I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes.
I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.
I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.
Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.
The Psalmist expresses what is often the case with the believer.
He cries with his whole heart. It may not be tears so much as distress. Read David’s life, and you will see a man who has a reason for distress.
He stayed awake at nights. The Psalmist claimed in other places that he would lay down and sleep[1] because he knew God was awake, caring for him. I don’t believe he was necessarily sleepless due to stress, but he remained awake to engage in the “hard work” of prayer[2] and the ministry of the Word.
Speaking of the Word, the Psalmist gives three “actions” relating to it:
He kept the Word.
He observed it, obeyed it, guarded it, preserved it, and did as it says.
He hoped in the Word.
He trusted the Word of God. In the middle of his trouble, despite all the reasons not to, he leaned upon the teachings and promises of the Bible.
He meditated upon the Word.
He pondered the Word of God. He not only read it but also came to know it, studied it, and thought about it.
[1] Psalms 4:8 (KJV)
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
[2] James 5:16 (KJV)
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.
For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.
If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.
For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.
My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org
Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/
Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more
Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.
No comments:
Post a Comment