09-28T06:30:00.001-07:002020-09-28T06:30:08.392-07:00Psalm 119 HETH<p>"You are my portion, Lord;</p><p> I have promised to obey your words. </p><p>I have sought your face with all my heart; </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IZpdXQ_AtYFVF-0hQdAOnwA9z6JQ6yjrmaQaM-MUdy10o1vs6m5qyaDQnphpucMNTpLf47Mz_DQUEvZA1HP8NDNkiv2a-6ixNcqNlhWEI0qC20A8AP42nO02B-oHp3Pt2-kK25R-IZY/s341/8-Heth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="252" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IZpdXQ_AtYFVF-0hQdAOnwA9z6JQ6yjrmaQaM-MUdy10o1vs6m5qyaDQnphpucMNTpLf47Mz_DQUEvZA1HP8NDNkiv2a-6ixNcqNlhWEI0qC20A8AP42nO02B-oHp3Pt2-kK25R-IZY/s320/8-Heth.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p> be gracious to me according to your promise.</p><p>I have considered my ways</p><p> and have turned my steps to your statutes. </p><p>I will hasten and not delay</p><p> to obey your commands.</p><p>Though the wicked bind me with ropes,</p><p> I will not forget your law.</p><p>At midnight I rise to give you thanks</p><p> for your righteous laws</p><p>I am a friend to all who fear you,</p><p> to all who follow your precepts.</p><p>The earth is filled with your love, Lord;</p><p> teach me your decrees."</p><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> -Psalm 119:57-64</span></p><p><br /></p><p>This eighth section of the psalms deals with the eternal promises that come from the mouth of God. Let's start at the beginning. Reading through 2 commentaries on this passage, I was able to gather to important meanings from these verses. "You are my portion, O Lord. I have said that I would keep your words"- (vs 57, NKJV). <a href="http://comefillyourcup.com/2017/08/08/psalm-119-heth/">Jennifer Odom</a> commented on this verse that the word portion is translated out as "inheritance". When we decide to make God our portion, we are putting Him in the place of authority over our lives in the same way people would turn to riches and wealth, and prestige. Odom then went on to say that King David understood that as long as he had God as the first and foremost in his life, he had all he needed. Everything that God blessed him with was simply extra and nothing compared to the fullness that God the Father brings to our lives.The second half of this verse is almost a call to action between ourselves and God. <a href="https://glendafayemathes.com/2011/05/05/covenantal-promise-of-psalm-119-heth/#:~:text=According%20to%20what%20I've,ESV%20(English%20Standard%20Version).">Glenda Faye Mathes</a> describes this as the psalmist telling God that he will keep his promises as God is gracious and loving enough to keep his. That is a bold statement to make, because even as faithful Christians, there are days when we stumble and miss the mark a little in regards to God's commands, but God in his loving mercy will never fail us. Since the beginning of time, God has been weaving our journey to find ourselves back in his loving arms. </p><p>" I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to your testimonies. I made haste and did not delay to keep your commandments."- (vs 59-60, NKJV) I like these verses because David acknowledges that even being as close to the Father as any other man in history,(almost), he still admits that he makes mistakes. What sets him apart as a man after God's own heart, though, is that he doesn't stay in the shame of his sin. He turns himself back to the Father and does so quickly, so to not lose another single moment in the presence of God. Even when we mess up, no matter how far we think we have fallen, God is always right behind us just waiting for us to turn around and ask forgiveness. He is not holding us at arms length, making sure we do a list of things to earn our forgiveness. The moment we decide to repent of our sins, He will always be right there waiting. I think back to the story of the Prodigal Son. The son of a wealthy man forced his father to give him his inheritance while he was still young and he went out and squandered it. After taking a lowly job of feeding slops to pigs, he came to his senses and decided to return to his father's household. On his journey home, he prepared the speech of forgiveness he would present to his Father, but before the first word of the apology escaped his lips, his father embraced him with the biggest hug imaginable, and the son was welcomed back into the home. In the same way, God wants all of his children to come back to Him, no matter what they have done, or how far they had backslidden. </p><p>"The earth, O Lord, is full of your mercy; teach me your statutes"- (vs 64 NKJV) </p><p>"The earth, O Lord, is full of your Everlasting Love; teach me your statutes"- (vs 64 ESV)</p><p>This last verse of the passage is powerful. The psalmist is saying, without any question or doubt, that the earth itself reveals the love and mercy of the Father. David is so attuned to the Father, that he goes about everyday throughout all of creation and continues to see God's handiwork in everything around him. Just as we find more things we enjoyed about a dear friend of ours, we should, in the same manner, continue to find more things that attract us to the grace and mercy that comes from God. It is easy to see God in all things because we have grown accustomed to looking for Him. God is easy to find when his children are diligently seeking him. He does not hide from his creation or his created, but wants us all to know him deeply with everything that is in us.</p><p><br /></p><p>Adam Semple- A Young Man on a journey through the Psalms. <br /> </p>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-50936331238512002292020-07-29T11:57:00.001-07:002020-07-29T11:57:47.132-07:00Psalms 119 ZAYIN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9yWHB_GVPUOKfevwAu2GLzWyZ8hjMsv_9sp7TUetJ2lioAhYFnYKqmYixGJZ7hDSqoYX0bMBCfRQr7vVJAS4Nr9Dm395EjK7BwE53UKWDqe-vUOYyCttSMc6XQ_6Adi9-TSlB7joKF0/s298/7-+Zayin.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9yWHB_GVPUOKfevwAu2GLzWyZ8hjMsv_9sp7TUetJ2lioAhYFnYKqmYixGJZ7hDSqoYX0bMBCfRQr7vVJAS4Nr9Dm395EjK7BwE53UKWDqe-vUOYyCttSMc6XQ_6Adi9-TSlB7joKF0/s0/7-+Zayin.png" /></a></div><div>"Remember you word to my servant,</div><div> for you have given me hope.</div><div>My comfort in my suffering is this:</div><div> Your promise preserves my life.</div><div>The arrogant mock me unmercifully,</div><div> but I don't turn from your law.</div><div>I remember, Lord, your ancient laws, </div><div> and I find comfort in them.</div><div>Indignation grrips me because of the wicked,</div><div> who have forsaken your law.</div><div>Your decrees are the theme of my song</div><div> wherever I lodge.</div><div>In the night, Lord, I remember your name,</div><div> that I may keep your law.</div><div>This has been my practice:</div><div> I obey your precepts."</div><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Psalms 119:49-56</span><br /></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><div> The seventh section of this chapter, <i>ZAYIN, </i>represents the need and desire to keep the word of God rooted inside of our hearts, minds and spirits. The word in Hebrew is translated as a weapon, or more adequately, a sword, better known as the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT. It is in this section of verses that we see the importance of taking up our spiritual warfare against the attacks of the enemy. "Remember your <b>word</b> to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this:" "Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge." Looking at these verses, I'm picturing a mighty battle cry going out from the deepest parts of our being as we use the word of God which has been hidden in our hearts, to fight back against the enemy's flaming arrows that try to knock us down. This word, Zayin, is the same word in Ephesians chapter 6, where Paul is telling the church of Ephesus how to protect ourselves from the Devil by putting on the full armor of God. Without a spiritual sword, the pieces of our armor only serve to defend shots fired from enemy lines, but when