Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Psalms

Psalm 119

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When I was younger and reading through the Bible, I used to dread when I came to Psalm 119. It’s the longest chapter in the Bible, and I still remember groaning when it came up for that days reading. I’ve always had a checklist personality, so when something takes a bit longer to cross off my list, I quickly grow impatient. As I’ve grown to love God and His Word more, I have come to appreciate Psalm 119 to the point it is now one of my favorite chapters, and I get excited when I turn to it.

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There is so much packed into this single chapter. Almost every verse holds a complete and self-contained nugget of praise, worship, wisdom, or instruction. I think you could read Psalm 119 every day for the rest of your life and never plumb its depths.

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Satan’s Promises are Always a Downgrade

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No matter how appealing they may seem at the time, Satan’s promises are always a downgrade from what you already have in Christ. Accepting the promises of the evil one is akin to trading in a brand-new car with all the bells and whistles for a forty-year-old vehicle that barely runs. Of course, The devil is far subtler than this.

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He’s more like the used car salesman who sells you a car which looks beautiful on the outside and even runs great for the warranty period but afterward becomes erratic and unreliable until you find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere.

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True Joy

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There are times in life when joy is elusive. Note I said, joy, not happiness. Happiness is ever fleeting and, at least in my mind, not worth the pursuit. After all, we are called to be faithful, not happy. We are called to be obedient, not happy. But it is in obedience and faithfulness we will find true joy. So, when we find ourselves less than joyful, we should first check our obedience and faithfulness.

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Put another way, we should determine where we have our focus. Joy should be inherent in the life of a disciple. Jesus, the source of all joy, lives within us. The closer we draw to Christ, the more joy we will have.

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Be Still

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I spent some time in the mountains recently and was once again awed by the beauty and creation of God.  There is something about getting away from our man-made surroundings and into the natural world God created that reminds you of His magnificence and beauty. In our busy and harried world, we spend too little time taking a break and getting quiet with our Creator. We were not created for the bombardment of impulses affecting us every day. We were not created to fill every minute of every day with (mostly) mindless activity.

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It’s okay to be still. In fact, the sons of Korah realized the wisdom in this and wrote what God had said to them: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). When the Israelites were preparing to take the land promised to them, God told them to be still and He would fight for them (Exodus 14:14).

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Bible Study

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In the last post (see “In the Presence of God”), we talked about the importance of establishing a daily time in prayer with God. Getting to know and understand Him will be the linchpin in learning to live the life you were created to live. The other side of the prayer coin is studying His Word. Reading the Bible is another way He speaks to us. I know this will be basic to those who have been following Christ for any length of time, but how many are actually taking time to engage with God’s Word daily?

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I’m not talking about a checkbox reading either. We need to move beyond having a reading plan and working simply to tick off the box for that day. Rather, we need to immerse ourselves in His Word every day.

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