But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 On photo of Train Tracks by Donna Campbell
Psalm 119:25-32
We are human. We know it. We use it as an excuse for our bad behavior often enough. God knows it too. That is why He sent Jesus, His perfect Son to be the Way for us to reconcile with Him in peace. We are human, but we do not have to settle for the corruption of our flesh. We may be human but as believers we have the Perfect Holy Spirit living in us. We don’t have to let our flesh win. Verses 25-26 read,
“My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
26 When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes!”
Our souls cling to dust. It is often easier to give in to the flesh. It is easier to have immediate gratification and forget about eternity. But like the psalmist, we can acknowledge the state of our sin nature and ask God to give us life in Jesus. When we confess and repent as we tell The Lord how sinful, helpless, and hopeless we are, He forgives, He gives us His Spirit, and He teaches us His way.
Some are still stagnant, some still cling to our old dead selves. Some do not realize it is a choice to be the new creation God has made us. Colossians 3:1-5 says,
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry”
How do we do that? How do we choose to put to death the earthly things, the dustiness of our old selves? First, we have to set our minds on Christ, The Kingdom of Heaven, and God’s righteousness. (Matthew 6:33). But how can we put our minds on The Kingdom of Heaven? How do we know what it is that is of Christ or of the world? How do we seek God? Verses 27-8 read,
“Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
28 My soul melts away for sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word!”
We get to know God through His Word, the Scriptures, The Truth revealed through The Holy Spirit and demonstrated through Jesus Christ. The psalmist asked God to make him understand. The Holy Spirit allows us to understand the Scriptures and reveals the secrets that those without Him cannot understand. (Ephesians 3:1-6). We can speak until we are blue in the face and the world will think we are crazy. They call the Bible a lie, Jesus a crutch, and believers weak minded. But we know the truth because we have the Spirit of Truth. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 says,
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
Verse 29 reads,
“Put false ways far from me
and graciously teach me your law!”
God gives us discernment. His Holy Spirit distinguishes truth from lies, dark from light, and Godly from earthly. God’s Word, Jesus Christ has given us His mind as the Spirit transforms us to Jesus image, we as spiritual and not fleshly beings, are able to discern those things too. (1 Corinthians 2:14-16). God’s written Word also allows us to discern those things. (Hebrews 4:12). That discernment keeps us away from false doctrines. 1 John 4:5-6 tells us,
“They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
Discernment is not only an act of the mind, but it permeates the heart. We come not only to recognize what is from God and what is not, but we come to love what is from God, and that affects the way we live our lives. (Romans 12:9-11). Verses 30-32 read,
“I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I set your rules before me.
31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;
let me not be put to shame!
32 I will run in the way of your commandments
when you enlarge my heart!”
Yes, we are human but we have The Spirit of Truth in us transforming us, maturing us, and making us more and more like Jesus every day if we choose to let Him. Believer, encourage you to set the Word of God before you. Cling to God’s testaments, the truth of God’s will and love demonstrated for you. Cling to eternal life rather than your dead past. Let God make you over into Jesus’ image and grow your love, your spirit, your soul, your mind, and your ministry.
We are human. We know it. We use it as an excuse for our bad behavior often enough. God knows it too. That is why He sent Jesus, His perfect Son to be the Way for us to reconcile with Him in peace. We are human, but we do not have to settle for the corruption of our flesh. We may be human but as believers we have the Perfect Holy Spirit living in us. We don’t have to let our flesh win. Verses 25-26 read,
“My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
26 When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes!”
Our souls cling to dust. It is often easier to give in to the flesh. It is easier to have immediate gratification and forget about eternity. But like the psalmist, we can acknowledge the state of our sin nature and ask God to give us life in Jesus. When we confess and repent as we tell The Lord how sinful, helpless, and hopeless we are, He forgives, He gives us His Spirit, and He teaches us His way.
Some are still stagnant, some still cling to our old dead selves. Some do not realize it is a choice to be the new creation God has made us. Colossians 3:1-5 says,
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry”
How do we do that? How do we choose to put to death the earthly things, the dustiness of our old selves? First, we have to set our minds on Christ, The Kingdom of Heaven, and God’s righteousness. (Matthew 6:33). But how can we put our minds on The Kingdom of Heaven? How do we know what it is that is of Christ or of the world? How do we seek God? Verses 27-8 read,
“Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
28 My soul melts away for sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word!”
We get to know God through His Word, the Scriptures, The Truth revealed through The Holy Spirit and demonstrated through Jesus Christ. The psalmist asked God to make him understand. The Holy Spirit allows us to understand the Scriptures and reveals the secrets that those without Him cannot understand. (Ephesians 3:1-6). We can speak until we are blue in the face and the world will think we are crazy. They call the Bible a lie, Jesus a crutch, and believers weak minded. But we know the truth because we have the Spirit of Truth. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 says,
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
Verse 29 reads,
“Put false ways far from me
and graciously teach me your law!”
God gives us discernment. His Holy Spirit distinguishes truth from lies, dark from light, and Godly from earthly. God’s Word, Jesus Christ has given us His mind as the Spirit transforms us to Jesus image, we as spiritual and not fleshly beings, are able to discern those things too. (1 Corinthians 2:14-16). God’s written Word also allows us to discern those things. (Hebrews 4:12). That discernment keeps us away from false doctrines. 1 John 4:5-6 tells us,
“They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
Discernment is not only an act of the mind, but it permeates the heart. We come not only to recognize what is from God and what is not, but we come to love what is from God, and that affects the way we live our lives. (Romans 12:9-11). Verses 30-32 read,
“I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I set your rules before me.
31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;
let me not be put to shame!
32 I will run in the way of your commandments
when you enlarge my heart!”
Yes, we are human but we have The Spirit of Truth in us transforming us, maturing us, and making us more and more like Jesus every day if we choose to let Him. Believer, encourage you to set the Word of God before you. Cling to God’s testaments, the truth of God’s will and love demonstrated for you. Cling to eternal life rather than your dead past. Let God make you over into Jesus’ image and grow your love, your spirit, your soul, your mind, and your ministry.
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