The Beautiful Psalm 139

Each morning, I recieve an email from The Upper Room containing a devotion for the day. This morning, it was Psalm 139. I have read this Psalm before and I am sure that it "touched me"" then, as it did this moring. But, that is one of the reasons that I love reading the Bible - God's Word - so much! Each time you read it, God speaks to you in different ways.

Let me share the Psalm with you ~

Psalm 139 (New Living Translation)

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

3 You see me when I travel

and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, Lord.

5 You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;

if I go down to the grave, you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night—

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16 You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

They cannot be numbered!

18 I can’t even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

you are still with me!

19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!

Get out of my life, you murderers!

20 They blaspheme you;

your enemies misuse your name.

21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?

Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?

22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred,

for your enemies are my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

My thoughts ~

V. 1-6 ~  The Lord knows everything about me. He knows my every thought, no matter where I am. He knows what I am about to say, before I say it. He knows where I am at all times. He is with me when I travel. He travels before me and behind me. He blesses me with His hand on my head.

V. 7-12 ~ No matter where I go, He is there with me. Wherever I am, He will guide me & support me. The dark is light to Him and He can see still see me.

V. 13-16 ~ He "designed" my body - all of my parts. From every cell to every hair. He "knit" me together in my mother's womb.  He SAW me before I was born! Every day of my life is recorded in His BOOK. He has my whole life planned out for me! Many parts of it I have yet to even see!

V. 17-18 ~ He thinks about me so much that His thoughts can not be counted.

V. 19-22 ~ I have no thoughts on these verses. I'm not sure why David (the author of this Psalm) included these thoughts here.

V. 23-24 ~ Lord, please help me to relize my sins and guide me down the path that you have laid out for me.

May God bless you today and may you feel His love!

A to Z Blog Challenge ~ J

The word for today is JAMES, as in The Book of James.

I am not sure what "sparked" me recently to read the Book of James (maybe.... God?), but one day I decided that this was the book of the Bible that I wanted to read and study. It was probably after a devotion that I read. I'm not sure.

I know that I have read all (or at least most of it) at one time or another, because there are a LOT of verses that are highlighted in my Bible from times when I have read it before.

The Book of James is a short book in the Bible. It is only 5 chapters long. According to my New Living Translation Life Application Bible, the purpose of the Book of James was to expose hypocritical practices and to teach right Christian behavior. It is most likely written by James, the brother of my Lord Jesus. James was a leader in the Jerusalem church.

I also learned from reading in my Believer's Bible Commentary that James drew heavily on the teachings of the Lord Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, which is found in Matthew, chapters 5-7. I guess that may be why I like the Book of James so much. In this Book, James reminds us of how to be a GENUINE CHRISTIAN.

Here are some lessons that James reminds us of that Jesus also taught us on the Sermon on the Mount:

• Whenever trouble comes your way, be joyful - James 1:2 / Matthew 5:10-12
• When your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything - James 1:4 / Matthew 5:48
• Ask God, and he will answer. - James 1:5; 5:15 / Matthew 7:7-12
• Those who are poor (who don't amount to much by the world's standards) should be glad, for God has honored them. - James 1:9 / Matthew 5:3
• Watch out for your anger ... It can be dangerous. - James 1:20 / Matthew 5:22
• Be merciful to others, as God is merciful to you. - James 2:13 / Matthew 5:7; 6:14
• Your faith must express itself in your actions. - James 2:14-16 / Mattew 7:21-23
• Blessed are the peacemakers; they plant in peace and reap a harvest of goodness. - James 3:17, 18 / Matthew 5:9
• Friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God. - James 4:4 / Matthew 6:24
• When you humble yourself and realize your dependence on God, he will lift you up. - James 4:10 / Matthew 5:3,4
• Don't speak evil against each other. If you do, you are criticizing God's law. - James 4:11 / Matthew 7:1,2
• Treasures on earth will only rot away and be eaten by moths. Store up eternal treasures in heaven. - James 5:2,3 / Matthew 6:19.
• Be patient in suffering, as God's prophets were patient. - James 5:10 / Matthew 5:12
• Be honest in your speech; just say a simple yes or not so that you will not sin. - James 5:12 / Matthew 5:33-37

The Fruit of the Spirit

Original date written -- 3/29/10

I won't write about "why" I chose to write about this topic. God knows why, and that is all that matters. I got the definitions below from my Believer's Bible Commentary, by William MacDonald. I go to it often for help in understanding verses.


Galatians 5:22-23 --- "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (NLT)

Love is what God is, and what we ought to be.

Joy is contentment and satisfaction with God and His dealings.

Peace could include the peace of God as well as harmonious relations among Christians.

Longsuffering is patience in afflictions, annoyances, and persecutions.

Kindness is gentleness, perhaps best explained in the attitude of the Lord toward little children.

Goodness is kindness shown to others.

Faithfulness may mean trust in God, confidence in our fellow Christians, fidelity, or reliability.

Gentleness is taking the lowly place as Jesus did when He washed His disciples' feet.

Self-control means literally holding oneself in, especially regarding sex. Our lives should be disciplined. Lust, passions, appetites, and temper should be ruled. We should practice moderation