Psalm 120-122 _ God Gives Endurance

 

Psalm 120 – God gives Endurance

 

Only God can deliver you from lies and their destructive power, and only God can judge the liars. Just be sure you are “valiant for the truth” in your own life (Jer. 9:3).

God did not change the Psalmist’s circumstances; he had to remain among the people who hated him and lied about him. But God gave him the endurance he needed to be faithful under pressure. God can easily change your circumstances, but He needs your help if He is to change you. Before God gives deliverance, He first must give endurance.

 

Psalm 121 – God of the Hills and Valleys

 

The God who made the hills is the God who gives you help. He is the God of the hills and the valleys (I kings 20:23-30) and His help is available to all who will call upon Him.

The pilgrims traveled together for fellowship and safety because the roads were dangerous. The dangers today are just as great, if not greater. But God goes before you and stays awake to guide you and guard your path. He is next to you and over you and He will safely take you to Zion.

 

Psalm 122 – Pray for Jerusalem

 

We can easily travel to a place of worship today, but the ancient Jews had to walk a long distance. Yet they were happy to go to God’s house.

The people loved Jerusalem! It was a holy place because the temple was there, an honored place because David’s throne was there, and a happy place because the tribes were there to celebrate the greatness and goodness of God.

There can be no peace in our world until the Prince of Peace rules His people and there is peace in Jerusalem.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

 

Psalm 119:153ff - God's Word, Part 4

 

Psalm 119:153ff – God’s Word, Part 4

 

1.    One of the most difficult things in the life of faith is to be accused by Satan and ungodly people. “Plead my cause.” Prayed the Psalmist and God defended him. When the enemy accuses you, let the Word of God assure you (Zech. 3), for the Word is truth. If Satan tries to drag you into His court, read Romans 8:31-39.

 

2.     Knowing the Word of God and obeying it will bring joy to your heart, the kind of joy you would have if you found a buried treasure or inherited a fortune. If material wealth is your goal, God’s Word will not be a joy to you; but if you love the Word more than money, you will have eternal spiritual treasures. Along with joy you will experience love, peace, and hope – treasure money cannot buy.

 

3.    If you put the Word of God first in your life, you will have something to sing about. Spontaneously, you will find yourself singing God’s Word and turning statutes into songs. When your heart delights in God’s law, your lips must declare God’s praise (matt.12:34). After all, you talk about the things you love. When God’s Word fills your heart, the right words will come out of your mouth. (Col.3:16; 4:6).

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

Psalm 119:105-153 - God's Word, Part 3

 

Psalm 119:105 – 153-59 – God’s Word – Part 3

 

1.    God’s Word can be your light in a dark world to keep you from the traps and detours of the enemy. God gives you a light you need a step at a time. If you want more light, you must obey what He says, then more light will come (John7:17). God sends the light into your heart and gives you the wisdom you need.

2.     Double minded people are unstable people (James 1:8), and unstable people eventually fall. If you put God’s Word first in your life, it will hold you up and will not fall (2 Peter 3:17-18). Cultivate a holy fear of the Lord and His Word and you will not be ashamed of your hope.

3.    God’s Word will assure you and enable you when you feel the oppression of the enemy. God’s people are aliens in enemy territory, and only the Word can protect them from the lies of the oppressor. But you must accept all that God’s Word says about all things; if you love the truth, you must also hate the false.

4.     When you live by the Word of God, your life becomes wonderful because the Word of God is wonderful. The Spirit shows you wonderful things in the Word and enables you to meditate on His wonderful works. God transforms your mind and enables you to escape the dull conformity of the world (Rom.12:1-2). His light shines within you and His face shines upon you, so that you become a light in a dark world.

5.     No matter how zealous we may be for God’s truth, we must also have His righteousness if we are going to succeed. The Word helps us practice righteousness in a sinful world. There is no substitute for integrity, which comes from loving the Word and obeying it.

6.     The Word of God helps us to pray in the will of God. The Word of God and prayer must never be separated (Acts 6:4); if they are, we will get out of balance. The better we know the Word, the more effectively we will pray, and the more effectively we pray, the better we will learn the Word.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

Psalm 119: 57-104 - Love the Word of God, cont.

 

Psalm 119:57- 104 – Love the Word of God, cont.

 

1.    God’s Word brings friends worth having. If you walk with the wicked, they will bind you, but if you walk with God’s people, they will help you to enjoy life and liberty. People who love the Word of God will be glad to see you and will turn to you and help you.

2.    The Word of God can encourage you in times of affliction. What life does to you depends upon what life finds in you. If the Word is in your mind and heart, affliction can bring out the best in you. If not, it may bring out the worst in you. The school of suffering never graduates any students, so ask God to teach you the lessons He wants you to learn.

3.    God’s Word is a how-to-do-it manual for making life work successfully. God made you and knows best how you should manage your life. The Word tells you how to use your body and mind, how to handle your time and your money, and how to make the right decisions. Obeying it can keep you from getting into trouble and hurting yourself and others.  Do not wait until “all else fails” before you read the instructions! It may be too late!