our uniform is completed with a weapon for warfare, we are then equipped to go on the offense and fight back. It brings me back to the story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. Satan tried every tactic he knew to trick Jesus into falling at his feet. The Devil was defeated because against every lie and trick thrown his way, Jesus fought back not with fists and strength in body, but by the knowledge and the power of the inspired word of God which equipped him with the only weapon that holds any power on this earth, outside of God himself. </div><div> <br /></div><div> The Hebrew word for <i>Zayin</i> has another meaning as well, that being one of nourishment. In the same way that a sword is useless if we don't practice how to wield and use it, a body is weak if it is not filled with the right nutrients. Imagine trying to go into battle after feasting out on a dessert buffet, with foods full of sugar and artificial flavorings that only serve to satisfy a craving, but do more harm than good to the body. We would go into the battle, and after the sugar high wore off, we would feel sluggish and not be at our best. Just like our bodies need healthy foods to function properly, we need to fill our spirits with all that God has given to us to prepare our bodies, so that when the enemy attacks, we will be strengthened and ready to stand our ground. Fully surrendered to the truth of God's word, leaving no room for the enemy to take any ground within ourselves. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div> As Christians, the enemy is prepared to attacks each of us, ad bring us to a place of defeat. Thankfully for us, God has already given us everything we will every need to protect our souls from eternal destruction by sending us the Holy Spirit and the inspired word that is our Sword, but only if we pick it up and practice how to use it. I pray that as you read this, you hearts burn with a desire to dig into God's word and let it fill every crevice of your once empty soul. Don't let the enemy have any part of your holy temple, which is your body. For once he has entered your heart, he will build a stronghold not easily broken, in order that he will in turn break you and pull another soul down in the pits of Hell where he will soon take up residence after the triumphant return of Christ. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Adam Semple- A Young Man on A Journey Through the Psalms.</div></div>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-9850853156533081552020-03-14T03:30:00.000-07:002020-03-14T03:30:09.897-07:00Psalm 119 WAW<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfiIvidDdnIo3GhftLXCVzMGj_XuD9o-GEF9i1kMnfq-2d0o53AddQ7b1cIXriGnd7AP3Zaqahpyp8BaWa5Yk7MyibP9lVF5QGYv3l51IX_RNk1UfAeHqzFtUargEylimQPXDlNocqx4/s1600/6-+Waw.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfiIvidDdnIo3GhftLXCVzMGj_XuD9o-GEF9i1kMnfq-2d0o53AddQ7b1cIXriGnd7AP3Zaqahpyp8BaWa5Yk7MyibP9lVF5QGYv3l51IX_RNk1UfAeHqzFtUargEylimQPXDlNocqx4/s1600/6-+Waw.png" /></a>" May your unfailing love come to me, Lord,<br />
your salvation, according to your promise;<br />
then I can answer anyone who taunts me,<br />
for I trust in your word.<br />
Never take your word of truth out of my mouth,<br />
for I have put my hope in your laws.<br />
I will always obey your law,<br />
for ever and ever.<br />
I will walk about in freedom,<br />
for I have sought out your precepts.<br />
I will speak of your statutes before kings<br />
and I will not be put to shame,<br />
For I delight in your commands<br />
because I love them.<br />
I reach out for your commands, which I love,<br />
that I may meditate on your decrees."<br />
vs. 41-48<br />
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When we take the time to break down the scriptures, we can see patterns and concepts repeated time and time again. This section of the psalm is no different. Again, we see that David has put his full trust and hope in the Lord and in his commands and precepts. Let's look at verse 42. "then I can answer anyone who taunts me, for I trust in your word". Think back to the story of Jesus in the desert being tempted by the devil for the 40 day wilderness season. Jesus did not withstand the devil's remark with a legion of angels or a two-edged sword. He silenced the enemy's taunts with nothing but scripture. On 3 separate occasions, Satan gives his remark, and Jesus rebukes his statement by quoting promises of God to the people of Israel back in the devil's face. In the same manner, this is what we as Christians should have the same mindset. If Jesus did not have the word steadfast in his heart, when the time came to defend his faith, he might have fallen short and fallen into the devil's trap. Because he not only knew the word, but had a deep relationship with the one who inspired the scriptures, he was able to pull from his spiritual armory and defend the attacks of the enemy. Imagine with me, if every person who calls themselves a Christian knew the bible so intimately that at a moment's notice, they could defend their faith, or even help someone in need going through a troubling time. How much more would the gates of Hell shake with fear on a daily basis? What would that do for our churches? Our Homes? Our Lives? Now, I want to make something clear. The pharisees back in the days of Jesus were Levites and priests in the Temple. They knew the scripture backward and forward, but they were judgmental, hypocrites who were more about enforcing a wrong that had been committed instead of showing the love of the Father to the people. How could this be? They had all the knowledge of the word. Shouldn't they have been the perfect example of a Christian? The problem was not the head knowledge they possessed, but the heart relationship that was somehow missed in their studies. You may be asking yourself, how do I know all the scriptures and not become legalistic? Good question. Here is the simplest answer I can give. Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; then a desire to know his word will come. Not to become perfect people, to to grow deeper in our relationship with the Father. Have you ever read a passage in scripture at just the right moment n your life that it refreshed and refueled your weary soul? Knowing and reading the scriptures then becomes this releasing of shame and breaking of shackles that have pulled us down. We find ourselves in excited anticipation every time we go to open our bibles, because with every new day, God's living word teaches and shows us all the amazing promises and stories of times before when God showed up for his people who needed Him.<br />
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God gave us his word not only as a guidebook to live a godly life, but as a chance to look back on the history of God's people and the understanding that if God did it for them, he can do it for us just the same. God is a good of the past, present and the future, and he wants to see his children go through life free of shame and shackles that confine us to a prison of the mind. God has given us the key to unlock the doors, we simply need to reach out and grab hold of everything God is trying to teach us.<br />
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Adam Semple- a Young Man on a journey through the Psalms.<br />
Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-49501515322841774572020-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:002020-02-23T06:00:15.420-08:00Psalm 119 HE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4t06maoSugYeixdVToyBOcSUXl-nT5RziwPqsqtEhryxd6KnlxDy7bzkjmIgR37X9r0qIgTL0Sz0KJECRzfQ5zqrU3_LdvJde-crwQh8SztFxsVynU8tOZr-oOQ9ZW4wchVo_bhLx52w/s1600/5-He.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="258" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4t06maoSugYeixdVToyBOcSUXl-nT5RziwPqsqtEhryxd6KnlxDy7bzkjmIgR37X9r0qIgTL0Sz0KJECRzfQ5zqrU3_LdvJde-crwQh8SztFxsVynU8tOZr-oOQ9ZW4wchVo_bhLx52w/s320/5-He.jpg" width="241" /></a>Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,<br />
