psalm 119:41

41 - Let thy mercies come also unto me,

O Lord, even thy salvation,

according to thy word.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

"Note that in Psalm 119:33 the Psalmist prayed to be taught to keep God's word, and here he begs the Lord to keep his word.  In the first case, he longed to come to the God of mercies, and here he would have the Lord's mercies come to him: there he sought grace to persevere in faith, and here he seeks the end of his faith, even the salvation of the soul."

~Charles Spurgeon

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12)

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Life is a progression.  We never "arrive" down here. The Christian walk is a journey--it is not a destination.  Our humanity is frail and imperfect.  We stumble, we make mistakes, we are constantly battling our flesh, temptation, human weakness and the pervading atmosphere of sin.  All would appear hopeless if not for the mercies of God...the salvation available to us...the miracle of the Cross...

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided--

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

"The mercies of God and His Word--to the man of faith,

the two strongest pillars of his hope."

~Wolfgang Musculus

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:41

41 - Let thy mercies come also unto me,

O Lord, even thy salvation,

according to thy word.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

"Note that in Psalm 119:33 the Psalmist prayed to be taught to keep God's word, and here he begs the Lord to keep his word.  In the first case, he longed to come to the God of mercies, and here he would have the Lord's mercies come to him: there he sought grace to persevere in faith, and here he seeks the end of his faith, even the salvation of the soul."

~Charles Spurgeon

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12)

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Life is a progression.  We never "arrive" down here. The Christian walk is a journey--it is not a destination.  Our humanity is frail and imperfect.  We stumble, we make mistakes, we are constantly battling our flesh, temptation, human weakness and the pervading atmosphere of sin.  All would appear hopeless if not for the mercies of God...the salvation available to us...the miracle of the Cross...

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided--

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

"The mercies of God and His Word--to the man of faith,

the two strongest pillars of his hope."

~Wolfgang Musculus

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:40

40 - Behold, I have longed after thy precepts:

quicken me in they righteousness.

Again we are confronted full force with our motives.

"I have longed after thy precepts..."

Precepts.  Commandments, laws, statutes.  Those absolutes which God Himself has entrusted to us.  David said he longed after them.

Do I long after His laws?  Do I seek His laws?

I seek His face.  I seek His heart.  I long to claim His promises.  I seek abundant life.  I long after His goodness and kindness, His mercy and truth.

But do I long after His precepts?

A soul-searching passage.

"The precepts are grievous to the ungodly, and therefore when we are so changed

as to long for them we have clear evidence of conversion,

and we may safely conclude that he who has begun

the good work will carry it on."

~Charles Spurgeon

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:40

40 - Behold, I have longed after thy precepts:

quicken me in they righteousness.

Again we are confronted full force with our motives.

"I have longed after thy precepts..."

Precepts.  Commandments, laws, statutes.  Those absolutes which God Himself has entrusted to us.  David said he longed after them.

Do I long after His laws?  Do I seek His laws?

I seek His face.  I seek His heart.  I long to claim His promises.  I seek abundant life.  I long after His goodness and kindness, His mercy and truth.

But do I long after His precepts?

A soul-searching passage.

"The precepts are grievous to the ungodly, and therefore when we are so changed

as to long for them we have clear evidence of conversion,

and we may safely conclude that he who has begun

the good work will carry it on."

~Charles Spurgeon

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:39

39 - Turn away my reproach

which I fear: 

for thy judgments are good.

"Many would sooner bear burning at the stake than the trial of cruel mockings."

~Charles Spurgeon

Is there one among us who has fully committed all to Jesus Christ and not received mocking or slander or criticism or persecution on some level?  I think not.

Whether it be from family or from friends, from co-workers or from an organization or national government, it is the business of Satan to bring reproach to any child of God.  And although we know that in our head, it is much harder to bear it in our heart and in our body.  

David knew that.  He begged God to remove it.  

Jesus knew that.  He begged God to remove it.  "Father, let this cup pass from me..."

You know that.  And this passage is granting you permission to ask that it be removed.

