August 25, 2006 - Psalm 119:1-88 and I Corinthians 7:20-40
Psalm 119 is all about the Word of God. There are several underlying themes in this psalm, but one thing struck me very hard this morning. As you read notice the attitude of the psalmist. No one is having to lead him or coerce him to study God's Word and to hide it in his heart. He is gladly seeking God's Word. He is desiring to meditate on it. It is his pleasure to comply with the commands of God. Is that your heart today? I am convinced that if we have the proper kind of love relationship with the Lord that we will desire to know Him and His Word like the psalmist does in this psalm.
Then, in I Corinthians 7 we continue with this passage on marriage and celibacy. I believe you can see Paul's love for the Lord coming through. He is more concerned about doing God's will than anything else. He believes the time is very short before Jesus will come again, so he exhorts all believers not to focus on this world or on marriage, but to focus on the Lord, and to remain single if that is God's will for them. In other words, don't be pressured by the world to focus on marriage or anything else, except the Lord. There is so much to be done, and so many people who need to hear the Good News. Where is your heart? Do you love Jesus with all of your heart, your soul, and your mind? That is the first commandment. Do you love your neighbor as yourself? If our love is misplaced, we will miss God's will. Let's try to make sure we love the Lord more than anyone or anything else in this world. Let's make sure we have the proper urgency for taking the Gospel to our neighbors out of love, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 119: 89-176 and I Corinthians 8.
Then, in I Corinthians 7 we continue with this passage on marriage and celibacy. I believe you can see Paul's love for the Lord coming through. He is more concerned about doing God's will than anything else. He believes the time is very short before Jesus will come again, so he exhorts all believers not to focus on this world or on marriage, but to focus on the Lord, and to remain single if that is God's will for them. In other words, don't be pressured by the world to focus on marriage or anything else, except the Lord. There is so much to be done, and so many people who need to hear the Good News. Where is your heart? Do you love Jesus with all of your heart, your soul, and your mind? That is the first commandment. Do you love your neighbor as yourself? If our love is misplaced, we will miss God's will. Let's try to make sure we love the Lord more than anyone or anything else in this world. Let's make sure we have the proper urgency for taking the Gospel to our neighbors out of love, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 119: 89-176 and I Corinthians 8.