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OceanSide church of Christ
Read devotionals for February 2014
March 1, 2014
Psalm 119:60 – I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments
Thought: The commands of God require action on the part of the believer. This action should be prompt and immediate. Sadly, far too many are procrastinators. Some even brag about this trait. The psalmist was not of this mindset. He made haste, and did not delay when it came to obeying his God.
II Corinthians 6:2
March 2, 2014
Psalm 119:61 – The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forsaken thy law.
Thought: It is easy to be influenced by evil. Our God knows this and warns about this in many places in His word. There are times, however, when the righteous will be encompassed by the wicked. In those times, the man of God must stand with conviction. He must not allow evil to prevail in his life.
I Corinthians 15:33
March 3, 2014
Psalm 119:62 – At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.
Thought: Have you ever lay in bed at night not being able to sleep? You toss and turn wishing your eyes would close so you could rise the next day rested, but sleep eludes you. Perhaps this is the time to arise and give thanks to God for His bountiful blessings. What could be a better “midnight experience” than counting your blessings, naming them one by one.
Acts 16:25
March 4, 2014
Psalm 119:63 – I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.
Thoughts: All of us need a strong support system. We need others who will assist us, encourage us, and hold us accountable. The faithful need the faithful. Those who isolate themselves will become an easy target of the roaring lion who seeks to destroy.
Proverbs 13:20
March 5, 2014
Psalm 119:64 – The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.
Thought: The heavens drop down rain. The earth yields bountiful crops. Mornings are filled with the songs of birds. The evening sun slowly drops beyond the horizon for a beautiful sunset. The full moon and the hosts of heaven decorate the night skies. Mountains rise from the landscape with great majesty. Streams flow with gurgling sounds. The waves of the oceans constantly crash on the sands of the beaches. Yes, “the earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy.”
Psalm 33:5
March 6, 2014
Psalm 119:65 – Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O Lord, according unto thy word.
Thought: Everyday God is dealing with each person on earth. Those who acknowledge Him, fear Him, love Him, and obey Him can say as the psalmist: “Thou hast dealt well with thy servant.” He has heard our prayers. He has forgiven our sins. He has answered our prayers. He has strengthened us in our weakness. He has delivered us from our enemies. Dealing “well” with us may be an understatement.
Psalm 13:6
March 7, 2014
Psalm 119:66 – Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.
Thought: In order to learn we must be humble. We cannot believe that we know it all. We must understand our ignorance, and request, saying: “Teach me.” A teachable person will take the time required to learn. A teachable person will listen. A teachable person will ask questions. A teachable person will have understanding. A teachable person will possess both judgment and knowledge.
Acts 8:30-31
March 8, 2014
Psalm 119:67 – Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.
Thought: Ease and prosperity did not led the psalmist to fulfill his duty to God. Instead, he went astray. He erred from the straight and narrow path. He transgressed the law of God. He committed sin and iniquity. It was affliction that brought him back to God. Barnes notes that affliction is often necessary to check us when we go astray and useful in recalling us to the ways of duty and of truth (Barnes, e-sword).
Jeremiah 22:21
March 9, 2014
Psalm 119:68 – Thou art good, and doest good: teach me thy statutes.
Thought: Many people are repelled by the commandments of God. They view them as restrictive in nature. What they forget is that these commands come from a God who is good and who does good. All that He commands is for the good of mankind. Man left to his own devices usually brings harm and destruction to himself
Matthew 19:17
March 10, 2014
Psalm 119:69 – The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
Thought: The righteous pose a threat to the wicked. If nothing else, their holy lives condemn the ungodly lifestyle of those who are evil. Therefore, these arrogant individuals attack the faithful, often with vicious lies. Jesus was attacked by such men. We should not be surprised when falsehoods about us are spoken by sinners.
Matthew 26:59-62
March 11, 2014
Psalm 119:70 – Their heart is as fat as grease: but I delight in thy law.
