Pray For God's Instruction Guidance And Direction

"Let me understand the teaching of Your precepts; then I will meditate on Your wonders.  My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your word.  Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through Your law.  I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws ... do not let me be put to shame ... Teach me, O LORD, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.  Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart.  Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight.  Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain.  Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your word."  Psalms 119:27-37 (NIV)

Psalms 119 is the longest of the psalms, in fact, it is the longest chapter in the Bible having 176 verses.  This psalm is thought to be a collection of King David's brief utterances to God.  Here he is praying for instruction and understanding, and for guidance and direction.  He also asks God to keep his eyes and his heart from evil, sinful, deceitful things.

We would do good to ask God for the same things.  We have chosen to follow The Lord, but we need His help in order to do so.  We need to read and study The Word of God more, but we need Him to increase our knowledge and understanding.  As we walk this Christian walk, we need His help, guidance, and direction in order to steer clear of sinful things.  Maybe we should pray this prayer.

Praise The Lord And Be Blessed

"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O LORD."  Psalms 89:15 (NIV)

The psalmist states that those who shout for joy and pay homage to God are blessed.  They are blessed to be guided by, and to walk, in the light of God's presence. 

As we rejoice and praise God, we are granted God's favor.  If  we really want to be blessed and highly favored, then we must repeatedly give God thanks, praise, honor, and glory for the things that He has done for us.  The more we acknowledge Him, the more likely we are to be blessed by Him.

Once Enlightened Always Enlightened

"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in The Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of The Word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying The Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace." Hebrews 6:4-6 (NIV)

The unknown author of the Bible Book of Hebrews made it clear that once a person was saved, they would always be saved.  Their future sins would not cause them to lose their salvation.  Only by willfully renouncing Jesus Christ could they ever be lost, and from that loss there could be no return. 

Once we are held in the palm of His hand, we can never be plucked out.  It is possible to be exposed to the gospel and walk among Christians for a while and not be saved. (Matthew 13:3-24)   Jesus said, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62) A number of people followed Jesus because of what He could do for them, not because they believed in Him.  Those people were not saved.  Once saved, always saved.  We may lose out on some rewards and miss out on some blessings by our behavior, but we can never lose our salvation.

We Must Confess And Renounce Our Sins

"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."  Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)

This saying of King Solomon makes it clear that it is better for them to confess and renounce their sins than to hide them.  It is God who grants them mercy and on one cannot hide their sins from Him.

Confession is good for the soul, but only if it is followed by turning away from the sinful activity.  It does us no good to pray to God for mercy, if we have not admitted that we have sinned.  Confessing a sinful act and then continuing to repeat it, calls into question the sincerity of our confession.  We cannot hide our motives and intentions from God.  If we really enjoy our sinful habits and do not plan to stop them, then we should not ask to be forgiven for committing the sins.  But if we truly want to be more Christ-like, then we ought to ask God for His help to change that part of our sinful nature.

We Need God More Than We Know

"The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, He saved me."  Psalms 116:6 (NIV)

In this psalm of thanksgiving, King David said, God heard him (verses 1 & 2), God pitied him (verses 5 & 6), and God delivered him (verse 8).  He also said that God protects the simple.  The "simple" are (according to Matthew Henry) sincere, upright, without guile, and they are weak, helpless, and unable to fend for themselves.  David identifies with the simple hearted people.  He needed God's help, and  God protected him and saved him.

If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that we are also weak, helpless and unable to defend ourselves against the attacks of the devil.  Even those of us who think that we are physically strong, and in good shape and good health, are saddened to learn that we really are very frail.  God can allow the devil to attack our bodies, just ask Job, and if we are not careful the devil will control our minds.  We need God's hedge of protection around us (Job 1:10), for only He can save us.  We also need God to save us from ourselves, so we do not become insincere, evil, and bitter.  We need to pray for God's help so that we can learn to focus on our beliefs and not our battles; our faith and not our foe; our protector and not our problem; and our Saviour and not our situation.

