Wednesday, February 29, 2012

psalm 119:20

20 - My soul breaketh
for the longing that it hath 
unto thy judgments at all times.

Breaketh comes from the Hebrew word "garac" which means "to be crushed with."

I have heard many different people in many different situations talk to me about crushing and being crushed. The teen has a crush. The betrayed friend is crushed. The one who lost the bid on the new house is crushed. The college student who didn't get accepted is crushed. And on and on...

However, I don't believe I have ever had anyone come to me and say they were crushed because they had a longing for the Word. I'm not sure I have ever met anyone who was really that dead to themselves.

"The desires of gracious men after holiness are intense--
they cause a wear of heart, a straining of the mind, 
till it feels ready to snap with the heavenly pull.  
A high value of the Lord's commandment leads to a 
pressing desire to know and to do it, 
and this so weighs upon the soul 
that it is ready to break in pieces under the crush of its own longings."
~Charles Spurgeon

Dear Lord! I pray that I may ascend to such a place with you that I am dead to my own flesh and am crushed with the desire to bury myself in Your Word!


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:20

20 - My soul breaketh
for the longing that it hath 
unto thy judgments at all times.

Breaketh comes from the Hebrew word "garac" which means "to be crushed with."

I have heard many different people in many different situations talk to me about crushing and being crushed. The teen has a crush. The betrayed friend is crushed. The one who lost the bid on the new house is crushed. The college student who didn't get accepted is crushed. And on and on...

However, I don't believe I have ever had anyone come to me and say they were crushed because they had a longing for the Word. I'm not sure I have ever met anyone who was really that dead to themselves.

"The desires of gracious men after holiness are intense--
they cause a wear of heart, a straining of the mind, 
till it feels ready to snap with the heavenly pull.  
A high value of the Lord's commandment leads to a 
pressing desire to know and to do it, 
and this so weighs upon the soul 
that it is ready to break in pieces under the crush of its own longings."
~Charles Spurgeon

Dear Lord! I pray that I may ascend to such a place with you that I am dead to my own flesh and am crushed with the desire to bury myself in Your Word!


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Monday, February 27, 2012

psalm 119:19

19 - I am a stranger 
in the earth:
hide not thy commandments from me.

I only live here, I am not from here.

My heart, my family, my desires, my traditions do not originate from this Cajun swamp in which I reside.  I cook and eat the gumbo and the dirty rice, I have a sixth sense about the weather patterns of this area. I understand the subtle changes that occur in the mentality from one parish to the next parish. (We don't have "counties" here; they are parishes, and I'm cool with that and understand why.) I love the pine trees and the thunderclouds that roll in from the west in the spring and summer.  I love the fact that God only knows how many of my great-aunts and uncles and even a great-grandmother or two lie in the little fenced-in cemetery within the grounds of the nearby military base whose tombstones and grave markers were uprooted by a storm or a backhoe or a careless maintenance worker and whose bones now lie unmarked in the earth over which they walked and breathed and lived out their whole lives.

But I only live here.

This is only the place of my birth, it is not the land of my heart.

If I'm not careful, I can easily become enfolded into the communal traditions of my ancestors and the daring adventuring of the reckless young ones. The unspoken rules of my little world change and sway and bend as they are blown from the larger societies not so far away and the wind is just as strong through the pine trees as it is when it blows through the high rises and the metropolitan society soirees.

I find myself being tied to the Psalmist by a 4000-year-old thread and identifying totally when he says, "I am a stranger in the earth..."

I am, too, David. God never intended for us to feel at home here. He never intended for our hearts to be at rest and our psyche to be at peace here. We are citizens of another world.

And we must live by the commandments of another world.

God convict us for not searching out Your commands.

Forgive us for living life by the guidelines of our culture that is at enmity with You.

I can faintly hear my grandmother singing in her high, reedy voice...

"This world is not my home, I'm just a-passin through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world any more..."

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:19

19 - I am a stranger 
in the earth:
hide not thy commandments from me.

I only live here, I am not from here.

My heart, my family, my desires, my traditions do not originate from this Cajun swamp in which I reside.  I cook and eat the gumbo and the dirty rice, I have a sixth sense about the weather patterns of this area. I understand the subtle changes that occur in the mentality from one parish to the next parish. (We don't have "counties" here; they are parishes, and I'm cool with that and understand why.) I love the pine trees and the thunderclouds that roll in from the west in the spring and summer.  I love the fact that God only knows how many of my great-aunts and uncles and even a great-grandmother or two lie in the little fenced-in cemetery within the grounds of the nearby military base whose tombstones and grave markers were uprooted by a storm or a backhoe or a careless maintenance worker and whose bones now lie unmarked in the earth over which they walked and breathed and lived out their whole lives.

But I only live here.

This is only the place of my birth, it is not the land of my heart.

If I'm not careful, I can easily become enfolded into the communal traditions of my ancestors and the daring adventuring of the reckless young ones. The unspoken rules of my little world change and sway and bend as they are blown from the larger societies not so far away and the wind is just as strong through the pine trees as it is when it blows through the high rises and the metropolitan society soirees.

I find myself being tied to the Psalmist by a 4000-year-old thread and identifying totally when he says, "I am a stranger in the earth..."

I am, too, David. God never intended for us to feel at home here. He never intended for our hearts to be at rest and our psyche to be at peace here. We are citizens of another world.

And we must live by the commandments of another world.

God convict us for not searching out Your commands.

Forgive us for living life by the guidelines of our culture that is at enmity with You.

I can faintly hear my grandmother singing in her high, reedy voice...

"This world is not my home, I'm just a-passin through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world any more..."

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Sunday, February 26, 2012

psalm 119:18

18 - Open thou mine eyes,
that I may behold wondrous things 
out of thy law.


Conviction causes one to see.  Conviction is used by the Spirit to reveal sin to those who are unsaved. Understanding is used by the Spirit to reveal Scriptural truth to those who are saved. 

Some things in Scripture cannot be processed by the natural mind. ONLY the Spirit can reveal some truths contained in the Word. We should never open the Word of God and begin reading without first praying for supernatural understanding to enter into our hearts and our minds. 

An example of this prayer is contained on the "Eat This Book" bookmark and may be found by clicking on this link: Eat This Book Prayer for Revelation and Understanding

1 Corinthians 2:13-14--Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14-But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

Luke 24:45--Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures..."

There are none so blind as those who will not see.
~Matthew Henry

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:18

18 - Open thou mine eyes,
that I may behold wondrous things 
out of thy law.


Conviction causes one to see.  Conviction is used by the Spirit to reveal sin to those who are unsaved. Understanding is used by the Spirit to reveal Scriptural truth to those who are saved. 

Some things in Scripture cannot be processed by the natural mind. ONLY the Spirit can reveal some truths contained in the Word. We should never open the Word of God and begin reading without first praying for supernatural understanding to enter into our hearts and our minds. 

An example of this prayer is contained on the "Eat This Book" bookmark and may be found by clicking on this link: Eat This Book Prayer for Revelation and Understanding

1 Corinthians 2:13-14--Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14-But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

Luke 24:45--Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures..."

There are none so blind as those who will not see.
~Matthew Henry

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:17

17 - Deal bountifully 
with thy servant,
that I may live, 
and keep thy word.

"Let my wage be according to thy goodness, and not according to my merit."
~Charles Spurgeon

"Reward me according to the largeness of thy liberality, 
and not according to the scantiness of my service."
~Charles Spurgeon

May I humbly propose that our only purpose--our only reason for living--the only reason we can even ask for life--is so we may live as a physical example of His Living Word!

Why else should we exist if not but to share the heart and mind of the eternal Creator with the world? And where else can we know the heart and mind if not from the Word? Who are we to ask the Spirit to operate separately from the Word? 

Dear God, grant me life, that I may keep thy Word!

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:17

17 - Deal bountifully 
with thy servant,
that I may live, 
and keep thy word.

"Let my wage be according to thy goodness, and not according to my merit."
~Charles Spurgeon

"Reward me according to the largeness of thy liberality, 
and not according to the scantiness of my service."
~Charles Spurgeon

May I humbly propose that our only purpose--our only reason for living--the only reason we can even ask for life--is so we may live as a physical example of His Living Word!

Why else should we exist if not but to share the heart and mind of the eternal Creator with the world? And where else can we know the heart and mind if not from the Word? Who are we to ask the Spirit to operate separately from the Word? 

Dear God, grant me life, that I may keep thy Word!

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Saturday, February 25, 2012

psalm 119:16

16 - I will delight myself
in thy statutes:
I will not forget 
thy word.

I will delight myself in thy statutes...I will delight myself...

I don't need others to delight myself in His statutes. It is my own private celebration of Divine communication. It is my personal worship service--my holy praise dance to my audience of One.

The depth of joy and pleasure that come from this level of praise comes from peeling back layers of understanding of the Scriptures. Only those who are familiar with the twists and turns of the language...those who are comfortable with the low valleys and high mountain peaks of the responsibilities and the promises contained in the pages...those who have labored through the dark passages and laughed aloud at the sudden bursts of sunlight...those are the ones who understand verse 16.

You can be one of those. I can be one of those. The Psalmist insists that the position is one to which every God-worshiper should aspire.

I will delight myself...

I will dance among the pages through the ancient words breathed by the Creator...I will meander slowly by the still waters of the promises...I will lie down in the green pastures of the comfort and the Comforter...I will eat at the table of the Presence...I will search diligently through the shadowy valleys for the veiled messages left for those who have "ears to hear"...

I will delight myself...

...and it is impossible to forget once I have tasted those delights.

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:16

16 - I will delight myself
in thy statutes:
I will not forget 
thy word.

I will delight myself in thy statutes...I will delight myself...

I don't need others to delight myself in His statutes. It is my own private celebration of Divine communication. It is my personal worship service--my holy praise dance to my audience of One.

The depth of joy and pleasure that come from this level of praise comes from peeling back layers of understanding of the Scriptures. Only those who are familiar with the twists and turns of the language...those who are comfortable with the low valleys and high mountain peaks of the responsibilities and the promises contained in the pages...those who have labored through the dark passages and laughed aloud at the sudden bursts of sunlight...those are the ones who understand verse 16.

You can be one of those. I can be one of those. The Psalmist insists that the position is one to which every God-worshiper should aspire.

I will delight myself...

I will dance among the pages through the ancient words breathed by the Creator...I will meander slowly by the still waters of the promises...I will lie down in the green pastures of the comfort and the Comforter...I will eat at the table of the Presence...I will search diligently through the shadowy valleys for the veiled messages left for those who have "ears to hear"...

