Morning Moments

Psalm 119:113-120

Although we have been writing these short devotion for many years, today is our first anniversary doing them for Heartland International Ministries.

SAMECH - Psalm 119:113-120

This section of Psalm 119 assures us of the secutiry that come by the Word of God.

Assurance of security is essential to peace of mind. If I "fear" of losing something very precious, I have a troubled mind, a concern, worry about it. That is not what God's Word promises us.

To be sure, we are chastened, purged, and pruned, but all for the purpose of being more mature and more fruitful.

The word translated "thoughts" is literally double-minded as used in 1 Kings 18:21 and in the NT a corresponding word is used in James 1:8. It is a mind that is divided as opposed to "singleness of heart".

The word "hate" identifies an avowed enemy. The believer is not to vascilate in thinking or action. I must confess that those who cannot respect and receive the Word of God irritate me. The church of today waffles on such important issues as divorce, which God hates, homosexuality, adultery, abortion, etc. These are Biblical issues and we must teach and build conviction that God "hates" these things. He will save us from it but will not save us in it.

We must love the Word of God to such an extent as to reject any teaching or tolerance not consistent with it.

Ps 119:114

Confidence in the Word of God is a shelter and shield for us. Let me promise you this - if you stand for Truth of the Word of God, you will have to stand against evil as revealed in it. You can't have it both ways. The Word of God has established the righteous standard of God for all generations. "THOU SHALT NOT..." offers no option or opinion.

Let the criticism come - the conviction stands.

Ps 119:115

It is so amazing to me that God gives us discernment about these "double-miinded" people. I remember one that approached me at church to tell me a "dirty" joke. I stopped him and said, "I have a big enough battle in my mind without you adding to it. Please do not ever tell me a dirty joke.

Oh to be sure, in my life I have heard and told them, but when God possess our thinking, He possesses our speaking, listening, and living. Garbage in - garbage out. I remember the message I heard from Stephen Olford years ago on Psalm 1, in which he said, "careless speaking leads to lawless living". What we say comes from the heart whether we realize it or not.

Ps 119:116

God has promised to sustain us. As we meditate in the Word, our confidence in Him and it will not lead us be shame.

When my body, mind, or emotion tells me one thing and my spirit and His Word tell me another, I must make a choice! That choice is to place confidence in Him and His word. End of story.

Ps 119:117

As my concern is upon honoring Him and His word, He sustains me and keeps me safe.

I remember an old friend who is now with the Lord telling a story about receiving a call from a woman in the church. The church had been going through some division and there were those who held the pastor responsible.

The woman on the phone simply said, "Pastor, we need you at our home immediately."

He was wise enough to call the chairman of deacons to go with him. When they arrived at the house, they rang the doorbell, and the woman simply said, "Come in". As they opened the door they saw the woman naked and heard tires screach behind them. There were two men in a truck who had hope to find the pastor alone with the husband's naked wife. Their plot to ruin the pastor was foiled.

NEVER underestimate the evil that "church members" can devise when they don't like the pastor. God protected him.

Another friend was preaching one Sunday morning and a man stood up and said, "I want you to shut up right now and get out of this church." It was one of those churches where old J. Frank Norris would have taken his pistol. God protected the pastor.

I remember another friend who told the story of a woman getting up and leaving in the midst of his sermon on the relationship of husbands and wives.

After the service he called to see if she had become ill. Her response was, "Yes, preacher, I am sick of your preaching". God dealt with her and honored the pastor.

We must honor His word, regardless, and He will honor us.

Ps 119:118

God treads under foot such who deceive themselves and seek to justify their straying from the truth. Thinking ourselves to be something when we are nothing is self deceit. We must stay with the Word of God which teaches us that we are only "something" when He is "everything" to us. It takes nothing for God to make something out of it.

Ps 119:119

It is God who is to deal with those who despitefully use and persecute us. God takes care of us and also those who hurt us. We must love the Word which gives witness of God doing precisely what He says.

He is the Refiner of the saints and the consuming fire of sinners. Let Him do the work and it stays done.

BLESSINGS!