Pray And Pray More Often

"Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to You all day long.  Bring joy to Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.  You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You.  Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy."  Psalms 86:3-6 (NIV)

King David was a praying man, and this is another one of his prayers.  He ask The Lord to have mercy on him, and to restore his joy.  David recognized his sinfulness, although no specific sin is mentioned here.  It may just be the sinful nature of man because he says that he calls on The Lord all day long.  Whatever it is, he is appealing to the loving kindness of God to have mercy on him.

We can learn a lot from David.  He prayed to God often, and we should do the same.  He frequently asks for God's mercy because he knows that he has sinned.  We ought to admit that we sin frequently throughout each day, if you consider our thoughts, words, and actions.  Therefore we ought to call on The Lord all day long and ask for forgiveness and mercy.  Most Christians begin and end their day with prayer.  The questions is, how many times during each day do we stop and pray?  I'm just saying that we ought to pray much more that we do.  Think about how bad things would be for us if we only got His mercy when we asked for it, and did not get it when we didn't pray for it.  We should always pray. (Luke 18:1)  The Apostle Paul said that we should "pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)

One More Chance

"You forgave the iniquity of Your people and covered all their sins.  You set aside all Your wrath and turned from Your fierce anger.  Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away Your displeasure toward us."  Psalms 85:2-4 (NIV)

The psalmist notes here that God has forgiven His people in the past, and he is praying that God will forgive them again.  He recognizes that they have sinned again and he is asking God to restore them to His good graces. 

Today we recognize that we have messed up and sinned against God.  We realize that we have sinned in the past and God has forgiven us.  Now we need to ask God for forgiveness again.  We need one more chance.  We are not asking for a second chance, we messed that one up a long time ago.  We need His forgiveness, and we need another chance.  We also need to pray for His help and His guidance in order to sin less and to do the right thing.  Only He can restore us to His good graces and return us to a right fellowship with Him.

We Should Have No Images Of Idols In Our Homes

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above ..."  Exodus20:4 (NIV)  As stated in the King James version "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above ..."  Exodus 20:4 (KJV)

In the ten commandments that Moses gave to the people from God, the second one was not to make an image in any form of anything in heaven.  Any such image was considered to be an idol.

While we do not make the images today, and we do not actually worship them, many people have pictures or statues of Jesus in their homes.  God considered these images to be idols and He said " for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God ..."  I know that this is Old Testament, and we are not under the law but under grace,  but Jesus read and quoted the Old Testament scriptures to the people, and He said that He came to fulfill the law not to destroy it. (Matthew 5:17)  Why do people have pictures of  a White "Jesus" with long straight hair when the Bible describes Him as having hair like wool and skin of bronze color. (Revelation 1:14-15)  Maybe we should re-think what we choose to represent our God.  Do we really want idols in our homes, and would having them there please God?

Be Careful Who You Listen To, People Lie

" 'Are you the man of God who came from Judah?'  'I am,' he replied.  So the prophet said to him, 'Come home with me and eat.'  The man of God said, 'I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place.  I have been told by the word of The LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.'   The old prophet answered, 'I too am a prophet, as you are.  And an angel said to me by the word of The LORD: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.'  (But he was lying to him.)  So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.  While they were sitting at the table, the word of The LORD came to the old prophet who had brought him back.  He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, 'This is what The LORD says: 'You have defied the word of The LORD and have not kept the command The LORD your God gave you.  You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where He told you not to eat or drink.  Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.'   When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him.  As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it."  1 Kings 13:1-24 (NIV)

The unknown author of the Bible Book of First Kings clearly distinguishes between the prophet (the self proclaimed prophet or "false" prophet) and the man of God.  Unfortunately the man of God listened to the lying prophet and ignored The Word of The LORD. 

Beware of false prophets.  Everyone is not who they claim to be, and unfortunately people will intentionally lie.  We should not believe anything that we hear that is contrary to The Word of God, no matter who is the source.  

Good Things Come To The Generous and Just

"Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice."  Psalms 112:5 (NIV)

The unknown author of this psalm states that he who is generous and fair with others will have good things come to him.  Those who do the right thing will receive good things.

This Bible verse is a reminder that blessings are meant to be shared. (Luke 16:25)  Stated differently, we will be blessed for being a blessing to others. (Proverbs 11:25)  Care, share, and be fair.

Think Of The Great Things That God Has Done

"Great are the works of The LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.  Glorious and majestic are His deeds, and His righteousness endures forever."  Psalms 111:2-3 (NIV)

Here the psalmist exalts the works and deeds of God.  He also states that those who love The Lord marvel at His works, and are awe struck by them for they are glorious and majestic.   

When we consider what God has done, all of His wondrous creations, His mighty acts, His protection and His provisions, His healing and His love, His grace and mercy, it is no wonder that we are impressed, confounded, humbled and respectful.  Just think of what He has done for you from conception up until this very minute.  Who would not serve a God like our God.

Read And Learn From A Very Wise Man

"God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.  Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.  He was wiser than any other man ... And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.  He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.  He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls.  He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.  Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom."  1Kings 4:29-34 (NIV)

The unknown author of the Book of Kings makes it clear that King Solomon was the wisest man ever.  A lot of people listened to, learned, and benefited from, what he had to say. 

There are thirty-one (31) proverbs written in The Bible Book of Proverbs, written by the wisest man to ever live.  It would be a good idea to read one of them each day.  To make it easy to keep track of where you are, read the one which corresponds to the date of the month.  In addition to the blessing that you will receive from reading The Word of God, you will be getting advice for the wisest man ever. 

Ask God For The Right Things And Be Blessed

"At Gibeon The LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, 'Ask for whatever you want me to give you.'  Solomon answered ... I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties ... So give Your servant a discerning heart to govern Your people and to distinguish between right and wrong ... So God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked.  I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.  Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for, both riches and honor, so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.  And if you walk in My ways and obey My statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.' "  1 Kings 3:5-14 (NIV)

After he had firmly established himself as the king, because his older brother Adonijah had declared himself to be the king (1 Kings 1:5-7) after David, King Solomon asked God for a discerning heart to govern and to distinguish right from wrong.  God blessed him with that and wisdom, riches, honor, and  a long life.  God made him the wisest man ever.

Often we ask God for things that we should not ask for, and we don't ask for some things that we should ask Him for.  King Solomon is the perfect example of asking God for the right things, for the right reasons, and being blessed with that and much, much more.  His request was not selfish, it was for the benefit of others.  Maybe we could learn a lesson from Solomon which might help us with our prayer life.  Sincerely praying for the benefit of others, may result in us receiving blessings for ourselves. 

Blessed In The Midst Of Trouble

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; You stretch out Your hand against the anger of my foes, with Your right hand You save me."  Psalms 138:7 (NIV)

While King David was praising The Lord with song and music, and thanking Him for hearing his call,  he said that God kept him as he walked through the midst of trouble. 

We should also praise and thank God for preserving and protecting us as we walked through the midst of trouble.  We have walked in the shadow of death, without knowing it, and God saved us.  God has protected us from dangers seen and unseen, and all manner of hurt and harm.  We don't know how close to death we came while driving on these city streets and freeways.  We ought to thank and praise His holy and righteous name every day for all of the good things that He has done, and for all of the blessings that we have received.

Rest And Relief From The Burdens Of Sin

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

This invitation from Jesus was to all those who were weary under the burden of sin.  He offered them rest and relief from the burdens of sin.

All of us today are burdened with sin.  The only relief that we have from sin is in Jesus, The Christ.  With His atoning work on Calvary and His death, burial, and resurrection, He took all of our sins upon Himself and paid the price that we should have paid.  However, we have to accept His invitation before we can be granted His rest.  With His forgiveness, we can enjoy the blessings of His rest while we are alive, but the final and ultimate rest from sin is to be with Him in heaven after this life is done.

We Are More Than Conquerors

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."  Romans 8:35-37 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul wanted the Christians in Rome to know that they already had the victory.  They were more than just mere conquerors over whatever, they were special because of the love of God.  Nothing could separate them for the love of God. 

We need to understand that as Christians, the same applies to us today.  We may go through trouble and hardship, but in the end will conquer it, whatever it is, because we are in Christ and He is in us, and He has already conquered the world and everything in it.  If we truly believe in Him, then nothing can separate us from the love of God.  No matter what the world or the devil throws at us, we will defeat it and be victorious.  Because of Jesus The Christ, and His love for us, we are more than conquerors.

The Spirit Of God Is In You

"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with The Spirit have their minds set on what The Spirit desires.  The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by The Spirit is life and peace ... And if The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you."  Romans 8:5-11 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul said, in his letter to the Christians in Rome, that The Holy Spirit lives within each believer. 

Once we accept Christ as our personal Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells us.  Because The Spirit of God is within us, we can manifest righteousness and produce good fruit.  It is the Spirit who gives us the power to do the will of God, and it is The Spirit that convicts us when we choose to do wrong.  Our spiritual nature is constantly fighting with our physical nature for the control of our mind.  It is The Spirit that brings to our remembrance The Word of God and the teachings of Jesus.

We All Have Become Corrupt And We Need Jesus

"The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.  All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one."  Psalms 14:2-3 (NIV)

In this psalm King David talks about the sad state of man.  He states that when God looks down from heaven, He sees that all men are corrupt, all have sinned.  He ends the psalm stating that the salvation of man can only come from The Lord.

It may be hard for some people to accept this, but all of us are sinners.  There may be a difference in the nature of the sins that we have committed, but we all have sinned. (Romans 3:10 & 3:23)  However, the biggest difference between us is that some of us believe in Jesus Christ and have confessed our sins, and some have not.  The Bible states that if we confess with our mouth and believe with our heart, then we shall be saved. (Romans 10:9-10)  Those of us who confess and believe will be saved, those who don't, won't.  God gave us a free will, we can choose to accept Him, or to reject Him.  The salvation of our soul depends upon our choice.

Together In Unity

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!"  Psalms 133:1 (NIV)

King David said that it is good for people to come together and be on one accord.

It would be very good if we could come together peacefully, and be in agreement one with another.  Instead of arguing and fighting about the things which we disagree on.  Not even all religious groups agree with each other.  There exists today many different denominations among Christians because of differences of opinion on some issue.  The saddest part about this is that some Christians within the same denomination, within the same local church cannot always come together in peaceful unity and be on one accord.  We should pray for God's peace when we come together, and pray that we would be on one accord.  This applies to our families, friends, co-workers, and neighbors as well as for the leaders of our communities, cities, counties, states, and countries.  The Bible states that we ought to pray for each other (James 5:16), and that includes praying for the leaders of our governments.  This world would be a much better place if we could live together in unity.

Everyone Will Be Judged

"Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NIV)"

In this the final verses of King Solomon's book, his advice to the youth and others in his kingdom was for them to focus on their relationship with God.  It was their responsibility to live by His commandments.  In the end they would be judged, and they would have to give an account for every that they thought, said, and did.

This is the advice of the wisest man that ever lived. (1 Kings 3:10-14)  It would be good advice for us today also.  When the end of life comes, we will all be judged.  We each should believe, follow, and live The Word of God.  On judgement day, unbelievers will stand before the Great White Throne to be judged for their non-belief in Jesus Christ. (Revelation 20:11-15)  Believers will be judged, but at the Judgement Seat of Christ, for what we did that was pleasing to Him, for which we will be rewarded.  (1 Corinthians 3:9-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:9-10)

Say A Kind Word To Someone Who Is Heavy-hearted

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up."  Proverbs 12:25 (NIV)

King Solomon said that a heavy heart can weigh a man down, but a kind word of consolation can lift him up.

When people are mourning, grieving, depressed, or down in the dumps, some times all it takes is a kind word, words of consolation and comfort, or just a shoulder for them to lean on, that is all that they need to get them through a difficult moment in time.  Everybody who needs our help does not need our money.  Just being there for them physically, or a call on the telephone can make a world of difference in how they feel.  So, as the songs say, "reach out and touch some body's hand" and they may say that "you are all that I need to get by."  It is God The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Father of compassion and The God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (2 Corinthians 1 3-4)

Dancing For The Glory Of God

"David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before The LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of The LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.  As the ark of The LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window.  And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before The LORD, she despised him in her heart." 2 Samuel 6:14-16 (NIV)

As King David was bringing the ark of The LORD into Jerusalem, He danced before The LORD with all of his might.  He rejoiced and offered a sacrifice when the ark of The LORD left Obed-Edom. (2 Samuel 6:12-13)  He also rejoiced and offered a sacrifice when the ark of The LORD reached its final resting place in Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 6:17)  As He rejoiced and danced, one of his wives, Michal daughter of Saul, was not pleased with him.

Just because you are doing something to glorify The Lord, whether it be dancing, singing, shouting, or whatever, do not expect that every one will be pleased with you.  In fact, some people will actually despise you. (2 Samuel 6:16)  Be advised that God knows our thought, intentions, and motives. (Proverbs 16:2  & 1 Corinthians 4:5)  So, let us be sincere when we praise God and when we do things to give Him glory.   

Mourn Then Move On

"Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them.  They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of The LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword."  2 Samuel 1:11-12 (NIV)

David mourned the death of King Saul, who had become his enemy, and the death of Saul's son Jonathan, his best friend whom he loved.  He did nothing but mourn, weep, and fast for a period, then he moved on and got busy. 

It is okay to mourn and cry because of the death of a family member, friend, or loved one.  That is a natural and normal human behavior.  We will always remember our deceased friends and loved ones, they will forever be a part of our lives.  However, we are not to stay forever in a dysfunctional state of mourning because of any ones death.   A day may not be long enough for a period of mourning, but a year is too long.  There comes a time when it is time to resume our place in society.  Death is a part of life.  Death is something that we will all experience, unless we are alive when the rapture occurs.  Remember, to be absent from the body is to be present with The Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)  Trust in The Lord. 

We Need Knowledge Understanding And Wisdom

"Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. The fear of The LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of The Holy One is understanding."  Proverbs 9:9-10 (NIV)

King Solomon states that if one instructs, corrects, or teaches a wise and righteous man, he will become wiser.  He also makes it clear that fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalms 111:10)

Only someone who values wisdom, knowledge, and understanding will appreciate and gain from instruction, correction, and teaching.  Wisdom is the application of knowledge and understanding through experience.  One can know facts and not understand their significance.  One can understand but not know how to apply the information.  Wisdom is a gift from God.  (Proverbs 2:6)  A reverence for God and the dislike of His wrath is provide the basis for wisdom.  The knowledge of The Word of God, by reading or hearing, with due diligence, praying and studying, can lead to understanding.  However, God only grants wisdom to those who apply The Word to their lives. 

A Good Prayer

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us ..." Psalms 67:1 (NIV)

This psalm may have been a song which was sung to ask God to be merciful to His people and to bless them.  They also asked God if they could be in, and receive, His favor.

These three things would be the ideal things that we should pray for, God's grace, God's blessing, and God's favor.  We should pray for God's grace because we want His divine assistance even though for us it is unmerited.  We should pray for God's blessings because we want His approval, protection, provisions, and we want Him to grant us joy, health, life, happiness, and prosperity.  We should pray for God's favor because we want His attention, loving kindness, and special consideration.  If the truth be told, we want a lot from God.  He grants us the right to ask for what we want. (John 15:7)  What we really ought to do is spend more time thanking Him for what He has already done for us.

Be Kind To Your Enemies

"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and The LORD will reward you."  Proverbs 25:21-22 (NIV)

King Solomon told the people that they should be kind to their enemies.  Feed them when they are hungry and give them a drink when they are thirsty.  By being kind to their enemies, they will leave vengeance to The Lord and He will reward them and punish their enemies.

We are not to treat people like they treat us.  We are to love our families, our neighbors, our brothers,
and our enemies as Christ has taught us. (Matthew 5:43-44)  God will take care of those who do wrong to us.  (Deuteronomy 32:35)  By being kind to our enemies, we are in effect, "killing them with kindness."  We are not to repay them for the wrong done to us. (Romans 12:19)  Most of us have to pray for God's help to control our natural human response to get even with those who have done us wrong.  So, let's pray and pray to be more Christ-like and love everyone.

