ENJOYING GOD, HIS BLESSINGS, AND HIS PLANS FOR LIVING THE GOOD LIFE

BIBLE PASSAGE:
May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
(Psalm 119:76)

MEDITATION:
There are two important concerns for every person:
    (1) our relationship with others
    (2) our relationship with God
All will readily admit their interest in having an amicable relationship
with others, but unfortunately some choose to overlook their relationship
with their Creator.

It may be beneficial for us to read a few verses of scripture in Psalms
and look at the psalmist’s approach to both of these relationships.

First of all, look at what was important to him regarding his relationship
with the Lord. He wanted to be comforted by God’s love; he had a desire
for God’s compassion, and he enjoyed knowing that God had established
boundaries for him to live by.
    “Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
      for your law is my delight.”
      (Psalm 119:77)

He found pleasure in knowing the benefits of obedience to God’s laws;
he didn’t reject them but had a desire to follow them with everything
within himself.
    “…your law is my delight.”
    (Psalm 119:77)

    “…wholeheartedly follow your decrees…”
    (Psalm 119:80)

He enjoyed meditating on the things of God.
    “…I will meditate on your precepts.”
    (Psalm 119:78)
Why would he feel that way? Because he would develop a better
understanding of who God is, what His expectations are, and what
His plans were for his own life.

Why was he motivated to obey God? Because he knew that His
decrees were good, and they were for his benefit. His obedience
to God would make life more enjoyable for him, and for those
around him.

When he obeyed God, he knew that he could enjoy the good things
He created, in the manner they were meant to be enjoyed. Rather
than corrupting God’s blessings, he recognized that his life would
be more exhilarating if he stayed within the boundaries created by
God.

But what about his problems with other people? His relationship
with others was dependent on his relationship with the Lord.
Although he didn’t mention the people he enjoyed, we can assume
that he cherished their friendships.

However, rather than trying to ‘fix’ or retaliate against those who
caused problems and disrupted his life, he turned to God for help.
He asked Him to make others feel ashamed for their actions, but
at the same time, he asked God to help him obey His decrees, so he
would not feel ashamed of his own actions.
    May the arrogant be put to shame
    for wronging me without cause…
    (Psalm 119:78)

    May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,
    that I may not be put to shame.
    (Psalm 119:80)

ACTION:
The psalmist learned about the importance of His relationship with
God through his personal experiences. We have the benefit of being
able to also learn from his experiences. The psalmist (David), made
some monumental mistakes in his life, but he was described as
“a man after God’s own heart”.
    After removing Saul, he made David their king.
    God testified concerning him: ‘I have found
    David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
    he will do everything I want him to do.’
    (Acts 13:22)

We make mistakes as well, but the questions we have to ask ourselves are:
    “How do my mistakes affect me as I go forward with my life?”
    “Will I allow them to keep me separated from God
      and cause additional failures for me, or will I learn from them
      and return to God so I can enjoy His blessings to the fullest?”
           If only you had paid attention to my commands,
           your peace would have been like a river, your
           well-being like the waves of the sea.
           (Isaiah 48:18)

God forgave the psalmist for his horrible mistakes and restored His
relationship with him because of the psalmist’s remorse and his
desire to re-establish his relationship with God. David didn’t try to
make excuses for his actions, but readily admitted them and sought
God’s forgiveness.

No matter how much you feel you have disappointed God, you can
be forgiven and have your relationship restored with Him as well.
And when you do, you will be able to enjoy the blessings He has for
you, in the manner that they should be enjoyed.

In addition, you will be able to call on God when there are issues in
your relationships with others. Rather than fretting about them and
trying to fix things yourself, you can trust God and spend your
‘worrying time’ focusing on God’s blessings, and meditating 
on His laws and His plans for our life.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for your guidelines for enjoying life.
Forgive me for the times I have exceeded Your boundaries which
created problems for me and caused me to have shame in Your
presence. Teach me the joy of obeying Your decrees so I can enjoy
life as it should be, and as You meant it to be. Remind me to trust
You when others cause issues in my life, and make me aware when
the problems are a result of my own words and actions. I look forward
to a new and exciting life as I stay within Your boundaries and follow
the path You have planned for me. Thank You for all the ways You
have blessed me!”

BLOG: utvolwoody.wordpress.com