Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 119:33-40
Ps 119:33-40 He
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. 34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. 35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. 38 Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. 39 Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. 40 How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.
James 2:14-17
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Unlike most of the other writers of the Bible James makes a distinction between faith as just a mental acknowledgement of a fact and that of total trust that includes obedience. Both are equally correct definitions of faith, depending on the context. The writer of our Psalm uses the word obedience in much the same way faith is used by Jesus and Paul in the New Testament. It is an absolute trust in God as God and therefore includes doing what he says. David obeyed God to show his love for him and his trust in him and not for any selfish gain.
When we put our trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord, we are making a commitment to him and entering a covenant relationship with him that declares he is our ruler and our master. We agree to follow him, his word and his will in all things. This is why Paul could say that he no longer lived but Christ lived in him.
When we are hopelessly in love with one, we do all in our power to please that person and find pleasure in doing so. We don’t see giving up self and serving them as bondage but a demonstration of love. So it is with serving Christ. We find joy and pleasure in doing so because it is a demonstration of love and trust in him.
Heavenly Father I am so glad that Jesus loves me and that you love me too. I need you to renew my heart toward you in commitment and determination every day so I will obey your will in all things to the best of my ability. Thank you for the joy that comes from serving you and the peace that overflows in my heart. Give me your wisdom daily so I will use what you have given me to serve you as I serve others around me. Be with your people all over the world that we will show your love to all and bring honor to your holy name. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
