Psalm 119:97 (NIV) Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. INTRODUCTION In the new birth the heart is brought into harmony with God, as it is brought into accord with His law. When this mighty change has taken place in the sinner, he has passed from death unto life, from sin unto holiness, from transgression and rebellion to obedience and loyalty. The old life of alienation from God has ended; the new life of reconciliation, of faith and love, has begun. Then "the righteousness of the law" will "be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:4. And the language of the soul will be: "O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day." Psalm 119:97. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." Psalm 19:7. Without the law, men have no just conception of the purity and holiness of God or of their own guilt and uncleanness. They have no true conviction of sin and feel no need of repentance. Not seeing their lost condition as violators of God's law, they do not realize their need of the atoning blood of Christ. The hope of salvation is accepted without a radical change of heart or reformation of life. Thus superficial conversions abound, and multitudes are joined to the church who have never been united to Christ. {GC 468} COMMENTARY PEARL An Essential for a Thriving Spiritual Life Alexander Maclaren said, He who has the Holy Spirit in his heart and the Scriptures in his hands has all he needs. Sometimes as Christians, we can find ourselves being defeated. We can find ourselves losing ground instead of gaining ground and falling back into old sins that we thought were a part of our past. Thats because we lose sight of the basics. We need to go back to the very beginning, to the Word of God. We need to take what God has given us and let it develop in our lives. We can find everything we need to know about God in the pages of the Bible. So if you want to know God, then you need to open, read, study, and apply what the Bible teaches. Success or failure in the Christian life is determined by how much of the Word of God we get into our lives on a regular basis and how obedient we are to it. But it isnt enough to just read. We need to comprehend what it is saying. We need to be hungry for the Word of God. A growing believer will be a lover of Gods Word. The psalmist wrote, Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day (Psalm 119:97 NKJV). If youre feeling down and listless spiritually, if fear and anxiety is flooding your life, you need the Word of God. You need to spend time in the Word of God every day. Martin Luther said this about Gods Word: The Bible is alive. It speaks to me. It has feet. It runs after me. That is what God wants to happen in your life. As you open His Word, it will speak to your heart. So if you want to be a growing Christian, you must read, study, and love the Word of God. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com] COMMENTARY For Every Season Sometimes Im asked what my favorite Bible verse is. Its kind of a hard question to answer, because I have a lot of favorite verses. A lot depends on what I'm going through at the moment. For instance, if Im in a difficult and worrisome situation, I suppose my favorite verses are Philippians 4:6"7: Dont worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience Gods peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (NLT). Then again, if things aren't making sense or seem a bit chaotic, my favorite Scripture verse at that moment is John 14:1, where Jesus said, Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me (NKJV). When things are not making sense, Romans 8:28 is absolutely my go-to verse: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (NKJV). Overall, if I had to choose just one verse, then Jeremiah 29:11 is my favorite: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (NKJV). If God had simply said, I know this single thought that I had about you for a nanosecond, I would be happy with that, wouldnt you? But that is not what God says. He said, I know the thoughts that I think toward you (emphasis added). Theyre not singular but plural. Theyre present tense and future tense. God is at work in our lives, and He has a plan and a purpose. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com] CLOSING THOUGHT When we speak of faith, there is a distinction that should be borne in mind. There is a kind of belief that is wholly distinct from faith. The existence and power of God, the truth of His word, are facts that even Satan and his hosts cannot at heart deny. The Bible says that "the devils also believe, and tremble;" but this is not faith. James 2:19. Where there is not only a belief in God's word, but a submission of the will to Him; where the heart is yielded to Him, the affections fixed upon Him, there is faith - faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Through this faith the heart is renewed in the image of God. {SC 63.2} ONE LINER 119:97"104 Meditation on Gods law yields the highest wisdom. [NIV SB 2020] LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE Psalm 119:97 - How To Meditate All Day Long. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2014/20141103-1706.html Revelation 2:4, 5 - The Priority of Relationship. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190406-0901.html SPECIAL MUSIC VIDEO ON GODS WONDERFUL WORD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouTgX9hcwk4 YOUR COMMENTS If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or testimony on this passage of Scripture, either personal or otherwise, I would be interested in hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred Gibbs LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT Most Important Decision in Life: http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo Steps to Peace by Billy Graham: https://stepstopeace.org/ Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782 Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ Amazing Facts Bible Studies: http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study Guides: https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/ LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/ Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657 Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE