Psalm 119:4-8
Sometimes we don’t want to read our Bibles because we don’t want to be reminded of His decrees. When we are walking in ways we know do not please Him, we tend to hide from God—if that were even possible. Just as Adam tried to hide from God in the garden after he and Eve ate from the fruit they were told not to eat from, so we, too, have our ways of hiding as well. Maybe we choose not to go to church for a while. Maybe we become more reclusive, finding temporary solace in a bottle or a pill. Maybe we go back to some of the haunts that God already delivered us from. Maybe we pour ourselves into work like there is no tomorrow.
Whatever the case may be, depression sets in because, deep down in our soul, we know life is truly experienced with God—not without Him. We sense that God is calling us back to Himself, but we must choose. Choose what, you ask? Choose to lay down whatever we are trying to use to take the place of God in our lives. Anything we cling to contrary to His will becomes a type of idol, and we must decide who or what it is that we will serve.
As Paul says:
“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”
Romans 6:16 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.6.16.NLT
I love the psalmist’s heart in this portion of Scripture. He acknowledges the struggle and his desire to follow after God. His prayer is that he would follow God’s decrees—which is the proper way to thank God for all He has done—but he ends with this statement: “Please don’t give up on me.” Even at our worst, God never gives up on us. I am so grateful for that. And when we find our way back to Him, much like the father of the prodigal son, we are welcomed into the loving arms of our Savior embracing us once again.
As David states is Psalm 40:2-3:
“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.”
Psalms 40:2-3 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.40.2-3.NLT
There is no greater testimony we can give. In fact, our deliverance gives hope to others that their deliverance is possible too. So we must not be afraid to share what God has done in our lives. May we continue to allow the Word of God to guide us so that may walk in God’s favor.
As James, the half-brother of Jesus, stated:
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”
James 1:22-25 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jas.1.22-25.NLT
Whatever the case may be, depression sets in because, deep down in our soul, we know life is truly experienced with God—not without Him. We sense that God is calling us back to Himself, but we must choose. Choose what, you ask? Choose to lay down whatever we are trying to use to take the place of God in our lives. Anything we cling to contrary to His will becomes a type of idol, and we must decide who or what it is that we will serve.
As Paul says:
“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”
Romans 6:16 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.6.16.NLT
I love the psalmist’s heart in this portion of Scripture. He acknowledges the struggle and his desire to follow after God. His prayer is that he would follow God’s decrees—which is the proper way to thank God for all He has done—but he ends with this statement: “Please don’t give up on me.” Even at our worst, God never gives up on us. I am so grateful for that. And when we find our way back to Him, much like the father of the prodigal son, we are welcomed into the loving arms of our Savior embracing us once again.
As David states is Psalm 40:2-3:
“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.”
Psalms 40:2-3 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.40.2-3.NLT
There is no greater testimony we can give. In fact, our deliverance gives hope to others that their deliverance is possible too. So we must not be afraid to share what God has done in our lives. May we continue to allow the Word of God to guide us so that may walk in God’s favor.
As James, the half-brother of Jesus, stated:
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”
James 1:22-25 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jas.1.22-25.NLT
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