Psalm 119:1-5 says,
"Blessed (happy) are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed (happy) are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in His ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!"
In the following verses in Psalm 32 we can see David expressing the joy of the forgiveness he received. God had forgiven him for his sin against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah, the adultery and then the murder, in an attempt to hide his sin. When we turn to God for forgiveness, He forgives our transgressions and doesn't count our sins against us. These verses are, also, quoted by Paul in Romans 4:7-8 and they are a testimony of God's forgiveness that we can experience through faith in Jesus Christ.
Psalm 32:1-2 says,
"Blessed (happy) is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed (happy) is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit."
"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers we are dust."
The east and west never meet! This is a picture of God's forgiveness ~ when He forgives us, it's as if we never sinned and He remembers it no more, as if it never happened! This week is a great time to take a few minutes and read Psalm 51, another psalm written by David. David was truly sorry for the adultery with Bathsheba and in this psalm he pleads for God's mercy, forgiveness and cleansing and God mercifully forgave him.
In Psalm 1 we can see God does not blessed us or judge us based on our race, sex or origin. He judges us on the basis of our faith in Him and how we respond to His revealed will. When we diligently try to obey God's desires we will be blessed. He compares our happiness to healthy, fruit bearing trees with strong roots and God promises to watch over us. God's wisdom will guide our lives, as compared to those who don't trust and obey God ~ their lives are meaningless and will blow away like dust.
Psalm 1:1-4, & 6 says,
"Blessed (happy) is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so with the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."
It's important for us to listen to what God's Word says, but it's of greater importance for us to DO what it says to do. The effectiveness of God's Word in our lives can be best measured by the effect it has on our attitudes and behaviors. It's good for us to ask ourselves if we put into action what we are studying!
It's a paradox that God's law brings freedom, but it does, it frees us from sin! As we read it, it is a standard that we can measure our lives against ~ it reveals our sin.
James 1:25 says,
"But if a man looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but DOING IT, he will be blessed in what he does."
Isaiah 30:15 says,
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel says, "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."
God's warned Judah that turning to Egypt and other nations for military might could not save them. Only their Sovereign God could do that. He told them that they must WAIT for Him in "quietness and trust." No amount of sweet talk or swift activity could speed up God's grand design. We have much to be thankful for ~ salvation comes from God alone. Because He has saved us, He can be trusted and can be all confident that He will give us the strength to face any difficulty. We can lay aside our stirring care and endless effort and rest in His Faithfulness to act on our behalf.
As Christians we are saved by God's grace and we are set free from sin's control. We are set free to live as God calls us to live ~ to walk in His righteousness ~ to be holy as He is Holy, to walk in obedience to His Word, to keep His commands, to trust and rest in His care. There's alot of promises that can be found in God's Word, for those whose sin has been forgiven and who walk as Jesus did. This is how we know we've been saved! May God bless you my friend, as you walk in the freedom of God's forgiveness and apply His Word to your daily walk, doing what it says. I'm praying for you!
Wishing you and yours a joyous Easter, as we celebrate Christ's Resurrection Power!
It's important for us to listen to what God's Word says, but it's of greater importance for us to DO what it says to do. The effectiveness of God's Word in our lives can be best measured by the effect it has on our attitudes and behaviors. It's good for us to ask ourselves if we put into action what we are studying!
It's a paradox that God's law brings freedom, but it does, it frees us from sin! As we read it, it is a standard that we can measure our lives against ~ it reveals our sin.
James 1:25 says,
"But if a man looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but DOING IT, he will be blessed in what he does."
Isaiah 30:15 says,
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel says, "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."
God's warned Judah that turning to Egypt and other nations for military might could not save them. Only their Sovereign God could do that. He told them that they must WAIT for Him in "quietness and trust." No amount of sweet talk or swift activity could speed up God's grand design. We have much to be thankful for ~ salvation comes from God alone. Because He has saved us, He can be trusted and can be all confident that He will give us the strength to face any difficulty. We can lay aside our stirring care and endless effort and rest in His Faithfulness to act on our behalf.
As Christians we are saved by God's grace and we are set free from sin's control. We are set free to live as God calls us to live ~ to walk in His righteousness ~ to be holy as He is Holy, to walk in obedience to His Word, to keep His commands, to trust and rest in His care. There's alot of promises that can be found in God's Word, for those whose sin has been forgiven and who walk as Jesus did. This is how we know we've been saved! May God bless you my friend, as you walk in the freedom of God's forgiveness and apply His Word to your daily walk, doing what it says. I'm praying for you!
Wishing you and yours a joyous Easter, as we celebrate Christ's Resurrection Power!
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