that I may follow it to the end.<br />
Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law<br />
and obey it with all my heart.<br />
Direct me in the path of your commands,<br />
for there I find delight.<br />
Turn my heart toward your statutes<br />
and not toward selfish gain.<br />
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;<br />
preserve my life according to your word.<br />
Fulfill your promise to your servant,<br />
so that you may be feared.<br />
Take away the disgrace I dread,<br />
for your laws are good.<br />
How I long for your precepts!<br />
In your righteousness preserve my life.<br />
- Psalm 119:33-40<br />
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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.<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Who's with me?<br />
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Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the PsalmsAdam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-68140031236024936042020-02-11T07:43:00.003-08:002020-03-09T07:48:21.353-07:00Psalm 119 DALETH<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdXBY79S9hyphenhyphenmjirUMjs_2XDISu7jMlhNHMqsGz4KUggXuHtncX30gnr5QXCq6FrNAI0KsRBgHo8pRkKTJmoDSpDiiee90Yt5mBif3FHc74vlrsLaZ3YsHesVWNzumqcXMz_frrTQ3sWE/s1600/4+Daleth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="479" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdXBY79S9hyphenhyphenmjirUMjs_2XDISu7jMlhNHMqsGz4KUggXuHtncX30gnr5QXCq6FrNAI0KsRBgHo8pRkKTJmoDSpDiiee90Yt5mBif3FHc74vlrsLaZ3YsHesVWNzumqcXMz_frrTQ3sWE/s320/4+Daleth.jpg" width="320" /></a>"I am laid low in the dust;<br />
preserve my life according to your word.<br />
I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;<br />
teach me your decrees.<br />
Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,<br />
that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.<br />
My soul is weary with sorrow;<br />
strengthen me according to your word.<br />
Keep me from deceitful ways;<br />
be gracious to me and teach me your law.<br />
I have chosen the way of faithfulness;<br />
I have set my heart on your laws.<br />
I hold fast to your statutes, Lord;<br />
do not let me be put to shame.<br />
I run in the path of your commands,<br />
For you have broadened my understanding."- Psalm 119:25-32<br />
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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.<br />
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.<br />
"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.<br />
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.<br />
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Let's walk every day, right behind the Father, so that we may observe and follow the things that are important to God.<br />
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Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through Psalms 119.<br />
Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-37048214110273258982020-01-06T10:19:00.005-08:002020-03-09T07:48:31.049-07:00Psalm 119-GIMEL<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbRBwCaE55RmapBaqgGJQKXj9qy2r6aCifi6lNMb7axTbPd8kwo6ZZzmJRoJ7WwOClp793a7f_4U-orfIUSsw9_0TS-PeofMbrM9ML4w99FJO29upFcX-SIIOPSACGakJ6qxWO5tBQog/s1600/3+Gimel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="361" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbRBwCaE55RmapBaqgGJQKXj9qy2r6aCifi6lNMb7axTbPd8kwo6ZZzmJRoJ7WwOClp793a7f_4U-orfIUSsw9_0TS-PeofMbrM9ML4w99FJO29upFcX-SIIOPSACGakJ6qxWO5tBQog/s320/3+Gimel.jpg" width="191" /></a><br />
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"17.Deal Bountifully with your servant,</div>
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That I may live and keep your word.</div>
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18 Open my eyes, that I may see</div>
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Wondrous things from your law.</div>
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19 I am a stranger in the earth;</div>
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Do not hide Your commandments from me.</div>
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20 My soul breaks with longing</div>
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For Your judgments at all times.</div>
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21 you who rebuke the proud-the cursed,</div>
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Who stray from Your commandments.</div>
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22 Remove from me reproach and contempt,</div>
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For I have kept your testimonies</div>
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23 Princes also sit and speak against me,</div>
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But your servant meditates on Your statutes.</div>
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24 Your testimonies also are my delight</div>
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And my counselors."</div>
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The word <i>Gimel </i>in the Hebrew is defined as the "justified repayment", or the giving of reward and punishment.<br />
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In this section of the psalm, David is asking God to deal with any issue inside of him that is stopping him from living and keeping God's word. At the start of this passage, we see the words " Deal Bountifully" with your servant- this comes from the Greek word <i>Gamal</i> meaning to ripen; to recompense. David wants God to make his heart perfect for harvesting. As any farmer would know, to get any kind of good harvest, you cannot do it in a single afternoon and expect a plentiful return. Even though David is not a farmer, he understands the obstacles that come with wanting a good, full harvest. He knows that when he us asking God to deal with his heart, it will take time. He also knows that in order to remove the bugs and pestilence from his "garden" will require a daily inspecting of his mind and spirit. Lori Waugh compares this passage to growing pumpkins, "In Mid to late June, the ground is prepared, the seeds are planted and the ground is watered. By August and September, the vines begin to bloom, with tiny pumpkins beginning to develop. The excitement, however, begins to fade with the squash bugs begin to take over the vines, causing the vines to shrivel and die, making our labor nothing more than wasted time....It can be a real pain to try and get rid of the bugs, because they are easily hidden from view, and we must spend every day searching for and removing them from the crop. Then there are the weeds. If we leave the crop without tending to it, even for a few days, the weeds are to much to control. It is a daily struggle that needs continuous labor on our part to get rid of."- Lori Waugh-<a href="http://comefillyourcup.com/2017/02/23/psalm-119-gimel/">http://comefillyourcup.com/2017/02/23/psalm-119-gimel/</a><br />
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In the same way a pumpkin gardener has to remove the bugs and weeds from her crop, we as Christians must daily inspect the hidden places of our lives and ask God to remove the reproach and contempt that tries to sneak in and destroy the work that God has begun in us.<br />
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David understood the time constraint that would come when he asked God to "deal bountifully with Your servant". But he also recognized that not only were God's words and commands good, David describes them as " MY delight and MY counselors" {emphasis mine}. He enjoyed having God show him "the wondrous thing from his law" and we should embrace this same spirit of humility that comes form God dealing with our own hearts.<br />