Our humanity would love to pray that prayer with a selfish motive--one that would desire revenge, or retribution, or a public display of justice to the enemy.  And here is what is so hard for us to understand: it's not about us!  

We are not the ones being maligned, mocked, and scorned--it is Him.  

Because of this, we must not pray this prayer from our own lips and our own heart.  We must pray this prayer from His word, from His heart.  

Psalm 119:39 gives us permission and the words to pray.  

It also establishes our motive.

"We mourn when we are slandered;

because the shame is cast rather upon our religion than ourselves.

If men would be content to attribute evil to us, we might bear it.  

Our sorrow is they cast a slur upon the word and character of God."

~Charles Spurgeon

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:39

39 - Turn away my reproach

which I fear: 

for thy judgments are good.

"Many would sooner bear burning at the stake than the trial of cruel mockings."

~Charles Spurgeon

Is there one among us who has fully committed all to Jesus Christ and not received mocking or slander or criticism or persecution on some level?  I think not.

Whether it be from family or from friends, from co-workers or from an organization or national government, it is the business of Satan to bring reproach to any child of God.  And although we know that in our head, it is much harder to bear it in our heart and in our body.  

David knew that.  He begged God to remove it.  

Jesus knew that.  He begged God to remove it.  "Father, let this cup pass from me..."

You know that.  And this passage is granting you permission to ask that it be removed.

Our humanity would love to pray that prayer with a selfish motive--one that would desire revenge, or retribution, or a public display of justice to the enemy.  And here is what is so hard for us to understand: it's not about us!  

We are not the ones being maligned, mocked, and scorned--it is Him.  

Because of this, we must not pray this prayer from our own lips and our own heart.  We must pray this prayer from His word, from His heart.  

Psalm 119:39 gives us permission and the words to pray.  

It also establishes our motive.

"We mourn when we are slandered;

because the shame is cast rather upon our religion than ourselves.

If men would be content to attribute evil to us, we might bear it.  

Our sorrow is they cast a slur upon the word and character of God."

~Charles Spurgeon

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:38

38 - Stablish thy word

unto they servant, 

who is devoted

to thy fear.

"Fear of the Lord."

An old-fashioned phrase which has gone out of vogue, but not out of the Logos.  Living it out requires deep roots.

"We will soon learn that
we cannot truly love God until we fear Him,
nor can we properly fear Him until we love Him."
John Bevere
"The Fear of the Lord" (1997)

     "There are people who are quick to acknowledge Jesus as Savior, Healer, and Deliverer.  With their mouths they acknowledge His lordship.  Yet they reduce His glory to the level of corruptible man by their actions and heart attitudes.

    They say, "God is my Friend; He understands my heart."  It is true that God does understand our hearts even more thoroughly than we can understand ourselves.  But usually this comment is given in justification of actions that contradict His covenant.  The fact is, they are in disobedience to God's Word.  In the Scriptures, the only people I see God calling His friends are those who tremble at His Word and presence and are quick to obey, no matter the cost.

     Therefore, He does not receive the honor and reverence He deserves, or else they would instantly obey Him.  With their lips they honor Him, but their fear toward Him is taught by the commandments of men.  They have filtered God's Word and commands through their own culturally influenced thinking.  Their image of His glory is formed by their limited perceptions rather than by His true image as revealed through His living Word...

     ...Often the messages we have preached over the past twenty years via pulpits and airwaves have given God the appearance of the "Sugar Daddy in the sky" whose desire is to give us whatever we want, whenever we want it.  This spawns short-lived obedience for selfish reasons.  Parents who raise their children in this manner end up with spoiled children.  Spoiled children lack a true respect for authority, especially when they do not get what they want when they want it.  Their lack of reverence for authority sets them up to be easily offended with God...

     ...The more extensive our comprehension of God's greatness . . . the greater our capacity for fear or reverence of Him."

"The Fear of the Lord"

by John Bevere

(1997)

"He has no fear as to the truth of the word 

who is filled with fear of the Author of the Word."

