GOD’S PLANS (part-16)

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 things that should be important for every person:
    (1) our relationship with others
    (2) our relationship with God
Most people will readily admit their interest in having an amicable
relationship with others, but sadly there are some who fail to consider
and nourish 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 these two 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 have these desires? Because he wanted 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 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 his friendships with others.

However, rather than trying to ‘fix’ his problems 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 wouldn’t 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 also
being able to 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 we feel we have disappointed God, we can
be forgiven and have our relationship restored with Him as well.
And when we do, we will be able to enjoy the blessings He has for
us, in the manner that they should be enjoyed.

In addition, we will be able to call on God when there are issues in
our relationships with others, rather than fretting about them and
trying to fix things ourselves. Instead of spending time worrying,
we can trust God, focus on His blessings, and meditate 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 in the way You meant for 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 You help me stay within
Your boundaries and follow the path You have planned for me.
Thank You for how You have blessed me even though I failed to
obey You at all times. Forgive me for my failures and reestablish
my fellowship with You.”

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