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As we begin this new year, lets us speak this prayer of David over our spirits and allow God to work in us and through us so that at the end of the "season", our harvest will be bountiful and prosperous because we trusted God to plant the seeds in our garden that flourished into the things he desired for our lives.<br />
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Adam Semple- A Young Man on a journey through the PsalmsAdam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-28586478508831459392019-11-20T06:56:00.001-08:002020-03-09T07:48:42.287-07:00Psalm 119 BETHContinuing through the longest psalm in scripture, we come to the next set of verses, 9-16. In verses 1-8, we read that if we live a life that is undefiled, and we walk in God's commands and statures, we will be blessed in the Lord. How can we do this? We live so en drenched in sin that it is hard to walk in any kind of spiritual and physical purity. Thankfully, the psalmist knew this, so the very next passage of this chapter show us how to live a life that is pure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEi62_PWMhPovjJMbrvFPxAycg8Oc7E6UVCkJMuz7s4pVvVc6oha9ob-qjXeMsN8_FqWs9WpNdoST7fgaCGnH-Lvk4R4qybsUAp83RQUJ0-e36g9T-7nHUTZTUWofCjK4nAZz34rnCoPw/s1600/hebrew-beth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="164" data-original-width="143" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEi62_PWMhPovjJMbrvFPxAycg8Oc7E6UVCkJMuz7s4pVvVc6oha9ob-qjXeMsN8_FqWs9WpNdoST7fgaCGnH-Lvk4R4qybsUAp83RQUJ0-e36g9T-7nHUTZTUWofCjK4nAZz34rnCoPw/s320/hebrew-beth.jpg" width="279" /></a>"How can a young man cleanse his way?<br />
By taking heed according to Your word.<br />
With my whole heart, I have sought you;<br />
Oh let me not wander from your commandments!<br />
I have hidden your word in my heart.<br />
That I might not sin against you.<br />
Blessed are you, O Lord!<br />
Teach me your statutes.<br />
With my lips I have declared<br />
All the judgments of your mouth.<br />
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,<br />
As much as in all riches.<br />
I will meditate on Your precepts,<br />
And contemplate Your ways.<br />
I will delight myself in your statutes;<br />
I will not forget Your word." - Psalm 119:9-16<br />
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In order to live a life of purity, we must know the word of God on a very deep level. We cannot be only surface deep Christians and expect to withstand heavy attacks form the enemy. We must hide the word of God deep in our hearts, not to keep it buried there, but to be able to pull it out whenever and wherever the Devil tries to trip us up. It reminds me of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. In case you aren't familiar with the story, it goes something like this: Jesus had just been baptized by John the Baptist. Upon coming out of the water, the Holy Spirit descends on him in the form of a dove and a voice from Heaven declares," This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased"- Matthew 3:17. Immediately, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness alone for 40 days. This time was spent with Jesus praying and fasting, and the scriptures say that at the end of the 40 day period, Jesus was getting hungry. It is at this time that Satan comes into the picture. He tries to tempt Jesus with 3 different trials of the flesh, doing anything he can to trip up the Son of God in order to make his sacrifice later on the cross insufficient. With each temptation Satan thrown toward the Son of God, Jesus blocks them all not with a legion of angels, like he easily could have done. Instead he uses scripture, God's holy word to combat the devil's attacks. Jesus had the word of God hidden in his heart, for such a time as this, so that when the enemy charged, his defense was ready and he was able to remain faithful to God. <br />
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The psalmist makes it very clear in this passage that if we want to stay pure, God's word has to be at the center of our very being. Without the strength that comes from studying God's word and building up your spiritual armor, the attacks of the enemy are going to bring you to your knees.<br />
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"With my whole heart, I sought you; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!"<br />
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Seek God with your whole heart and when the enemy chooses to attack, you will be ready to fight back and watch as God helps you to hold your ground and not back down.<br />
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Adam Semple- A Young Man on a journey through the PsalmsAdam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-81579328201983495062019-11-06T12:53:00.002-08:002020-03-09T07:48:54.937-07:00Psalm 119- ALEPHIn the center of the Bible, we come to the center of the book, the book of Psalms. Composed of 150 poems, it is easy to find when randomly flipping through the Bible. Although most chapters are between 6-20 verses, we come to the longest chapter, not just in the book of Psalms, but the whole Bible itself, chapter 119. With 176 verses, it is definitely not a quick read. But, thankfully for us, the author of the psalms and the writers of the Bible split this chapter into 22 sections. 22? Sounds a bit random at first, especially since God uses numbers over and over in scripture, and 22 is not a common one. It is split into 22 sections because each passage correlates to a letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, consisting of 22 letters. (Our English Alphabet was largely comprised from the Hebrew, with a few letters added to ours, totaling up to 26.) So here we go with the beginning section, Aleph:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv94vTLFORm5wV0YBk3xtfcr7jzv0gJHOwM12pIyJEuBV0u0GhcPs4CllXTDkZ7oVDQ6QDMLSl2u6SEb8AHrHcT97RAQ5T8AquShHzzTX5_dEQwvganPxsFuAfUf3D80_-aTD77kQcPFM/s1600/Aleph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="728" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv94vTLFORm5wV0YBk3xtfcr7jzv0gJHOwM12pIyJEuBV0u0GhcPs4CllXTDkZ7oVDQ6QDMLSl2u6SEb8AHrHcT97RAQ5T8AquShHzzTX5_dEQwvganPxsFuAfUf3D80_-aTD77kQcPFM/s200/Aleph.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Ps-119-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">"Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">who walk</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-15900B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-15900B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">according to the law of the</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span class="small-caps" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;">Lord</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Ps-119-2" id="en-NIV-15901" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span><span class="text Ps-119-2" id="en-NIV-15901" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">Blessed<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-15901D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-15901D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> are those who keep his statutes </span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-2" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and seek him<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-15901F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-15901F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> with all their heart—<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-15901G" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-15901G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span><span class="text Ps-119-3" id="en-NIV-15902" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span><span class="text Ps-119-3" id="en-NIV-15902" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">they do no wrong </span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-3" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">but follow his ways.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-15902I" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-15902I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span><span class="text Ps-119-4" id="en-NIV-15903" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span><span class="text Ps-119-4" id="en-NIV-15903" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"> You have laid down precepts</span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-119-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">that are to be fully obeyed.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-15903K" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-15903K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span><span class="text Ps-119-5" id="en-NIV-15904" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span><span class="text Ps-119-5" id="en-NIV-15904" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"> Oh, that my ways were steadfast</span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-119-5" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">in obeying your decrees!<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-15904L" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-15904L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span><span class="text Ps-119-6" id="en-NIV-15905" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span><span class="text Ps-119-6" id="en-NIV-15905" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"> Then I would not be put to shame</span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-119-6" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">when I consider all your commands.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-15905N" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-15905N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span><span class="text Ps-119-7" id="en-NIV-15906" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span><span class="text Ps-119-7" id="en-NIV-15906" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"> I will praise you with an upright heart</span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-119-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">as I learn your righteous laws. <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-15906O" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-15906O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span><span class="text Ps-119-8" id="en-NIV-15907" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span><span class="text Ps-119-8" id="en-NIV-15907" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">I will obey your decrees;</span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">do not utterly forsake me."- vs 1-8 NIV</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">1) The word blameless here, in the NKJV is undefiled, meaning complete or whole, or perfect. This first verse is saying that whoever walks complete in the way of the law established by God are blessed. God has laid out a floorplan to guide us in the direction we should go, even showing examples of what will happen if we disregard this plan. But here, it simply states that if we follow God wholeheartedly, we will be blessed. No complicated formula, no intense seeking of forgiveness, just simply reading what we should do, and doing it. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">2) Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart: Simply put; seek God and follow his word. We can either try to do our own thing and hope it works out for us, or we can simply walk behind the Father as he guides us down the right path.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">3) they do no wrong, but follow his ways: This is not saying that we will never mess up or fall down. What it is saying is that when we fall, God will pick us right back up, brush us off and keep moving. We no longer need to dwell in the past, for that is only the things that shape us into who we are now, not the things that define who we will be. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">4) You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed: God has not given us rubbish commands that are just meant to fill the pages of his word, rather they are a thought out, well thought through plan intended to guide us into who we are supposed to be. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">5) Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees: May we always have a desire to not only obey God's commands, but to do so with a resolute, and faithfully committed heart.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">6) Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands: When our hearts are set fully on the Father, outward appearances don't matter and the things people say or think about us have no effect on us, because we are so focused on the things of God, that nothing is able to penetrate the devotion we share with the Lord. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">7) I will praise you with an upright heart, as I learn your righteous laws: This is a heart void of motive. A heart purely focused on the needs of others, rather than the fleshly desires of ourselves. Its the act of inviting someone into your home not to show how well you live, or how great your possessions are, or even trying to bring them under your control. It is done out of Godly love to share the things you have been given with a fellow brother or sister in Christ. to live a pure and righteous life because of how connected to the Spirit and the Father, not to appease the flesh. As we learn the ways of God, our hearts will naturally mend to the things that break God's heart and brings him joy.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">8) I will obey your decrees, do not utterly forsake me: We are human, and we are going to fail. This should not stop us from running after God with everything in us. God is so good and so loving that when we set our hearts on his law and commands, his grace comes in to fill in the gap when ourselves are not able to reach the outstretched hands of the Father. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">Will you run after the Father with everything in you and believe that when we focus our hearts and minds on Him and his ways, He will bless us as he sees fit and we will never go without the grace and love that comes with his commands? </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Ps-119-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">Adam Semple- A Young Man's Journey through the Book of Psalms</span></span></span>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-46810721168651287242019-08-10T13:11:00.000-07:002019-08-10T13:11:24.067-07:00Gain a Heart of Wisdom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1i2iDVwLAkAjlUUZKyLAC3c3R7HEzNjrtods8AGwORyOVwY7EK_zk2dE3uzoqeTHwGHF_v5YrtIocHqlmFZdM-G2lZiA12Ekz9DNjtsypfY4xAjhzku_9_GGcPYDSx7ZpM5fc7A2Tm1Y/s1600/Psalm+90.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="889" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1i2iDVwLAkAjlUUZKyLAC3c3R7HEzNjrtods8AGwORyOVwY7EK_zk2dE3uzoqeTHwGHF_v5YrtIocHqlmFZdM-G2lZiA12Ekz9DNjtsypfY4xAjhzku_9_GGcPYDSx7ZpM5fc7A2Tm1Y/s320/Psalm+90.png" width="320" /></a></div>
" All our days pass under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.<br />
Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.<br />
If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is great as the fear that is your due.<br />
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom"- Psalm 90:9-12<br />
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The book of psalms is 150 chapter split up mostly even between 5 books. This psalm is the opener of the 4th book. The main theme of this sub-book is the idea that God is above us. Compared to the mortality of man, God is and always has been sovereign.<br />
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"You turn people back to dust and say to them,' Return to dust, you mortals. A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night"- 90:3-4<br />