I will delight myself...

...and it is impossible to forget once I have tasted those delights.

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Friday, February 17, 2012

psalm 119:15b - there are no shortcuts!

15 - I will meditate 
in thy precepts, 
and have respect
unto thy ways.

"Formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible.  But I often spent a quarter of an hour to an hour on my knees struggling to pray while my mind wandered. Now I rarely have this problem. As my heart is nourished by the truth of the Word, I am brought into true fellowship with God. I speak to my Father and to my Friend (although I am unworthy) about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word.

It often astonishes me that I did not see the importance of meditation upon Scripture earlier in my Christian life. As the outward man is not fit for work for any length of time unless he eats, so it is with the inner man. What is the food for the inner man? Not prayer, but the Word of God--not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe. No, we must consider what we read, ponder over it, and apply it to our hearts. 

When we pray, we speak to God. This exercise of the soul can be best performed after the inner man has been nourished by meditation on the Word of God. Through His Word, our Father speaks to us, encourages us, comforts us, instruct us, humbles us, and reproves us. We may profitably meditate, with God's blessing, although we are spiritually weak. The weaker we are, the more meditation we need to strengthen our inner man. Meditation on God's Word has given me the help and strength to pass peacefully through deep trials. What a difference there is when the soul is refreshed in fellowship with God early in the morning! Without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials, and the temptations of the day can be overwhelming."

~George Muller (May 7, 1841)


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:15b - there are no shortcuts!

15 - I will meditate 
in thy precepts, 
and have respect
unto thy ways.

"Formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible.  But I often spent a quarter of an hour to an hour on my knees struggling to pray while my mind wandered. Now I rarely have this problem. As my heart is nourished by the truth of the Word, I am brought into true fellowship with God. I speak to my Father and to my Friend (although I am unworthy) about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word.

It often astonishes me that I did not see the importance of meditation upon Scripture earlier in my Christian life. As the outward man is not fit for work for any length of time unless he eats, so it is with the inner man. What is the food for the inner man? Not prayer, but the Word of God--not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe. No, we must consider what we read, ponder over it, and apply it to our hearts. 

When we pray, we speak to God. This exercise of the soul can be best performed after the inner man has been nourished by meditation on the Word of God. Through His Word, our Father speaks to us, encourages us, comforts us, instruct us, humbles us, and reproves us. We may profitably meditate, with God's blessing, although we are spiritually weak. The weaker we are, the more meditation we need to strengthen our inner man. Meditation on God's Word has given me the help and strength to pass peacefully through deep trials. What a difference there is when the soul is refreshed in fellowship with God early in the morning! Without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials, and the temptations of the day can be overwhelming."

~George Muller (May 7, 1841)


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:15a

15 - I will meditate 
in thy precepts, 
and have respect
unto thy ways.

"...I will meditate in thy precepts..."

I will PONDER and PRAY what I read. The word "meditate" in the original actually carries more of a context of praying to oneself. Some words used to describe it are "to muse, to ponder, to commune..."

No prayer is more powerful than praying the ancient, living words of Scripture. To ponder their meaning, then pray them as your prayer is to connect the Spirit within you to the Logos of the Creator. This is the power which formed worlds...light...water...animals...mountains...flowers...YOU...

YOU have creative power when you join your Spirit to the ancient Words in prayer.

It is said that George Muller, a 19th century pastor who prayed for absolutely everything in his life, would not pray a prayer unless he could put his finger on a Scripture which he felt supported that prayer. Over the course of his 92 years of life, he journaled answers to over 50,000 prayers!

YOU have that same powerI I have that same power!

Then why do we not avail ourselves of it?

I would like to suggest that it may be because we get the cart ahead of the horse.

We want to go straight to the prayer part. The asking part. The "gimme" part. And we do so before we have digested the Book. We ask before we know what to ask. We ask before we know how to ask. We ask amiss, because we have not eaten and absorbed and metabolized His words first...all we know are OUR words.

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."
~Psalm 19:14


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:15a

15 - I will meditate 
in thy precepts, 
and have respect
unto thy ways.

"...I will meditate in thy precepts..."

I will PONDER and PRAY what I read. The word "meditate" in the original actually carries more of a context of praying to oneself. Some words used to describe it are "to muse, to ponder, to commune..."

No prayer is more powerful than praying the ancient, living words of Scripture. To ponder their meaning, then pray them as your prayer is to connect the Spirit within you to the Logos of the Creator. This is the power which formed worlds...light...water...animals...mountains...flowers...YOU...

YOU have creative power when you join your Spirit to the ancient Words in prayer.

It is said that George Muller, a 19th century pastor who prayed for absolutely everything in his life, would not pray a prayer unless he could put his finger on a Scripture which he felt supported that prayer. Over the course of his 92 years of life, he journaled answers to over 50,000 prayers!

YOU have that same powerI I have that same power!

Then why do we not avail ourselves of it?

I would like to suggest that it may be because we get the cart ahead of the horse.

We want to go straight to the prayer part. The asking part. The "gimme" part. And we do so before we have digested the Book. We ask before we know what to ask. We ask before we know how to ask. We ask amiss, because we have not eaten and absorbed and metabolized His words first...all we know are OUR words.

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."
~Psalm 19:14


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Thursday, February 16, 2012

etb journal - day 4

I received the following email from a fellow Book Eater a few days ago.  It was interesting, and I thought I would pass it on to those who also Eat the Book. Of course, I can't verify where or when the story occurred, but if one believes in God and prayer at all, it should not be discounted nor be a surprise.  Thanks, Mike, for passing this along!

I read in ETB day 4 (journal) how, when you are talking about 'God words...(that) have the power to change the molecular structure of the air into which they are spoken.'  

I wanted to share an illustration, that I recently read, of just how true that statement is. 

I've been reading the book "We Don't Die, We Kill Ourselves: Our Foods are Killing Us" by Dr. Roger L. DeHaan, 2006, Milestones International Publishers, Kings Mountain NC. 

Two days ago I read the following 3 paragraphs: 
_______

A number of years ago I was in a weeklong class on diagnosing and balancing nutritional and emotional problems. On the last day the instructor brought in an apple from the local grocery store. In front of us all he analyzed the life vitality of the apple, the chemical overload values and two or three other numbers on the instrument we were all being trained to operate. 

Then the instructor did something nobody expected. He placed his hands around the apple and blessed it, praying something like, "Lord, you created this apple to nourish our bodies. I bless this applie with good nutrition. I ask You to reverse any imbalance in this apple. Amen." 

Following this prayer he reanalyzed the apple on his equipment. Immediately the numbers shifted. The life vitality zoomed into normal range. The chemical overload dropped to acceptable values. 


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

etb journal - day 4

I received the following email from a fellow Book Eater a few days ago.  It was interesting, and I thought I would pass it on to those who also Eat the Book. Of course, I can't verify where or when the story occurred, but if one believes in God and prayer at all, it should not be discounted nor be a surprise.  Thanks, Mike, for passing this along!

I read in ETB day 4 (journal) how, when you are talking about 'God words...(that) have the power to change the molecular structure of the air into which they are spoken.'  

I wanted to share an illustration, that I recently read, of just how true that statement is. 

I've been reading the book "We Don't Die, We Kill Ourselves: Our Foods are Killing Us" by Dr. Roger L. DeHaan, 2006, Milestones International Publishers, Kings Mountain NC. 

Two days ago I read the following 3 paragraphs: 
_______

A number of years ago I was in a weeklong class on diagnosing and balancing nutritional and emotional problems. On the last day the instructor brought in an apple from the local grocery store. In front of us all he analyzed the life vitality of the apple, the chemical overload values and two or three other numbers on the instrument we were all being trained to operate. 

Then the instructor did something nobody expected. He placed his hands around the apple and blessed it, praying something like, "Lord, you created this apple to nourish our bodies. I bless this applie with good nutrition. I ask You to reverse any imbalance in this apple. Amen." 

Following this prayer he reanalyzed the apple on his equipment. Immediately the numbers shifted. The life vitality zoomed into normal range. The chemical overload dropped to acceptable values. 


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:14

14 - I have rejoiced in the way
of thy testimonies,
as much as in all riches.

"Delight in the word of God is a sure proof that it is has taken effect upon the heart, 
and so is cleansing the life."
~Charles Spurgeon

Several people have tweeted, posted, or emailed about praying the "Prayer for Night People" and becoming quite surprised when it actually worked. After one week of Eat This Book, so many have said they are amazed at how much they value their morning time and how they cannot wait to have coffee with God every morning. I recently got an email from a friend that simply said this, "I am addicted."

How will you know you are eating the word? When you cannot wait to open its pages in the morning and your sigh with regret when you must put it down. When, in the throes of a sword piercing your heart with conviction, you are simultaneously filled with joy and peace and a fullness your soul cannot contain because of the wonder of the fact you are communicating with the Creator!

"I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches."

Don't bypass the purest source of lasting joy for riches which are deceptive and fleeting.

"Riches are acquired with difficulty, enjoyed with trembling, and lost with bitterness." 
~Bernard, 1091-1157

The Word vs. Riches? That isn't even worth a discussion!

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:14

14 - I have rejoiced in the way
of thy testimonies,
as much as in all riches.

"Delight in the word of God is a sure proof that it is has taken effect upon the heart, 
and so is cleansing the life."
~Charles Spurgeon

Several people have tweeted, posted, or emailed about praying the "Prayer for Night People" and becoming quite surprised when it actually worked. After one week of Eat This Book, so many have said they are amazed at how much they value their morning time and how they cannot wait to have coffee with God every morning. I recently got an email from a friend that simply said this, "I am addicted."

How will you know you are eating the word? When you cannot wait to open its pages in the morning and your sigh with regret when you must put it down. When, in the throes of a sword piercing your heart with conviction, you are simultaneously filled with joy and peace and a fullness your soul cannot contain because of the wonder of the fact you are communicating with the Creator!

"I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches."

Don't bypass the purest source of lasting joy for riches which are deceptive and fleeting.

"Riches are acquired with difficulty, enjoyed with trembling, and lost with bitterness." 
~Bernard, 1091-1157

The Word vs. Riches? That isn't even worth a discussion!

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Monday, February 13, 2012

psalm 119:13

13 - With my lips have I declared 
all the judgments of thy mouth.