~Charles Spurgeon

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:38

38 - Stablish thy word

unto they servant, 

who is devoted

to thy fear.

"Fear of the Lord."

An old-fashioned phrase which has gone out of vogue, but not out of the Logos.  Living it out requires deep roots.

"We will soon learn that
we cannot truly love God until we fear Him,
nor can we properly fear Him until we love Him."
John Bevere
"The Fear of the Lord" (1997)

     "There are people who are quick to acknowledge Jesus as Savior, Healer, and Deliverer.  With their mouths they acknowledge His lordship.  Yet they reduce His glory to the level of corruptible man by their actions and heart attitudes.

    They say, "God is my Friend; He understands my heart."  It is true that God does understand our hearts even more thoroughly than we can understand ourselves.  But usually this comment is given in justification of actions that contradict His covenant.  The fact is, they are in disobedience to God's Word.  In the Scriptures, the only people I see God calling His friends are those who tremble at His Word and presence and are quick to obey, no matter the cost.

     Therefore, He does not receive the honor and reverence He deserves, or else they would instantly obey Him.  With their lips they honor Him, but their fear toward Him is taught by the commandments of men.  They have filtered God's Word and commands through their own culturally influenced thinking.  Their image of His glory is formed by their limited perceptions rather than by His true image as revealed through His living Word...

     ...Often the messages we have preached over the past twenty years via pulpits and airwaves have given God the appearance of the "Sugar Daddy in the sky" whose desire is to give us whatever we want, whenever we want it.  This spawns short-lived obedience for selfish reasons.  Parents who raise their children in this manner end up with spoiled children.  Spoiled children lack a true respect for authority, especially when they do not get what they want when they want it.  Their lack of reverence for authority sets them up to be easily offended with God...

     ...The more extensive our comprehension of God's greatness . . . the greater our capacity for fear or reverence of Him."

"The Fear of the Lord"

by John Bevere

(1997)

"He has no fear as to the truth of the word 

who is filled with fear of the Author of the Word."

~Charles Spurgeon

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:37

37 - Turn away mine eyes

from beholding vanity;

and quicken thou me

in the way.

Vanity -- from shav' meaning "emptiness".  Quicken -- from chayah meaning "to make alive, to revive."

Allow me to paraphrase verse 37 through the filter of the Hebrew meanings:

"Give me strength to not look upon empty, worthless things, and I shall be revived--have life in my soul!"

Ah!  Let the Book be the filter!  All other filters for life bring death.  The Book brings life!

At the risk of boring by endless repetition, I will repeat what I have said so many times before and will continue saying to any that will hear it: let the Word be the first thing that enters your mind when you awake in the morning.  Before texting.  Before tweeting.  Before email.  Before Facebook.  Before phone calls.  Before conversation.  Do whatever it takes to awaken long enough to have time with Him and His Word before you must interact with others or with technology.

Whatever you do first will be the filter through which every moment of your day will pass.

Revival!

"A careless eye is an index to a graceless heart."

~William Seeker, 1660

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:37

37 - Turn away mine eyes

from beholding vanity;

and quicken thou me

in the way.

Vanity -- from shav' meaning "emptiness".  Quicken -- from chayah meaning "to make alive, to revive."

Allow me to paraphrase verse 37 through the filter of the Hebrew meanings:

"Give me strength to not look upon empty, worthless things, and I shall be revived--have life in my soul!"

Ah!  Let the Book be the filter!  All other filters for life bring death.  The Book brings life!

At the risk of boring by endless repetition, I will repeat what I have said so many times before and will continue saying to any that will hear it: let the Word be the first thing that enters your mind when you awake in the morning.  Before texting.  Before tweeting.  Before email.  Before Facebook.  Before phone calls.  Before conversation.  Do whatever it takes to awaken long enough to have time with Him and His Word before you must interact with others or with technology.

Whatever you do first will be the filter through which every moment of your day will pass.

Revival!

"A careless eye is an index to a graceless heart."

~William Seeker, 1660

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:36

36 - Incline my heart

unto thine testimonies, 

and not to covetousness.

Incline -- from natah, meaning "cause me to long for.  Covetousness -- from besa, meaning unjust or unlawful gain.

The pairing of opposites created by David in verse 36 is striking:  love of the Word vs. covetousness.

How startling to realize that my heart is either longing for His Word or is covetous!

Verse 36 is similar to verse 35 in that it also goes past Know and Do and forces us to Love.

Could it be that all we seek in the supernatural realm would become available to us if we lived past Know and Do and prioritized "incline my heart?"  We are so full of what we want to see and feel and know and are confused by His silence.  He longs for relationship...and that starts in His Word.

"...they sit before thee as my people, 

and they will hear thy words, but they will not do them:

for with their mouth they show much love,

but their heart goeth after their covetousness."

Ezekiel 33:31

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:36

36 - Incline my heart

unto thine testimonies, 

and not to covetousness.

Incline -- from natah, meaning "cause me to long for.  Covetousness -- from besa, meaning unjust or unlawful gain.

The pairing of opposites created by David in verse 36 is striking:  love of the Word vs. covetousness.

How startling to realize that my heart is either longing for His Word or is covetous!

Verse 36 is similar to verse 35 in that it also goes past Know and Do and forces us to Love.

Could it be that all we seek in the supernatural realm would become available to us if we lived past Know and Do and prioritized "incline my heart?"  We are so full of what we want to see and feel and know and are confused by His silence.  He longs for relationship...and that starts in His Word.

"...they sit before thee as my people, 

and they will hear thy words, but they will not do them:

for with their mouth they show much love,

but their heart goeth after their covetousness."

Ezekiel 33:31

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:35

35 - Make me to go

in the path of thy commandments;

for therein do I delight.

Verse 33 places teaching the statutes before keeping the statutes.

Verse 34 places understanding the law before keeping (observing) the law.

Verse 35 places "going" in the commandments before delighting in the commandments.

Hearing.  Then understanding.  Then keeping.  Then delighting.

There is no doubt that head knowledge usually precedes heart knowledge.  A general Biblical principle is that we know, then we do, then we understand.

Obedience precedes revelation.

But OH! The danger of knowing and doing without embracing.  It is understanding of the heart that is the wellspring of life (Prov 16:22).

Those who Know and Do can be swayed when hurt and anger and bitterness come against them.  But those who Know and Do and LOVE His Law will stand strong and firm!

Let the prayer of all of us this day be that we seek after a love of the Law...His way...truth.  Not just knowledge of it, but fierce love for it!  May God grant us knowledge and understanding.  But enlarge our hearts!  Give us unshakeable, unquenchable, insatiable love for Your commandments!

"Great peace have they which love thy law

and nothing shall offend them!"

Psalm 119:165

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:35

35 - Make me to go

in the path of thy commandments;

for therein do I delight.

Verse 33 places teaching the statutes before keeping the statutes.

Verse 34 places understanding the law before keeping (observing) the law.

Verse 35 places "going" in the commandments before delighting in the commandments.

Hearing.  Then understanding.  Then keeping.  Then delighting.

There is no doubt that head knowledge usually precedes heart knowledge.  A general Biblical principle is that we know, then we do, then we understand.

Obedience precedes revelation.

But OH! The danger of knowing and doing without embracing.  It is understanding of the heart that is the wellspring of life (Prov 16:22).

Those who Know and Do can be swayed when hurt and anger and bitterness come against them.  But those who Know and Do and LOVE His Law will stand strong and firm!

Let the prayer of all of us this day be that we seek after a love of the Law...His way...truth.  Not just knowledge of it, but fierce love for it!  May God grant us knowledge and understanding.  But enlarge our hearts!  Give us unshakeable, unquenchable, insatiable love for Your commandments!

"Great peace have they which love thy law

and nothing shall offend them!"

Psalm 119:165

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:34

34 - Give me understanding,

and I shall keep thy law;

yea, I shall observe it

with my whole heart.

