Psalm 119: Part 9 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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Transcript

Good morning. I know that many of you are already up and about your day. Some of you are just waking up and you’re still in bed, and some of you are somewhere in between.

Regardless of where you are here at the beginning of your day, I encourage you to just still your mind and think about what God might have to say to you as we take a few moments and spend some time with Him reading what He has to say in His Word.

We are reading through Psalm 119 this week, and today we come to verse 65.

It says:

You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word. Teach me good discernment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.

Before I was afflicted, I went astray. But now I keep your word. You are good and you do good. Teach me your statutes. The arrogant have forged a lie against me, but with all my heart I will observe your precepts. Their heart is covered with fat, but I delight in your law.

It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

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What an interesting perspective on tough times in life.

The psalmist says to God, Before I was afflicted, I went astray. But now I keep your word.

Isn’t it right that when everything is going well we so easily forget our need for God.

We don’t tend to pray as much. We don’t tend to talk about the really important things of life as much because we’re just enjoying it.

We’re just going with the flow, and God wants us to thoroughly enjoy life. He has given us the good things of life, but He wants us to that and remember Him, that He is the centre of life whether things are going well or not.

And if God has a choice between things just being peachy for you – Or – you turning to him in prayer and depending on him and loving him.

He will choose then not to make things peachy if that’s what it’s going to take for you to focus your life on him. He is the centre of life. He is the supreme being. He is the one who made it all. He deserves our full attention.

It is right for us to live for Him. We were made by Him and for Him. And so as you think about your life now, can you say with the psalmist. You’re right.

I too tend to wander away from God when things are going great.

But when things are tough, I turn to God.

And so with the psalmist in verse 71 – It is good for me that I was afflicted, so that I can learn God’s statutes, God’s ways.

God is good, and what He does is good even when it’s painful to me, because there’s nothing more important in my life than my good relationship with God.

And if there’s some tough times going on in my life right now, God, I want to know, are you trying to get my attention?

I do love you, Lord, and I pray that you would use this tough time to do what you need to do in my heart and life.

I’m John North.

To go deeper in your faith, visit AFCI.com.au.

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