"What we learn in secret we are to proclaim upon the housetops." ~Charles Spurgeon

As a person who has always done whatever it takes in this life to avoid confrontation or conflict, my personal preferred method of persuasion has usually been action instead of verbal. I have been one who has always preferred to "let my life speak for itself" (ever heard that before?) and "they will know I'm a Christian by my love" (that one has been turned into a sword these days! Not that I don't agree with it, but, wow...)  So, Psalm 119:13 has been a challenge to me personally.

The Psalmist says he has declared "with his lips" the things of God! Verbal. Spoken. Words. Testimony. Witness. Lips. Sound. Putting himself out there. Just saying it. And somehow I don't get the impression that the sound was coming from behind a pulpit or a lectern or over a podcast or in front of a congregation.  I get the impression that it was one-on-one, man-to-man, situational, verbalizing conviction and right and the Word--the Logos--the Voice. 

Two things: he had to first know it. Then he had to say it.

So, I'm enumerating my faults to God as I ponder this verse, as I eat this verse. I'm praying that I may metabolize this verse. 

"God, please help me know Your Word. Then, help me say it out loud."

"It is a great comfort to a Christian in time of trouble when in looking back upon his past life he can claim to have done his duty by the word of God. To have been, like Noah, a preacher of righteousness, is a great joy when the floods are rising, and the ungodly world is about to be destroyed. Lips which have been used in proclaiming God's statutes are sure to be acceptable when pleading God's promises.  If we have had such regard to that which cometh out of God's mouth that we have published it far and wide, we may reset quite as assured that God will have respect unto the prayers which come out of our mouths." 
~Charles Spurgeon

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:13

13 - With my lips have I declared 
all the judgments of thy mouth.


"What we learn in secret we are to proclaim upon the housetops." ~Charles Spurgeon

As a person who has always done whatever it takes in this life to avoid confrontation or conflict, my personal preferred method of persuasion has usually been action instead of verbal. I have been one who has always preferred to "let my life speak for itself" (ever heard that before?) and "they will know I'm a Christian by my love" (that one has been turned into a sword these days! Not that I don't agree with it, but, wow...)  So, Psalm 119:13 has been a challenge to me personally.

The Psalmist says he has declared "with his lips" the things of God! Verbal. Spoken. Words. Testimony. Witness. Lips. Sound. Putting himself out there. Just saying it. And somehow I don't get the impression that the sound was coming from behind a pulpit or a lectern or over a podcast or in front of a congregation.  I get the impression that it was one-on-one, man-to-man, situational, verbalizing conviction and right and the Word--the Logos--the Voice. 

Two things: he had to first know it. Then he had to say it.

So, I'm enumerating my faults to God as I ponder this verse, as I eat this verse. I'm praying that I may metabolize this verse. 

"God, please help me know Your Word. Then, help me say it out loud."

"It is a great comfort to a Christian in time of trouble when in looking back upon his past life he can claim to have done his duty by the word of God. To have been, like Noah, a preacher of righteousness, is a great joy when the floods are rising, and the ungodly world is about to be destroyed. Lips which have been used in proclaiming God's statutes are sure to be acceptable when pleading God's promises.  If we have had such regard to that which cometh out of God's mouth that we have published it far and wide, we may reset quite as assured that God will have respect unto the prayers which come out of our mouths." 
~Charles Spurgeon

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Sunday, February 12, 2012

psalm 119:12

12 - Blessed art thou, O Lord: 
teach me thy statutes.

No sooner is the word in the heart than a desire arises to mark and learn it. When food is eaten, the next thing is to digest it; and when the word is received into the soul, the first prayer is -- Lord, teach me its meaning. ~Spurgeon

Teach me. He [David] had Nathan, he had priests to instruct him, himself was a prophet; but all their teaching was nothing without God's blessing, and therefore he prays, "Teach me." William Nicholson.

Teach me thy statutes. If it be asked why the Psalmist entreats to be taught, when he has just before been declaring his knowledge, the answer is that he seeks instruction as to the practical working of those principles which he has learnt theoretically. Michael Ayguan (1416), in Neale and Littledale.


"If we know the Lord's statutes, we have the most essential education."
~ Charles Spurgeon


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:12

12 - Blessed art thou, O Lord: 
teach me thy statutes.

No sooner is the word in the heart than a desire arises to mark and learn it. When food is eaten, the next thing is to digest it; and when the word is received into the soul, the first prayer is -- Lord, teach me its meaning. ~Spurgeon

Teach me. He [David] had Nathan, he had priests to instruct him, himself was a prophet; but all their teaching was nothing without God's blessing, and therefore he prays, "Teach me." William Nicholson.

Teach me thy statutes. If it be asked why the Psalmist entreats to be taught, when he has just before been declaring his knowledge, the answer is that he seeks instruction as to the practical working of those principles which he has learnt theoretically. Michael Ayguan (1416), in Neale and Littledale.


"If we know the Lord's statutes, we have the most essential education."
~ Charles Spurgeon


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Saturday, February 11, 2012

thy word have I hid...

Memorizing scripture is a controversial topic if there ever was one! I dare you to take it on with any group of any age (Bible Quizzers excepted) and walk away with everybody in one mind and one accord...

As an addendum to the Psalm 119:11 post and the material in Eat This Book that deals with scripture memorization, I am posting the following clip on "Why it is Important to Memorize Scripture" by John Piper.

It is only 3:52. You have time to watch it.

You NEED to watch it. And go back and write down his points. And pray about it. And let it convict you.





© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

thy word have I hid...

Memorizing scripture is a controversial topic if there ever was one! I dare you to take it on with any group of any age (Bible Quizzers excepted) and walk away with everybody in one mind and one accord...

As an addendum to the Psalm 119:11 post and the material in Eat This Book that deals with scripture memorization, I am posting the following clip on "Why it is Important to Memorize Scripture" by John Piper.

It is only 3:52. You have time to watch it.

You NEED to watch it. And go back and write down his points. And pray about it. And let it convict you.





© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:11

11 - Thy word have I 
hid in mine heart, 
that I might not 
sin against thee.

Do you want to have a stimulating discussion with a group of people of any age?  Do you want to throw out a Scripture in the Bible that is sure to be met with resistance of some sort, regardless of the spirit in the room or the attitude of the hearers?

Then throw out this one!

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart..."  And teach a little while on why it is important to "hide His word in our heart" through memorization and just run and hide as the excuses start hitting faster than speeding bullets!  An amazing array of excuses!

"I'm too old. This old brain won't hold anything else."

"I'm too busy. I barely have time to read the Bible." (Ahem. That could be part of the problem. We are supposed to be eating the Word.)

"I'm ADD. I try to start memorizing something and I get distracted and there it goes." (These same people can usually quote line upon line upon line of an amazing array of lyrics...)

"I'm too tired. By the time I think about all I have to think about in a day and am responsible to all my duties and yada, yada, yada, I just can't think anymore."

"That's why I never did work out as a Bible Quizzer."

Translations to those excuses above are: "I don't understand the importance of this, I'm not concerned with whether or not I memorize the Word as long as I have some sort of a Bible on my iPhone, I am too lazy, I don't want to, don't bother me."

Now before you turn me off totally, let me say that just memorizing a lot of scripture is not what I personally believe the Psalmist was referring to.  I think he was referring to imprinting it indelibly on your heart, your soul, your life.  But it has been my own personal experience that when I have been captured by a passage and began to really eat it and metabolize it and it became a part of me, my brain also retained it and it becomes something I not only live and breathe, but also quote.

I think we may have it a little backwards.  Instead of memorizing and hoping we metabolize it, I think we memorize it as we metabolize it.  As we eat it, we become it.  Not just in our heart, but also in our brain.

It's just a thought.

"[David] did not wear a text on his heart as a charm, but he hid it there as a rule." 
~ Charles Spurgeon


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:11

11 - Thy word have I 
hid in mine heart, 
that I might not 
sin against thee.

Do you want to have a stimulating discussion with a group of people of any age?  Do you want to throw out a Scripture in the Bible that is sure to be met with resistance of some sort, regardless of the spirit in the room or the attitude of the hearers?

Then throw out this one!

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart..."  And teach a little while on why it is important to "hide His word in our heart" through memorization and just run and hide as the excuses start hitting faster than speeding bullets!  An amazing array of excuses!

"I'm too old. This old brain won't hold anything else."

"I'm too busy. I barely have time to read the Bible." (Ahem. That could be part of the problem. We are supposed to be eating the Word.)

"I'm ADD. I try to start memorizing something and I get distracted and there it goes." (These same people can usually quote line upon line upon line of an amazing array of lyrics...)

"I'm too tired. By the time I think about all I have to think about in a day and am responsible to all my duties and yada, yada, yada, I just can't think anymore."

"That's why I never did work out as a Bible Quizzer."

Translations to those excuses above are: "I don't understand the importance of this, I'm not concerned with whether or not I memorize the Word as long as I have some sort of a Bible on my iPhone, I am too lazy, I don't want to, don't bother me."

Now before you turn me off totally, let me say that just memorizing a lot of scripture is not what I personally believe the Psalmist was referring to.  I think he was referring to imprinting it indelibly on your heart, your soul, your life.  But it has been my own personal experience that when I have been captured by a passage and began to really eat it and metabolize it and it became a part of me, my brain also retained it and it becomes something I not only live and breathe, but also quote.

I think we may have it a little backwards.  Instead of memorizing and hoping we metabolize it, I think we memorize it as we metabolize it.  As we eat it, we become it.  Not just in our heart, but also in our brain.

It's just a thought.

"[David] did not wear a text on his heart as a charm, but he hid it there as a rule." 
~ Charles Spurgeon


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Friday, February 10, 2012

psalm 119:10

10 - With my whole heart 
have I sought thee: 
O let me not wander 
from thy commandments.

Sought is translated from the Greek word which means "to beat or to thresh." Wander is translated from the Greek word meaning "to err or to stray."

Have I ever sought Him that hard? Have I ever devoured His Word and had an appetite for His Word that was so voracious until I beat and threshed about in my quest for it?  Have I ever been so aware of how easy it is to err or to stray from His commandments that I threshed about with the pages of the Voice with no thought of my own well-being or nourishment?

"The man of God exerts himself, but does not trust himself: his heart is in his walking with God: but he knows that even his whole strength is not enough to keep him right unless his King shall be his keeper, and he who made the commands shall make him constant in obeying them: hence the prayer, "O let me not wander."
~Charles Spurgeon 


If the New Testament is really the Old Testament revealed, then casual Christianity will not work.