The original Hebrew word from which "understanding" was translated is "biyn" - meaning "discernment."  "Observe" comes from "shamar" which also carries the meaning of "to guard."

It is not enough to just know.  I know many things, but that does not mean that I embrace them, live them, become them.  So, knowing the Word is only the first step in becoming the Word.  After knowledge, understanding must come.

1 Corinthians 2:13-14 states, "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.  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."

Knowledge may come from study, but understanding can only come from the Spirit.  

And the Spirit can only teach those who are open to His voice--His mind--His precepts.  It can only come when we walk with Him on a daily basis and can recognize His voice among all the others that crowd into our heads.

Luke 24:45 describes a startling scene where the disciples who had spent 3 1/2 years with Jesus were trying to come to grips with the fact he had risen from the dead, walked through a wall into the room where they were, and was eating the fish and honey they had prepared for their supper.  

Their eyes were proving the events to their brain, but their brain was not able to translate the events to their heart. 

"Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures."

When God opens our understanding, it becomes a heart matter.  We METABOLIZE the Word.  It becomes us.  Surface reading and debate can't do that.  The check-off box on the Bible reading chart can't do that.  The duty-filled skimming of the devotional Bible can't do that.  

Only slow, deliberative, interactive conversation between the Logos, the Soul, and the Spirit can do that.

"The heart is never one with God til it is at one within itself,

and it is never one with itself til it is at one with God."

Charles Spurgeon

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:34

34 - Give me understanding,

and I shall keep thy law;

yea, I shall observe it

with my whole heart.

The original Hebrew word from which "understanding" was translated is "biyn" - meaning "discernment."  "Observe" comes from "shamar" which also carries the meaning of "to guard."

It is not enough to just know.  I know many things, but that does not mean that I embrace them, live them, become them.  So, knowing the Word is only the first step in becoming the Word.  After knowledge, understanding must come.

1 Corinthians 2:13-14 states, "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.  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."

Knowledge may come from study, but understanding can only come from the Spirit.  

And the Spirit can only teach those who are open to His voice--His mind--His precepts.  It can only come when we walk with Him on a daily basis and can recognize His voice among all the others that crowd into our heads.

Luke 24:45 describes a startling scene where the disciples who had spent 3 1/2 years with Jesus were trying to come to grips with the fact he had risen from the dead, walked through a wall into the room where they were, and was eating the fish and honey they had prepared for their supper.  

Their eyes were proving the events to their brain, but their brain was not able to translate the events to their heart. 

"Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures."

When God opens our understanding, it becomes a heart matter.  We METABOLIZE the Word.  It becomes us.  Surface reading and debate can't do that.  The check-off box on the Bible reading chart can't do that.  The duty-filled skimming of the devotional Bible can't do that.  

Only slow, deliberative, interactive conversation between the Logos, the Soul, and the Spirit can do that.

"The heart is never one with God til it is at one within itself,

and it is never one with itself til it is at one with God."

Charles Spurgeon

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Life returning...

The blog was one of the "life luxuries" to suffer during the preparation of and participation in the Philippines 2012 Mission of the past few weeks.

Arriving in Honolulu last night for a few hours allowed for a remarkable (though short!) rest and a return to effective communication, including blogging.

Although EatThisBook has been continually via the world of Twitter, the blog has had to be sacrificed.  Hopefully, that downtime is over and regular posts will resume.

For commentary and images from the Philippines Mission, you may go to questmiles.blogspot.com.

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

Life returning...

The blog was one of the "life luxuries" to suffer during the preparation of and participation in the Philippines 2012 Mission of the past few weeks.

Arriving in Honolulu last night for a few hours allowed for a remarkable (though short!) rest and a return to effective communication, including blogging.

Although EatThisBook has been continually via the world of Twitter, the blog has had to be sacrificed.  Hopefully, that downtime is over and regular posts will resume.

For commentary and images from the Philippines Mission, you may go to questmiles.blogspot.com.

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock