"I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, even to the end." Psalm 119:112
Examine:
The Psalmist was all in with God. Regardless of what happened in his life or with his circumstances the Psalmist was committed to sticking with God's law and seeking out God's ways.
The Psalmist was all in with God. Regardless of what happened in his life or with his circumstances the Psalmist was committed to sticking with God's law and seeking out God's ways.
Apply:
It is easy to get sucked up in the prosperity gospel. The messages are inviting. Give and it will be given back. Ask whatever you want in His name and it will be done. Say to the mountain be thou removed and it will be cast into the sea. Jesus came that we may have life to its full. It sounds so promising. It dawns a light of hope that ignites the dark skies of lack and warms the coldness of despondency. Many times I have pursued this expression of the gospel and many times I have been left feeling cold, naked, and confused.
It is easy to get sucked up in the prosperity gospel. The messages are inviting. Give and it will be given back. Ask whatever you want in His name and it will be done. Say to the mountain be thou removed and it will be cast into the sea. Jesus came that we may have life to its full. It sounds so promising. It dawns a light of hope that ignites the dark skies of lack and warms the coldness of despondency. Many times I have pursued this expression of the gospel and many times I have been left feeling cold, naked, and confused.
There is another form of the gospel that is not so easy to get sucked up in. Take up your cross and follow after me. He who wants to save his life will lose it but he who loses his life for My sake will gain it. In this life you will have troubles but take heart because I have overcome the world. The world will hate you has it has hated Me. Consider it all joy when you encounter trials. Verses of this nature comprise much of the New Testament. Jesus did not sugar coat what it would cost to follow after Him. The writers of the New Testament did not leave behind the chronicles of lives of luxury. Their faith cost them everything on earth and they considered it pure joy. They, like the Psalmist, inclined their heart to follow after Christ forever, even to the end.
Pray:
As I sit this morning I am taken back in my mind to all the times I have stood in a room, stretched my arms out wide, quoted a passage of scripture, and then prayed to claim something I needed or wanted for my life to be easier. An honest inventory reveals that more times than not the things I claimed never became mine. These experiences tested my faith. Many times I turned my back on You as the peace of my soul was pillaged by the anguish of disappointment. Following these experiences I have lost countless hours of sleep wrestling with demons who challenged me to consider the results of my tested faith and the ineffectiveness of my prayers. In the darkness of those lonely moments I have said some nasty things to You and more than doubted Your character, power, and promise. I was foolish and misaligned with the truth. I am so grateful for Your grace and Your forgiveness.
As I sit this morning I am taken back in my mind to all the times I have stood in a room, stretched my arms out wide, quoted a passage of scripture, and then prayed to claim something I needed or wanted for my life to be easier. An honest inventory reveals that more times than not the things I claimed never became mine. These experiences tested my faith. Many times I turned my back on You as the peace of my soul was pillaged by the anguish of disappointment. Following these experiences I have lost countless hours of sleep wrestling with demons who challenged me to consider the results of my tested faith and the ineffectiveness of my prayers. In the darkness of those lonely moments I have said some nasty things to You and more than doubted Your character, power, and promise. I was foolish and misaligned with the truth. I am so grateful for Your grace and Your forgiveness.
This morning I am held captive by this bold declaration from the Psalmist. I am challenged by the story of this man who, regardless of the pain in His life, was able to hold steadfast to his love for You. I am much stronger in my faith than I once was but I also see that I still have work left to do. I pray that You continue to divide me from my worldly desires. I ask that heaven and the promise of eternity would become a tangible experience for me today. I beg that the goodness of Your ways would be life to my soul, strength for my journey, and the only light that radiates from my spirit. From where I am and as best I can I stand for You today. I incline my heart towards You and proclaim that choose You forever, even to the end. These are bold words that only You can backup.
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