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:10

10 - With my whole heart 
have I sought thee: 
O let me not wander 
from thy commandments.

Sought is translated from the Greek word which means "to beat or to thresh." Wander is translated from the Greek word meaning "to err or to stray."

Have I ever sought Him that hard? Have I ever devoured His Word and had an appetite for His Word that was so voracious until I beat and threshed about in my quest for it?  Have I ever been so aware of how easy it is to err or to stray from His commandments that I threshed about with the pages of the Voice with no thought of my own well-being or nourishment?

"The man of God exerts himself, but does not trust himself: his heart is in his walking with God: but he knows that even his whole strength is not enough to keep him right unless his King shall be his keeper, and he who made the commands shall make him constant in obeying them: hence the prayer, "O let me not wander."
~Charles Spurgeon 


If the New Testament is really the Old Testament revealed, then casual Christianity will not work.

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

psalm 119:9

9 - Wherewithal shall a young man
cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto 
according to thy word.

Cleanse in the original Greek comes from a word meaning "pure from sin." Heed comes from a Greek word meaning "guard."

How shall a young man keep himself pure from sin? By guarding himself with the Word!

"I do not say that there are no other guides, no other fences. I do not say that conscience is worth nothing, and conscience in youth is especially sensitive and tender; I do not say that prayer is not a most valuable fence, but prayer without taking heed is only another name for presumption: prayer and carelessness can never walk hand in hand together; and I therefore say that there is no fence nor guard that can so effectually keep out every enemy as prayerful reading of the word of God, bringing every solicitation from the world or from companions, every suggestion from our own hearts and passions, to the test of God's word: -- What says the Bible? The answer of the Bible, with the teaching and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, will in all the intricacies of our road be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path."
~Barton Bouchier

"God's word is the glass which discovereth all spiritual deformity, and also the water and soap which washes and scours it away."
~Paul Bayne


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:9

9 - Wherewithal shall a young man
cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto 
according to thy word.

Cleanse in the original Greek comes from a word meaning "pure from sin." Heed comes from a Greek word meaning "guard."

How shall a young man keep himself pure from sin? By guarding himself with the Word!

"I do not say that there are no other guides, no other fences. I do not say that conscience is worth nothing, and conscience in youth is especially sensitive and tender; I do not say that prayer is not a most valuable fence, but prayer without taking heed is only another name for presumption: prayer and carelessness can never walk hand in hand together; and I therefore say that there is no fence nor guard that can so effectually keep out every enemy as prayerful reading of the word of God, bringing every solicitation from the world or from companions, every suggestion from our own hearts and passions, to the test of God's word: -- What says the Bible? The answer of the Bible, with the teaching and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, will in all the intricacies of our road be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path."
~Barton Bouchier

"God's word is the glass which discovereth all spiritual deformity, and also the water and soap which washes and scours it away."
~Paul Bayne


© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

psalm 119:8

8 - I will
keep thy statutes:
O forsake me not utterly.

Verse 8 is somewhat startling to the 21st century Christian in the Western world. There are two reasons for this: 1) there is a declaration of a child of God to keep the laws of God and not chaff at them, and, 2) an immediate realization of the fact that God is sovereign.

For many years, higher learning and modern philosophy has been pounding the brains of our children and our society that "truth is relative." Whatever works for me might not work for you and whatever works for you might not work for me. So everybody just has to find their sweet spot and march to the beat of their own drummer and everybody will remain happy.

Psalm 119:8 says otherwise. It states that we will not do what we feel is best for our lives, we will submit to laws that were put in place by the Creator of the universe and are set forth in the words He breathed into life for us that are in the Book.  

However, instead of being pleased with that decision, a holy fear is immediately expressed. One that seems to have become lost in our world, our society, and perhaps even our churches. The "fear of God" is not a term you hear much anymore. It's more about "seeker-sensitive" language and "non-threatening" verbiage. It has even been suggested that we remove the term "discipleship" from our curriculums and study since that word implies discipline and, consequently, is a turn-off for many people.

It is quite unfortunate that the "fear of God" has become such an old-fashioned concept. Because even though it may not be part of our "relative truth that works for us," it is still necessary for a child of God. The Psalmist was a man after God's own heart--he was favored by God and anointed by God--and even with all of that, his plea to the Creator was "O! Forsake me not utterly! Don't leave me! Don't let me become independent. Even though I am embracing every part of Your law, I could still be forsaken! Don't do it, God...let me abide in You."

Do I believe we are saved by works? And we have to keep doing, doing, doing in order to be loved by God? Absolutely not!

But we must not forget that God is not American and His Kingdom is not a democracy. 

And a healthy fear and respect for His infinite power might not be such a bad concept to restore in our lives.

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:8

8 - I will
keep thy statutes:
O forsake me not utterly.

Verse 8 is somewhat startling to the 21st century Christian in the Western world. There are two reasons for this: 1) there is a declaration of a child of God to keep the laws of God and not chaff at them, and, 2) an immediate realization of the fact that God is sovereign.

For many years, higher learning and modern philosophy has been pounding the brains of our children and our society that "truth is relative." Whatever works for me might not work for you and whatever works for you might not work for me. So everybody just has to find their sweet spot and march to the beat of their own drummer and everybody will remain happy.