4.    The Word of God will help you get victory over your enemies. When your eyes are failing and your soul is fainting, the Word will give you strength and comfort. When it looks like the end has come, God’s Word helps you make a new beginning. Your worst enemy is on the inside, so let the Word work in your heart.

5.     If you trust God’s Word, you will have a solid foundation in a world that offers no stability, The Word of God is settled, nothing can change it or destroy it. (Mt. 24:35). God is faithful and His Word can be trusted. The same Word that created the world and runs the world will also govern your life and make it secure.

6.    Those who love God’s Word and obey it develop a practical wisdom for guiding their lives. It is dangerous to learn from your enemies, and both your teachers and your elderly friends may not know what you need to know. Learn all you can from every good source, but let God, not man, be your teacher. (John 14:26; 16:13-15).

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

Psalm 119:1-56 Love the Word of God.

 

Psalm 119:1-56 – Love the Word of God

 

Most of these verses are either prayers for God’s help or affirmations of the writer’s faith in God’s truth despite his difficulties. Meditating on this Psalm ought to make you love and treasure the Word of God more and obey it more willingly.

Knowing and obeying God’s Word will bring blessings to your life. But if God is to bless you, you must sincerely seek the Lord and not just study the Bible. It is not facts in the head but truth in the heart that makes you grow in the Lord.

1.    God’s Word can keep you clean. You must heed God’s Word and hide God’s Word in your heart. You must also rejoice in God’s Word, delight in it, and meditate on it. Meditation is to your inner person what digestion is to your body.

2.    God’s Word will guide you in your life. You are a stranger on the earth and you need a “road map” to help you know the way. That road map is the Bible. Ask God to open your eyes to the Word and keep your eyes on the way. Let your Bible be your trusted counselor.

3.    God’s Word brings you the blessing of life because it has life, imparts life, and nourishes life. (1 Pet. 2:1-3). God’s Word can revive and strengthen you, even when you are in the dust. Nine times the writer prayed for new life from the Lord. No need to stay in the dust when there is life for you in the Word of God.

4.    God’s Word gives you real values. How tragic that so many people waste time, energy, and money on things that amount to little or nothing. (Isa. 55:2). When your heart covets, your eyes will see, and then you will make wrong decisions. That is what happened to Lot. (Gen. 13).

5.    God’s Word gives you freedom if you love and obey His word. His Word is truth, and the truth sets you free (John 8:32). Disobedience may seem like freedom, but it is really bondage (2 Pet. 2:19). When you obey God’s Word, you enjoy freedom because His Word is “the law of liberty” Law and liberty are not the enemies; they are coworkers in your life in building character and bringing joy.

6.    God’s Word brings comfort to your life if you will let it. When the days are difficult and the nights are long, remember God’s promises and God’s name, and He will comfort you.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Psalm 117 - Be A Blessing, Psalm 118 - Sing Praises

 

Psalm 117 – Be A Blessing

 

God called Israel to be a blessing to all the nations of the world (Gen12:1-3), just as He has called the church to take the gospel to the whole world (Matt.28:18-20).

 

The nations are worshiping false gods, so what do we tell them about the true God? That His mercy is great, and His truth is enduring. What He does is merciful and what He says is dependable.

 

God blesses you so that you might be a blessing to others, not only the people you see every day but people you will never see until you get to heaven. We need to be helping the peoples of the world learn about Jesus.

 

Psalm 118 – Sing Praises

 

The Jewish people sing Psalms 113 and 118 at Passover, so this is one of the songs that Jesus sang before He went to the Garden to pray (Mt. 26:30).  If you knew you were going to be executed unjustly, would you be able to sing praises to the Lord?

 

The crowds shouted as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Mt. 21:9), and Jesus quoted verses 22 – 23 In His debate with the religious leaders (Mt. 21:33-46).

 

The name of the Lord and the hand of the Lord can give you the victory you need. When you are hemmed in by the enemy cry out to God and He will put you into “a broad place”. He will open the gates for you and give you new freedom.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah

 

Psalm 115 - Who is Your God? Psalm 116 -Death is Precious to the Lord

 

Psalm 115 – Who is Your God?

 

Gentiles visiting Jerusalem would notice the absence of idols. Back home, they could point to their god and introduce you to the craftsman who made them. Is your God in heaven, ruling over all?  Are you trusting something less than God?

 

Be careful! You become like the god you worship. The living God can see you, hear your prayers, walk with you, and help you. He can speak to you from His word.

 

He has blessed you; have you blessed Him? He has given you promises; do you trust Him? He is the living God; does your life glorify him?

 

Psalm 116 –  Death is Precious to the Lord

 

The psalmist almost died, possibly because people lied to him. But when he cried out to the Lord, the Lord saved him. The death of a believer is precious to the Lord; He will not permit it to be merely an accident. This does not mean that God enjoys the death of one of His own. Rather, it means that He values His own so much that He makes death an appointment, it is a part of a loving plan. (Psalm 31:15; 139:16).

 

He was surrounded by the pains of death and was worried about his future, but the Lord gave him rest.

 

Praise is the logical response when God has answered a prayer and seen you through your difficulties.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah