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 and,
(2) our relationship with God.
Most will readily admit their interest in having an amiable
relationship with others, but unfortunately some choose to
ignore their relationship with their Creator.
It may be beneficial for us to read a few verses
of scripture in Psalms and observe the psalmist’s
approach for both of these relationships.
Look at the things that were important to him.
He wanted to be comforted by God’s love.
He had a desire for God’s compassion, and he delighted in
knowing that God 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)
If God failed to provide guidelines for living the ‘good life’
we would be like a ship drifting with no anchor and no direction.
That doesn’t sound like a life of stability, does it?
Because God truly loves us, He wants what is best for us,
The psalmist found pleasure in knowing
the benefits of obedience to God’s laws;
he didn’t reject them, but instead
he had a desire to follow them with all of his being.
“…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 the time he spent would help him to 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.
The psalmist understood that 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 created by Him, in the manner they
were meant to be enjoyed.
Rather than corrupting God’s blessings, he recognized
that his life would be more exhilarating as long as 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 God to make others feel ashamed for their actions,
and at the same time, he asked God to help him obey His
decrees, so that 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.
Through the reading and meditating of God’s Word,
we have the benefit of also learning 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 my mistakes to keep me separated from God
and cause additional failures for me?”
“Will I learn from my mistakes 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 as a result 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, and trying to fix things yourself,
you can trust God and spend your “worrying time” focusing
on God’s blessings, and thinking about His guidelines and
His plans for our life.
God has plans for your life, and they are good plans
because your Creator knows you better than you know
yourself, so He knows what is good for you, and for your
relationship with others.
Sometimes that means others need to change,
and sometimes it means ‘you’ need to change.
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 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.”
20 Day Challenge – Day 1:
https://utvolwoody.wordpress.com/2021/06/07/20-days-in-2-hours-challenge-blessings-day-1/
20 Day Challenge – Day 2:
https://utvolwoody.wordpress.com/2021/06/08/20-days-in-2-hours-challenge-blessings-day-2/
20 Day Challenge – Day 3:
https://utvolwoody.wordpress.com/2021/06/09/20-days-in-2-hours-challenge-blessings-day-3/
20 Day Challenge – Day 4:
https://utvolwoody.wordpress.com/2021/06/10/20-days-in-2-hours-challenge-blessings-day-4/
20 Day Challenge – Day 5:
https://utvolwoody.wordpress.com/2021/06/11/20-days-in-2-hours-challenge-blessings-day-5/
20 Day Challenge – Day 6:
https://utvolwoody.wordpress.com/2021/06/12/20-days-in-2-hours-challenge-blessings-day-6/
20 Day Challenge – Day 7
https://utvolwoody.wordpress.com/2021/06/13/20-days-in-2-hours-challenge-blessings-day-7/
20 Day Challenge – Day 8
https://utvolwoody.wordpress.com/2021/06/14/20-days-in-2-hours-challenge-blessings-day-8/
BREAD FOR BELIEVERS 
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