Blessed Are Those That God Chooses

"O You who hear prayer, to You all men will come.  When we were overwhelmed by sins, You forgave our transgressions.  Blessed are those You choose and bring near to live in Your courts!  We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your holy temple."  Psalms 65:2-4 (NIV)

This psalm of David is a psalm of praise for spiritual blessings..  He states that there will come a time when all men will come before The Lord.  Those who believe will be forgiven of their sins, and will be with Him and enjoy the good things that He has in store for them.

God hears all prayers, but He only answers the prayers of  those who choose to believe.  Judgement day is coming and all men will have to give an account to The Lord for every thought, deed, spoken word, and their acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ.  Jesus died so that all men might be forgiven and live, but only those who believe in Him will receive that blessing. (John 3:16)  All believers were chosen by God and each of us has a job to do for Him.  Whoever God chooses, He enables them and He gives them the inclination to want to draw near to Him. (John 6:44)  Once we have done all that He has assigned for us to do, we will go to be with Him and enjoy the wonders of heaven.  We are blessed with divine favor to enjoy eternal bliss. 

Disiplined Taught And Blessed By God

"The LORD knows the thoughts of man; He knows that they are futile.  Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD, the man You teach from Your law; You grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked."  Psalms 94:11-13 (NIV)

While the author of this psalm is unknown, the intent is quite clear, It admonishes the wicked and it gives assurance to the righteous.  The psalmist acknowledges the omniscience of God and the futility of man.  God disciplines those that He loves in order to teach and bless them. 

God knows all.  Not only does He see all of our actions and hear all of our words, He knows all of our thoughts.  Like a good parent who punishes their child to help them learn what not to do, He disciplines us in order to teach us because He loves us.  That in itself is a blessing.   However, there are many more blessings in store for us if we would learn from our mistakes and His instruction, and follow His directions.  When we know better, we ought to do better.  Some of our future blessings will only be granted to us if we do the right thing.

Blessed And Forgiven

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose sin The LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit."  Psalms 32:1-2 (NIV)

In this psalm King David clearly states that believers are forgiven of their sins and they are blessed. 

Because the sins of believers are covered by the blood of Jesus, they are not counted against us.  Being forgiven of our sins is probably the most important blessing that a believer can receive.  The Bible says that all of us have sinned. (Romans 3:23)  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us of all of our unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)  This, however, only applies to those who believe and follow Jesus, The Christ.

God Enlightens Rewards And Protects Us

"For The LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones."  Proverbs 2:6-8 (NIV)

King Solomon, who was granted great wisdom by God, (1 Kings 4:29-34), states that God gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to those that He chooses, and He rewards, guards, and protects them.

There are many blessings that are given to us for being a child of God.  While we do not all get the same exact blessings, we are all enlightened, rewarded, and protected as He sees is fitting for us.  As we demonstrate that we will do the right thing with the blessings that we have received, then we will be blessed with more.  (Matthew 25:21 & 23) 

Some Blessings Are Based Upon Our Choices

"Blessed 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."  Psalms 1:1-2 (NIV)

The author of this psalm clearly states that some blessings are based upon individual choices.   Blessings come to those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand with sinners, or sit with those who mock The Truth.  Blessed is he who delights in The Word of God, and who meditates on it day and night.

Some blessings we receive just because God is who He is and He chooses to bless us even though we do not deserve to be blessed.  Each heart beat, each breath, each thought, and each of our bodily functions is a blessing.  However, there are some blessing we receive based upon what we choose to do or not to do.  Hanging around the people that we choose to be with, when we know that they are up to no good, can cause us to miss out on some blessings that God had prepared for us.  Reading, studying, and reflecting on The Word of God twice each day will result in special blessing for us.  Let us pray that we will make better choices in the upcoming year, and that we will spend more time reading the Bible.