Thought: The condition of a man’s heart will determine his reception of the law of God. Man’s heart can be fat. It can be covered with layers of sin, self, prosperity, false doctrine, and harmful alliances. A “fat” heart will keep one from accepting the truth of God’s Word. It is the good and honest heart that readily accepts God’s message.
Luke 8:15
March 12, 2014
Psalm 119:71 – It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
Thought: The psalmist makes a statement that is surprising to us. He says that it was good that he was oppressed, humbled, weakened, and made to bow down. Most do not see affliction as a good thing. However, it is in time of affliction that man is made to stop and reflect and take a self-inventory. In our pain, we often learn what is really important.
Hebrews 12:11
March 13, 2014
Psalm 119:72 – The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
Thought: Man often forgets where the law of God originated. He assumes that it came from the mind of man since man was the one who penned the words. Not so! God’s law originated in the mind of God and was spoken by the mouth of God. This fact is what makes the Bible different from every other book on earth. It is of divine origin, a gift from God.
II Timothy 3:16
March 14, 2014
Psalm 119:73 – Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.
Thought: Everything begins with origins. The answer to the question: “Where did I come from?” is of utmost importance. The answer to this question determines how one conducts his life. There are only two answers to this question. Either man is the creation of an Almighty God, or, he is the accident of evolutionary processes that happened over billions of years. Every person must decide the answer for himself. Note the decision the psalmist made.
Hebrews 11:6
March 15, 2014
Psalm 119:74 – They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.
Thought: Those that fear God love those who fear God. They are joyful when another faithful person enters into their presence. Question: When you come into the company of your brothers and sisters in Christ are they joyful? Are they glad to see you? Are you an example of faithfulness that impresses them? Let’s live our lives so as to be a blessing to others.
I Timothy 4:12
March 16, 2014
Psalm 119:75 – I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
Thought: Man often judges God’s actions very harshly. He cries out that God has been unfair. He tells others that God’s judgments are not right. The Old Testament poet did not have this attitude toward his God. “I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right.” An attitude like this draws one toward God even in adversity. In affliction, God is still seen as a loving Father instead of an evil enemy.
Deuteronomy 32:4
March 17, 2014
Psalm 119:76 – Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.
Thought: Mercy is benevolence poured out on the afflicted and hurting. God is the fountain of all mercy. The reservoirs of His mercy are endless. His mercy has the power to stop all pain and bring comfort to the one in agony. One way to receive this merciful kindness is by crying out to God for it.
Psalm 86:5
March 18, 2014
Psalm 119:77 – Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.
Thought: Without receiving comfort, relief, forgiveness and benevolence from God, life is a difficult road. One might say that those who live without these things exist, but they do not have an abundant life. The psalmist requested God’s tender mercies. He wanted to do more than exist. He desired to live.
John 10:10
March 19, 2014
Psalm 119:78 – Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.
Thought: The proud seldom experience feelings of pain due to dishonorable and improper conduct. Their hearts are hard and calloused. The psalmist longed for this to change. He wanted the proud who wrongfully afflicted him to feel shame and embarrassment for their actions. If anyone could shame the proud, he knew his God could.
Jeremiah 20:11
March 20, 2014
Psalm 119:79 – Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.
Thought: There may be many reasons why a faithful man desires the fellowship of those who fear the Lord. It could be for companionship. It could be due to a need for encouragement. It might be that he longs to teach his brethren from his knowledge and experience. Believers surrounded by believers. Truly, there is strength in numbers.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
March 21, 2014
Psalm 119:80 – Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.
Thought: The heart of man is that which produces all the actions of man. For the behaviors of man to be right in the sight of God, the heart must be sound in the statutes of God. To be sound, one must understand and comprehend the Word of God. Many “think” they know God’s Word. Their conclusions, however, are not sound. If they are not corrected, shame awaits them.
Proverbs 14:30
March 22, 2014
Psalm 119:81 – My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.
