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February 28 Time for Another Review!

One who has integrity walks securely, but the one who takes crooked paths will be found out. ~Proverbs 10:9

Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the ways of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their hearts. They do nothing wrong; they walk in His ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying Your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise You with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Praise be to You, O Lord; teach me your decrees! With my lips I recount all Your laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your word. ~Psalm 119:1-16

Blessed is the one who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. ~Psalm 1

I know that there isn’t anything new here necessarily. This is all review, but do you notice how committed the writer of Psalm 119 is to learn God’s law? What would it look like if we were actually that excited about studying our Bible and memorizing His Word? He just seems so eager to know all that God has to teach. He does not want to stray from the Lord. He wants to internalize it and he knows that it will be for his good if he does.

He is like the one in Psalm 1 who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night. Notice what the Psalmist says about someone with that attitude and approach. He is like a tree planted by the water that has fruit to share that blesses others. This does not mean that he has his nose stuck in a book, or scroll, because he knows, if he is truly learning God’s law that he has to put it into practice. That is how he blesses others.

That is why he is secure. He is the “One who has integrity that walks securely.” Consider the alternative: “but the one who takes crooked paths will be found out.” Again, he is blown away, like the one in the second half of the Psalm 1. Remember the chaff that we talked about before, the hull of a seed, who didn’t want to bother with the more important and meaningful? He will be blown away.

Now here is an observation, David wrote the psalms. His son Solomon wrote the Proverbs. Which one did a better job of living out the wisdom principles that Solomon wrote down? David sinned but was still called a man after God’s own heart. Solomon knew it all, but never repented of his idolatry! They exemplify the two sons in Jesus’ parable, that we mentioned yesterday.

Prayer: Lord, I want to be like David! Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart always be based on Your precious Words and Wisdom. Then I know I will please You Lord, and I know I will be blessed to be a blessing in my world. In Jesus' name, amen;.

Song: Just a Closer Walk with Thee

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