Joy In God's Word

 Joy In God’s Word

Here we are at the beginning of a new month and a new season.  With Labour Day tomorrow comes a new school season here in Canada.  I know from my years of teaching overseas that many schools went into session a couple of weeks ago, but this is the schedule here.

What to study to grow wise and attain skills that will help us to be successful in life?  In the early years of school teachers make many of those decisions for us but the further we progress the more choices we can make based on our interests and career path.

Well, there is no doubt that the God who created us in love intended that we would have a joyful life filled with blessings.  Through Jesus, God has made provision for us to live the life He created us to live, a life that is full of joy. 

For the next few days we will study a few verses from the most important book in the world, the Bible, and the longest chapter in that book, Psalm 119.  There is so much in those 176 verses of that Psalm that tell us the value of God’s Word and the support and success we can expect when we read and study them.

Here's how it all begins:

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.  Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.

You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.

As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me! 

Psalm 119:1-8

As I read those verses I see God promising us joy, the ability to walk without compromise, dignity, and consistency.  Sounds like a pretty good foundation to build all the rest of the bits of our future around, wouldn’t you say?

What I also see is how confident we can be in God even though we struggle sometimes.  But, the most important part of where we are at as we begin new studies is that we desire to know and learn and put what we learn into practice, and that’s what I see here.  Let’s pray along with what’s written for us:

Loving God, thank you for the promise of joy as we keep Your instructions and obey Your laws, searching for ways to live in Your love with all our hearts. 

Help us today to walk only in Your paths and be consistent in doing that.  We so easily slip into bad habits. Thank You for not giving up on us as we learn, stumble around a bit, but get better and better at living as we should.  Amen

Well, that’s a great place to start.  Let’s keep that desire alive to follow God in all that we do and to learn how to get better and better at it.