Thought: Salvation can be needed in two situations. One is a physical salvation. We may be in prison to enemies like Israel was when in Egypt. In such situations, the soul often faints and grows weary. One readily longs for salvation in those instances. The second salvation involves the spiritual side of man. Here, one is enslaved to sin. Sadly, one does not always realize his plight. If he does not, he does not see his need for salvation. Does your soul faith for the Lord’s salvation?
Psalm 73:26
March 23, 2014
Psalm 119:82 – Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?
Thought: The psalmist was one who had drunk deeply from the fountain of God’s word. He had read many of its promises. He trusted in them. Now he expresses his yearning for them to be fulfilled. He anticipated them as a child looks for his parent to come home from work, or, like a military wife awaits the coming of her spouse from the field of battle. His eyes grew weary looking for them to come to pass. He would not cease looking until the promise came.
Psalm 69:3
March 24, 2014
Psalm 119:83 – For I am become like a bottle of smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.
Thought: In the time of David, bottles were made of leather skins. When they were hung up in the smoke, they dried out. Often they would crack and break open. Clarke says: “This represents the exhausted state of his body and mind by long bodily affliction and mental distress” (Clarke, e-sword). Many of us may have become a bottle of smoke in our afflictions. At those times, we wanted to give up. We must do as the writer, however, and not forget the statutes of God.
Job 30:30
March 25, 2014
Psalm 119:84 – How many are the days of thy servant? When wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?
Thought: If the persecution of his enemies continued, the psalmist knew that his days would be short. All of us have experienced such feelings when life’s struggles, stresses, problems, and difficulties come crashing in on us. We do not know how much longer we can hold on. We grow weak and weary and wonder how much more we can take. It is in such times that all we can do is look to our Savior for deliverance.
Job 7:6-7
March 26, 2014
Psalm 119:85 – The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law.
Thought: A pit is dug in order to trap something. When it comes to the enemies of God’s people, they seek to capture us by any means necessary. Their traps are deep and often well hidden. They are often difficult to avoid. The righteous must always be sober and walk circumspectly to avoid the pits the wicked have dug.
Ephesians 5:15
March 27, 2014
Psalm 119:86 – All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.
Thought: The commands of God are firm and steadfast. An individual can walk in them without fear of faltering. They will always hold him up. Those who adhere to the commands of God can live their lives in security and peace. The commandments of God will never bring one to ruin. Instead, they will ultimately bring great reward.
Revelation 22:14
March 28, 2014
Psalm 119:87 – They had almost consumed me upon the earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.
Thought: The word “they” in this verse refers to the enemies of the inspired writer. They had brought their forces against him so forcefully and for so long that he felt that he was close to destruction and death. In times like this, many cease a faithful walk with God. The psalmist was not of this number. He joyfully proclaims: “…but I forsook not they precepts.” He was determined that his enemies would not win.
Proverbs 4:2
March 29, 2014
Psalm 119:88 – Quicken me after thy loving kindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.
Thought: From time to time in our spiritual lives, we feel as though we are dead. We are not animated. We are not alive. We are not fervent. Our faith wanes. The practice of faith drags along. We long to feel vibrant and alive. We, too, cry out to the Father: “Quicken me after thy loving kindness.” Fortunately, He can revive us. He can breathe life into that which is about to perish.
Psalm 36:39
March 30, 2014
Psalm 119:89 – For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.
Thought: There are many people who believe that God’s word is constantly changing and evolving in order to adapt to societal changes that happen over time. They cannot comprehend a message several thousand years old still applicable to men and women who live in a high-tech, information age. Thus, they reason that God’s word either changes, or, it is irrelevant. Neither is true. God’s word has been settled in heaven forever and ever.
I Peter 1:25
March 31, 2014
Psalm 119:90 – Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.
Thought: One definition of faithfulness is strict adherence to promises and duties. This describes our God. When our God makes promises, He keeps them. When our God is responsible for something, He carries it out. This was true in the past. It is true now. It will remain true in the future. It is also true for all people in every place. His faithfulness is unto all generations.
Deuteronomy 7:9
Read devotionals for April 2014