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In contrast to the span of the life, we are but a flicker in the wind, fleeting as quickly as we come. Despite this fact, God does not want us to waste our life with meaningless and frivolous things. God has laid out a plan and purpose for all of us, whether we are on this earth a decade or 10. The psalmist, Moses, lays out precisely what we need to do to make everyday count. "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Although life is typically counted in years, God wants each of us to live each day as if it were our last. "Give us this day our daily bread"- Matthew 6:11. In other words, Lord, give me the things I need today to do what I need to do today. This is along the same lines as the manna that fell from heaven when the Israelites were in the wilderness. Under God's precise instruction, the people would gather only what they needed for their family the manna that would satisfy them for that day alone. If they tried to store up food for the following day, the manna would be full of bugs and maggots. What Moses is telling the people here is that God's wisdom is the same way. Every morning when we wake up, we need a refreshing of God's wisdom and mercy. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new ever morning; great is your faithfulness"- Lamentations 3:22-23<br />
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Trying to gain more wisdom than needed for the day is like studying for a test and trying to cram all the knowledge from all the chapters, from all of your different classes. Besides that being completely overwhelming, it won't do any good to study your math book when you need to test on Biology. Instead, focus your attention on one subject at a time and when you need to learn the other things, you won't be bogged down with less important information. God wants to fill us with his wisdom, but he also wants us to refill every day. The wisdom he imparts to us is given to handle the day you are in, rather than the day your going into. Ask God with the opening of each new day to give you the wisdom for whatever life will throw your direction. He is a loving, giving God who wants his children to be well equipped to handle any attack or roadblock you may face. Don't let a day go by without filling your heart with the wisdom of God, and watch God use that knowledge in you to do incredible things. "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours"- Mark 11:24<br />
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Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Mission Through the Psalms<br />
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<br />Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-62832761406165970192019-06-26T10:46:00.002-07:002019-06-26T10:46:19.429-07:00Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh- I Am that I Am<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We know by know that God has been called by many things in scripture. Jehovah, Adonai, Shalom and Elohim, to name a few. Here we see one that is not used all that much- Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh- I Am that I Am. If you are familiar with any old testament history, this is what God sees to Moses in the burning bush back in Exodus chapter 3. Let me lay out some backstory.<br />
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Moses was a Israelite who, through divine intervention, found himself as an Egyptian in Pharaoh's palace. After a mishap with a bully Egyptian and a fellow Israelite, Moses flees to the desert, where he meets his wife and has 2 boys. Fast-forward 40 years. Moses is out feeding his flock when a strange occurrence catches his eye. There is a bush in the distance completely engulfed with flames, yet not burning. So, naturally, Moses goes to inspect the strange sight. As Moses approaches, a voice from the bush calls out to him and tells him to take off his sandals, for the ground where he is standing is holy ground. The voice, obviously, is God, who tells Moses that through him, God will free his people, the Israelites, from the oppression of Pharaoh. When Moses asks God how he will get the people to believe God sent him, God says this one phrase, "I Am that I Am." "I Am has sent me to you" This phrase, translated from the Greek in later translations or scripture, is defined as such- "I am the being; the existing one." Essentially, what God is saying is that the people shouldn't fear or doubt following Moses, because the one who is above all things, has instructed this man to go, and whoever goes with that authority is someone who can be trusted to follow God's instructions.<br />
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So why does God calls himself, I AM? Because God is who he says he is, wouldn't that have been enough for the people? Perhaps, maybe for a select few, just knowing God is who he says he is is enough to trust him. For others, the hardheaded ones, like myself sometimes, we need to know that God is not just a big deity in the sky, but also a helper in times of need. God saying "I Am" can really be filled in to fit whatever you need him to be in whatever season you are in. For the Israelites, they needed a rescuer- I am the Way Out. For you and I, maybe we need a healer or a guide so we don't have to walk this journey alone. - I am the Healer, I am the Guide. God's "I Am" is God's way of saying whoever you need me to be in order to grasp how much I love you, that is who I will be for you.<br />
Whoever the "I Am" is to you, just trust that God will come through, no matter the time frame, or circumstance. For the Israelites, it was 400 years in Egypt, but thankfully, it won't be quite that long for us before God carries out his plan.<br />
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"I Am that I Am" "I will prove to be whatsoever I shall choose to be"<br />
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Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Mission From GodAdam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-64274090490927450762019-06-01T11:16:00.006-07:002019-08-07T16:46:05.925-07:00Why Are You Downcast, O My Soul?-psalm 42<div style="text-align: right;">
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"Why, O my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God"- Psalm 42:5, 11, 43:5</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEU_4QYL5llyLI5k1tTnIMRzEAlQA3IFOXZqwoOAu889soYk5VowwKp7Pe4QToXJOkfa0KEu3ODyNtx0eEYoV2SxsrJ6KOW-SrqwlwzM7UuzHPrSI3oeXD56jKTWE2g_VUXYc0G6KpNo/s1600/journey-through-psalms-42%252C43_Moment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEU_4QYL5llyLI5k1tTnIMRzEAlQA3IFOXZqwoOAu889soYk5VowwKp7Pe4QToXJOkfa0KEu3ODyNtx0eEYoV2SxsrJ6KOW-SrqwlwzM7UuzHPrSI3oeXD56jKTWE2g_VUXYc0G6KpNo/s320/journey-through-psalms-42%252C43_Moment.jpg" width="320" /></a>Whenever something is repeated in scripture, it is probably worth focusing on. Here is one of those times. This passage is listed 3 times in 2 sequential psalms. It is believed by many scholars that not only are these two psalms in fact one, with each repeat of verse 5, the psalmist is saying it with more confidence and assurance in his soul. There are many who believe that this collection was written by someone who was down in the dumps, whether that be a physical prison or a spiritual slumber. He feels like God has forgotten him, and even the mocking of unbelievers has penetrated his soul to that point that he believes God is only present in the temple, and clearly not in his desert season where he resides at the beginning of the psalm. But then we come to verse 8. He goes from a place of "panting in my soul, as a deer pants for water" to being in the mountains of Hermon and Mount Mizar. He realizes that God's presence is everywhere.<br />
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"By day, the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me- a prayer to the God of my life."-vs. 8<br />