Psalm 119:8 says otherwise. It states that we will not do what we feel is best for our lives, we will submit to laws that were put in place by the Creator of the universe and are set forth in the words He breathed into life for us that are in the Book.  

However, instead of being pleased with that decision, a holy fear is immediately expressed. One that seems to have become lost in our world, our society, and perhaps even our churches. The "fear of God" is not a term you hear much anymore. It's more about "seeker-sensitive" language and "non-threatening" verbiage. It has even been suggested that we remove the term "discipleship" from our curriculums and study since that word implies discipline and, consequently, is a turn-off for many people.

It is quite unfortunate that the "fear of God" has become such an old-fashioned concept. Because even though it may not be part of our "relative truth that works for us," it is still necessary for a child of God. The Psalmist was a man after God's own heart--he was favored by God and anointed by God--and even with all of that, his plea to the Creator was "O! Forsake me not utterly! Don't leave me! Don't let me become independent. Even though I am embracing every part of Your law, I could still be forsaken! Don't do it, God...let me abide in You."

Do I believe we are saved by works? And we have to keep doing, doing, doing in order to be loved by God? Absolutely not!

But we must not forget that God is not American and His Kingdom is not a democracy. 

And a healthy fear and respect for His infinite power might not be such a bad concept to restore in our lives.

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Friday, February 3, 2012

psalm 119:7

7 - I will praise thee
with uprightness of heart, 
when I shall have
learned of thy righteous judgments.


Uprightness comes from a Hebrew word meaning a straight, direct, right path. The right way. The straight way.

I will praise thee with uprightness of heart. That's a curious phrase. To paraphrase, "I will praise You the right way. Without deviating from the path."

So...if David said he would praise God the right way, does that indicate there is a wrong way to praise Him? 

Evidently Cain must have found the answer to that question when he presented his sacrifice to the Lord and it was not accepted because it was done the wrong way.

Our privilege to praise the Lord is a sober responsibility! We must be careful that we don't enter into praise and worship lightly. We must be careful that we are praising Him from the foundation of His laws, His path, His righteous judgments, His commandments...

"There is no way to please God entirely and sincerely until we have learned both to know and do His will." ~Thomas Maintain

We must Eat the Book so that we may praise with uprightness of heart!

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:7

7 - I will praise thee
with uprightness of heart, 
when I shall have
learned of thy righteous judgments.


Uprightness comes from a Hebrew word meaning a straight, direct, right path. The right way. The straight way.

I will praise thee with uprightness of heart. That's a curious phrase. To paraphrase, "I will praise You the right way. Without deviating from the path."

So...if David said he would praise God the right way, does that indicate there is a wrong way to praise Him? 

Evidently Cain must have found the answer to that question when he presented his sacrifice to the Lord and it was not accepted because it was done the wrong way.

Our privilege to praise the Lord is a sober responsibility! We must be careful that we don't enter into praise and worship lightly. We must be careful that we are praising Him from the foundation of His laws, His path, His righteous judgments, His commandments...

"There is no way to please God entirely and sincerely until we have learned both to know and do His will." ~Thomas Maintain

We must Eat the Book so that we may praise with uprightness of heart!

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Thursday, February 2, 2012

psalm 119:6

6 - Then shall I not be ashamed, 
when I have respect 
unto all thy commandments.

Verse 6 is a continuation of verse 5.

Verse 5 instructed us to let the Word direct our prayers so that we may keep the statutes of God.

Verse 6 says that when we do that, we shall not be ashamed.

Sin shames us. It embarrasses us. Every time. Without fail.

When we try to do life on our own terms, we invariably end up with regrets, with "what could have beens," with apologies, makeovers, failures...

We pray prayers and ask amiss. We roll the dice and hope for the best. We gather all the facts before we make our decision and then wonder why the outcome was not what we bargained for.

Until we can pray the prayers directed by His Word, we will continue to be ashamed. Until we allow Him to spring to life inside our prayers and our thoughts and our plans, we will continue to be embarrassed.

I love how Spurgeon addressed this. He said, "There is nothing to be ashamed of in a holy life; a man may be ashamed of his pride, ashamed of his wealth, ashamed of his own children, but he will never be ashamed of having in all things regarded the will of the Lord his God."

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:6

6 - Then shall I not be ashamed, 
when I have respect 
unto all thy commandments.

Verse 6 is a continuation of verse 5.

Verse 5 instructed us to let the Word direct our prayers so that we may keep the statutes of God.

Verse 6 says that when we do that, we shall not be ashamed.

Sin shames us. It embarrasses us. Every time. Without fail.

When we try to do life on our own terms, we invariably end up with regrets, with "what could have beens," with apologies, makeovers, failures...

We pray prayers and ask amiss. We roll the dice and hope for the best. We gather all the facts before we make our decision and then wonder why the outcome was not what we bargained for.

Until we can pray the prayers directed by His Word, we will continue to be ashamed. Until we allow Him to spring to life inside our prayers and our thoughts and our plans, we will continue to be embarrassed.

I love how Spurgeon addressed this. He said, "There is nothing to be ashamed of in a holy life; a man may be ashamed of his pride, ashamed of his wealth, ashamed of his own children, but he will never be ashamed of having in all things regarded the will of the Lord his God."

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock