Good morning. Back to
Psalm 119: You have ordained Your precepts, that we should keep them
diligently. That's why He gave us His word - so that we would know what we are
supposed to do. Remember the old saying: "without the Spirit you will dry
up, without the word you will blow up". It's great to have the gifts of
the Spirit, but you need the word to keep you in line. Oh, that my ways may be
established to keep Your statutes! Then I shall not be ashamed when I look upon
all Your commandments. How can a young (or old) man (or woman) keep his/her way
pure? By keeping it according to Your word. And so what should we do? Your word
I have treasured in my heart, that I might not sin against You. It's not just
plain reading it once in a while. Nor hearing it on Sunday morning. With my
lips I have told of all the ordinances of Your mouth. That's important for us
to do, especially to our children. Sometimes it seems like we did not do it
enough. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all
riches. Too many Christians do it the other way around. They rejoice in their
riches much more than in God's word. Some of them even think that it is a sign
of God's approval. I will meditate on Your precepts, and regard Your ways. I
shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word. When we meditate
on His word and His ways of doing things, our spirit will bring them to our
remembrance when we need them. Father thank You that the reader has treasured
Your word in his/her heart. He/she orders his/her ways according to Your word. He/she
delights to do Your will. Help him/her to have a great time in whatever he/she
does.
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me
Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
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