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Even though his soul is not fully back to where it once was, he knows that God is with him, and always has been. As a follower of God, there will be times when our soul's are downcast because of the trials and deserts of this life, but God is still faithful, and still watching out for us.<br />
I don't know the struggles you may be going through, whether you are being attacked on all sides, or even if God is silent in your life. Something I am certain of, God has no intention of walking away from you, someone he saw worthy enough to send his son to die for. And yes, sometimes our souls will fill forgotten, but that is only temporary. Amidst the hardship dealt to the psalmist, he remembered his past and all the places God walked him through, and that gave him the confidence to keep moving forward until he could get back into the house of God. "-let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God"- 43:3-4"<br />
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Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms<br />
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*<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@aaronburden?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Aaron Burden</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "san francisco" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "ubuntu" , "roboto" , "noto" , "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/open-bible-coffee-mug?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Unsplash</a><br />
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<br />Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-44705386487932277612019-05-10T17:58:00.000-07:002019-08-07T16:46:30.170-07:00Streams of Living Water-psalm 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither- whatever they do prospers.- Psalm 1:1-3<br />
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The book of psalms is the biggest book in the Bible. Comprised of 150 chapters, spanning over a thousand year time with numerous authors, it is essentially one big hymnal to the glory and power of our Lord God, and how he is good to us in every situation. Throughout the psalms, we see the power of God and with that, we see that besides being a loving Father, he is a righteous judge. The authors make it clear that if we follow God's commands and do what he says, our reward in heaven will be great, but if we go the way of the world, we will perish. We see this right of the bat in Psalm 1.<br />
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"Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked...that person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither"<br />
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But let us not stop there. Just as the righteous will prosper, we are given a look at the people who are not. "Not so the wicked. They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in judgement nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous."- vs 4-5<br />
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Harsh.<br />
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When we follow the world, we are spiritually uprooting ourselves from the blessings of God. Through the choices we make, we are cutting ourselves off from the nourishment of the Gardener. By choosing the life of a sinner, our trees have no root in anything that will hold fast when winds and storms come our way. Without those roots, we become weak against attack and our branches become dead and void of substance. I want to rest at the end of my life knowing that as the Lord directed, I positioned myself by the living waters that come from the Father.<br />
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"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction."- vs 6<br />
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Adam Semple- A Young Man diving deep into the PsalmsAdam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-86922705345746941882019-05-04T03:30:00.000-07:002019-08-07T16:46:45.347-07:00My Salvation, My Fortress-psalm 62<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kkUqzG4Y5Kb_87NJZVmQI1HyJmAwd-qI24RAfuzaYXtrADO80WewMvyyxRCUwLYJn4ZHW5JtPkytOCxx3otdPQ2XCM0KZA2bTD7RcGFwZdhSki7S2wkRsDCYB6VrUHlLcONvzbVSXl4/s1600/psalm62_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="500" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kkUqzG4Y5Kb_87NJZVmQI1HyJmAwd-qI24RAfuzaYXtrADO80WewMvyyxRCUwLYJn4ZHW5JtPkytOCxx3otdPQ2XCM0KZA2bTD7RcGFwZdhSki7S2wkRsDCYB6VrUHlLcONvzbVSXl4/s320/psalm62_1.jpg" width="320" /></a>"Truly, my soul finds rest in God, my salvation comes from him.<br />
Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, and I will never be shaken"- Psalm 62:1-2<br />
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If you know anything about King David and hos lineage, you have probably heard of his 3rd child Absalom. According to the book of 2 Samuel, Absalom was a very handsome man who wanted to secede his father as king. After a terrible event that happened to his sister, Absalom killed David's oldest son, Amnon. The second child of David is named, but we don't get much of a history of him so he probably died at a young age. So here we have Absalom, who was third in line for the throne, now front and center. Unfortunately, David's son Solomon had already been promised the throne by God. So Absalom precedes to get himself crowned king, and after he builds up a following, he goes after his father so that he can truly claim the throne. Psalm 62, along with several others, was written during David's time of running. Despite the circumstances, David still rests in the assurance that God will protect him. So much so that he repeats the phrase above a few verses down.<br />
"Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."- 5-8<br />
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How crazy is that? Absalom has prepared an army to take the throne from his father and all David can do is express that God is still his fortress. Can any one of us say the same when enemies surround us on all sides. When the devil has built up his army and he is getting ready to strike, Do we believe that God is our rock. I will be honest and say that I don't always hold onto that confidence. But, it is something that we as a body of believers should have. God is our salvation and our rock, and because of this, we shall never be shaken. I can't even begin to imagine emotionally what David was feeling when he heard the news that his son, who had already murder his own brother, was coming for him.<br />
From what we know from the Bible, David was equally angry and heartbroken at how thing played out in his own home. From the death of Amnon to the winning of the hearts of the people by Absalom, David couldn't believe what pieces fell into place to try and bring about his own destruction.<br />
Thankfully, we know the rest of the story. Absalom was killed by his own pride and folly, and David lived on to impart his wisdom and vision to the son who would be king, Solomon.<br />
I pray that in every situation, God will always be our rock, our salvation and our fortress. Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-48941996530316473852019-04-29T09:43:00.002-07:002020-05-01T06:20:44.110-07:00Make Me Lie Down-psalm 23<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This world we live in is crazy busy, all the time. We are always moving from one thing to the next, finding new ways to get things faster and easier, and it is hard to slow down and rest every once in a while. In times like these, I am thankful for a God who makes me lie down and rest from time to time. Spend any time in church and you will be familiar with this Psalm.<br />
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"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.<br />
He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters.<br />
He restores my soul. He leads me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake.<br />
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.<br />
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows<br />
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."- Psalm 23<br />
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King David knew what it was like to be a shepherd. He knew how the sheep needed someone to protect them from the wolves and lions that came to try and thin the herd. He understood the similarities between sheep and human, in regards to how we respond to dangerous situations. In times of fear, we run to a place of solace, a safe place where we feel secure. As Christians, this should be in the arms of the Great Shepherd, God the Father. He knows how to comfort us, what to provide and when to give this provision. With God, we have everything we need right when we need it. But then David continues by saying that He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters. Besides having all that we need under the protection of the shepherd, we are made to lie down and rest. God knows how to fight our battles and will use his rod and staff to keep at bay the evil around us.<br />
Like any good shepherd, God knows where to lead us so that we can feed on green pastures, but he also leads us along the righteous path. He will guide us in the way we will go, we just need to be willing sheep who will go along with whatever and wherever the Lord directs.<br />
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Sometimes, our righteous path has some dark places. Trials of this life and tribulation in the journey that are important to our walk. But, because the shepherd is always there to guide and protect us, we know we will make it to the other side and stand again on the mountaintop. In Israel, there is a physical valley called the valley of the shadow of death, and it is believed that David was in fact loosely referring to this valley. It is a dangerous passageway, that if you traversed it unprepared, you could easily fall from the path, as well as this was a popular place for robbers to hide out and attack unsuspecting travelers. David is assuring believers that even down the rough patches of life, God is still in command and has full control. Our shepherd will guide us through every rocky road life has to offer.<br />
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" David is reminding us that even though there will be valleys of hardships, we will be victorious, and we we emerge on the other side, there will a table full of provision, abundance and the love of the Father. Are the enemies from death valley gone? Not usually, but we can sit at God's table with the assurance that Satan knows, despite his efforts, we came out victorious and are know resting in the Father's goodness and mercy.<br />
David affirms this point with the last verse of this beloved psalm. "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." we have victory through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, and because of that victory, nothing we walk through has the power to knock us from the trail as long as we trust the Shepherd to lead us through the journey.<br />
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Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Mission from God.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*photo credit- Catlins Green Pasture Photography-pixel.com</span>Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300822080528837717.post-61288878453869894932019-02-21T06:21:00.000-08:002019-02-21T06:21:40.823-08:00Wise and Foolish builders<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="text Matt-7-24" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-23341DL" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23341DL" title="See cross-reference DL">DL</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.</span> <span class="text Matt-7-25" id="en-NIV-23342" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">25 </span>The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.</span><span class="text Matt-7-26" id="en-NIV-23343" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">26 </span>But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.</span> <span class="text Matt-7-27" id="en-NIV-23344" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">27 </span>The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="text Matt-7-28" id="en-NIV-23345" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">28 </span>When Jesus had finished saying these things,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-23345DM" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23345DM" title="See cross-reference DM">DM</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> the crowds were amazed at his teaching,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-23345DN" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23345DN" title="See cross-reference DN">DN</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span> <span class="text Matt-7-29" id="en-NIV-23346" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">29 </span>because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law- Sermon on the Mount- Matthew 7:24-29</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="text Matt-7-29" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">The sermon on the mount is full of little nuggets of wisdom direct from the mouth of Jesus to his church, the disciples and Christians around the world today. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="text Matt-7-29" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Here we have the parable of the wise and foolish builder. A wise man is building his house on the rock, a sturdy foundation. The fool has built his in the sand. A grand storm comes along and affects both houses differently. The house of the fool collapses because underneath his house, he had no solid ground to plant the foundation. The house of the Wise was able to withstand whatever the winds threw his way, because his house was structured securely on a firm foundation. The point of this nugget is really simple. Jesus is the rock. Storms of life are inevitable and some may cause damage. We, as Christians, have choice. Will we be a wise builder or a foolish one.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="text Matt-7-29" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">A wise builder is someone who not only goes to church on Sunday, but also is diligent in reading and knowing the living word of God. This person knows the bible is true and lives his life accordingly. Reading God's word for him is not just something to check of a to-do list, rather the thing needed to get his day going,(even before coffee). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="text Matt-7-29" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">A foolish builder is the one who shows up late to church, only on Sunday morning. They may read their bible, but they don't let it blow their minds like it should. They may know that Jesus came to save them, even pray a prayer every now and then, but they never let Jesus take-over their heart. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="text Matt-7-29" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">When we commit to being a wise builder, we are trusting our life to the only rock that can support us through life's battles. A house built without a strong foundation will only stand for so long. You may be able to fight off the small battles, but when the hurricane rolls in, your structure doesn't stand a chance. With our house upon the rock, we will come through the storm, maybe a little shaken, but not defeated. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="text Matt-7-29" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Ask yourself this question; are you Wise, or are you a Fool? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="text Matt-7-29" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Mission from God.</span></span></div>
Adam Semplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881785201120866187noreply@blogger.com0