Today’s Reading, Psalms 119
Focal Scripture: Psalms 119:18 “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction.”
How important are the scriptures in your life? This question is not intended to catch you or make you feel bad. The intent behind the question is to make you think about the priority of the scriptures in your life. Like any relationship if you are not in content communication and seeking out to know the heart and intent of the other person the relationship is guaranteed to fail. Why? Because you will assume things that are not true. You will begin to build up a narrative when things do not go your way. This will create a major problem and can even create bitterness towards the other person.
In today’s reading we find out just how important the word of God is in our daily life. David wants his eyes to be open. Why? So he can contemplate wonderful things from the instruction of the Lord. This entire Psalm focuses on the word of God and just how important it should be in a persons life. David understands that the word of the Lord is powerful and changes everything.
I hear often from people about wanting to know God’s will for their life. I always ask this then question. How much time are you spending in the word? This is not a question to avoid answering them. It is a question that sets the tone for the rest of the conversation. To often people will seek an answer from God but never spend any time with him. They will pray and immediately expect a divine experience revelation. That is not how God reveals himself the majority of the time.
So how does God reveals himself? He reveals himself through the scriptures. He rebels himself through the accounts of the written word. As believers today we don’t need divine experiences (although they can still happen). We have an entire book that reveals to us the character and nature of God. It gives us a blueprint of how to follow him and how to obey him, when life is easy and when life is difficult.
The challenge we have is to make sure we don’t lose our focus when life becomes difficult. Our hearts must be centered on the Lord more than anything else. We must have our eyes open and be willing to read his instruction. Then once we read it we must obey it no matter what. That is what separates a faithful believer from one who claims a deep relationship.
Have open eyes and an obedient heart. That is what will set you up for success in this journey.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading 1 Kings 3-4
