psalm 119:64

64 - The earth, O Lord,

is full of thy mercy: 

teach me thy statutes.

The more we find Him, the more we need Him.  David found he was everywhere--the whole earth was full of Him!

Still. . ."teach me."

The more we see of His mercy beyond our comprehension, the more we realize we do not know.  His grace calls us to repentance.  This is beyond my realm of understanding...my scope of learning...my capacity for knowledge.

"Teach me."

Titus 6:3-5

3 - If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, 

[even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

4 - He is proud, knowing nothing, 

but doting about questions and strifes of words, 

whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

5 - Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, 

and destitute of the truth, 

supposing that gain is godliness: 

from such withdraw thyself.

If verse 63 tells us that our companions matter, how much more should verse 64 arrest us?

Who is teaching you?  And what are they teaching you?

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:64

64 - The earth, O Lord,

is full of thy mercy: 

teach me thy statutes.

The more we find Him, the more we need Him.  David found he was everywhere--the whole earth was full of Him!

Still. . ."teach me."

The more we see of His mercy beyond our comprehension, the more we realize we do not know.  His grace calls us to repentance.  This is beyond my realm of understanding...my scope of learning...my capacity for knowledge.

"Teach me."

Titus 6:3-5

3 - If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, 

[even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

4 - He is proud, knowing nothing, 

but doting about questions and strifes of words, 

whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

5 - Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, 

and destitute of the truth, 

supposing that gain is godliness: 

from such withdraw thyself.

If verse 63 tells us that our companions matter, how much more should verse 64 arrest us?

Who is teaching you?  And what are they teaching you?

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:63

63 - I am a companion

of all them that fear thee,

and of them

that keep thy precepts.

We are known by the company we keep.  Human nature naturally seeks out those who share their same values.

"Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; 

for it is better to be alone than in bad company."

~ George Washington

The entire book of Proverbs lists as one of its reasons for being written as "to [give] to the young man knowledge and discretion." And, in this case, the young woman, also.  Along with the middle-aged and the elderly...

The Word of God has quite enough to say about this particular subject and needs no amplification.  However, this little story, although not Biblical, illustrates this point very well.

A man wished to purchase a Donkey, and decided to give the animal a test before buying him.  He took the Donkey home and put him in the field with his other Donkeys.

The new Donkey strayed from the others to join the one that was the laziest and the biggest eater of them all.  Seeing this, the man led him back to his owner.  When the owner asked how he could have tested the Donkey in such a short time, the man answered, "I didn't even need to see how he worked.  I knew he would be just like the one he chose to be his companion."

Jesus was a friend to sinners, but his companions were God-followers.  WE would do well to understand the difference and follow His example.

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:63

63 - I am a companion

of all them that fear thee,

and of them

that keep thy precepts.

We are known by the company we keep.  Human nature naturally seeks out those who share their same values.

"Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; 

for it is better to be alone than in bad company."

~ George Washington

The entire book of Proverbs lists as one of its reasons for being written as "to [give] to the young man knowledge and discretion." And, in this case, the young woman, also.  Along with the middle-aged and the elderly...

The Word of God has quite enough to say about this particular subject and needs no amplification.  However, this little story, although not Biblical, illustrates this point very well.

A man wished to purchase a Donkey, and decided to give the animal a test before buying him.  He took the Donkey home and put him in the field with his other Donkeys.

The new Donkey strayed from the others to join the one that was the laziest and the biggest eater of them all.  Seeing this, the man led him back to his owner.  When the owner asked how he could have tested the Donkey in such a short time, the man answered, "I didn't even need to see how he worked.  I knew he would be just like the one he chose to be his companion."

Jesus was a friend to sinners, but his companions were God-followers.  WE would do well to understand the difference and follow His example.

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:62

62 - At midnight I will rise

to give thanks unto thee because of

thy righteous judgments.

What an arresting verse!  At midnight, he rose to give thanks.

I stay up late for pleasure, travel, work, to care for family.  How often have I deliberately arose at midnight to have a praise session?  The thought of it is pretty incredulous.

What if your pastor announced on Sunday morning, "I am asking all of you to be here at midnight tonight for a time of praise and thanksgiving!"?

What if you informed your household, "Tonight we are going to set our alarms for midnight and we are going to all get up and sing and praise the Lord!"?

What if you set your own alarm and privately declared to God, "I have an appointment with you at midnight, Lord.  I'm just going to take some time to thank you for your goodness and your grace."?

Really?  Every one of us would probably say, "I love Him.  I worship Him.  I thank Him for all He has done.  But I can do that in my waking hours...I don't have to take time from my rest to do that.  After all, He is the one who created night for sleep, day for work, Sabbath for rest..."  Oh we have our logic down pat.

Song of Solomon, chapter 5

2 - I sleep, but my heart waketh: 

it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, 

Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled:...

3 - I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on?  

I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?...

6 - I opened to my beloved; 

but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: 

my soul failed when he spake: 

I sought him, but I could not find him; 

I called him, but he gave me no answer.

My prayer:

"God consume all of me.  

Don't let me put You in a slot or a category, 

a season or a pattern.  

Disrupt my schedule with your Word.  

Don't let times or seasons or preconceived notions 

of what You delight in or require 

prevent me from 

missing your knock at my door."

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:62

62 - At midnight I will rise

to give thanks unto thee because of

thy righteous judgments.

What an arresting verse!  At midnight, he rose to give thanks.

I stay up late for pleasure, travel, work, to care for family.  How often have I deliberately arose at midnight to have a praise session?  The thought of it is pretty incredulous.

What if your pastor announced on Sunday morning, "I am asking all of you to be here at midnight tonight for a time of praise and thanksgiving!"?

What if you informed your household, "Tonight we are going to set our alarms for midnight and we are going to all get up and sing and praise the Lord!"?

What if you set your own alarm and privately declared to God, "I have an appointment with you at midnight, Lord.  I'm just going to take some time to thank you for your goodness and your grace."?

Really?  Every one of us would probably say, "I love Him.  I worship Him.  I thank Him for all He has done.  But I can do that in my waking hours...I don't have to take time from my rest to do that.  After all, He is the one who created night for sleep, day for work, Sabbath for rest..."  Oh we have our logic down pat.

Song of Solomon, chapter 5

2 - I sleep, but my heart waketh: 

it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, 

Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled:...

3 - I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on?  

I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?...

6 - I opened to my beloved; 

but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: 

my soul failed when he spake: 

I sought him, but I could not find him; 

I called him, but he gave me no answer.

My prayer:

"God consume all of me.  

Don't let me put You in a slot or a category, 

a season or a pattern.  

Disrupt my schedule with your Word.  

Don't let times or seasons or preconceived notions 

of what You delight in or require 

prevent me from 

missing your knock at my door."

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock

psalm 119:61

61 - The bands of the wicked

have robbed me: 

but I have not

forgotten thy law.

"Robbed" in the original carries a connotation of a repeated action, one done over and over again.  "Forgotten" includes a leaving action because of forgetting something.

Fortifying our spiritual defenses to stand against temptation or to stand strong in the face of opposition, deception, disdain, and emotional or physical persecution is difficult but can be done.  We enter into a season of "wicked robbing" of our emotional, physical, and spiritual resources and we spiritually circle our wagons and emphatically declare that "we shall not be moved."

It's not the force, nor the hill to be taken, nor the cause that sometimes causes us to weaken...many times it is just simply the length of the siege.

Repeatedly...over and over again...unjustly accused...convictions disdained...scorned...ignored...whispers behind walls...stone faces...false rumors...character maligned...

"Robbed." Repeated action.  Over and over again.

James 1:2-"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations!" 

His Word is enough!  Do not walk away from it.  Do not forget it.  Do not let discouragement steal it from your table.  Run toward it.  Dive into it.  Personalize every word, every line.  It was written to you, for you, for this hour.

Psalm 142:5-"Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living..."

It is enough. 

© 2012 by Melani Brady Shock