Psalm 119: Verses 9-16 (NIV)
How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
I had a very productive session at the gym today where we spent time stretching out my troublesome lower limbs. Having cerebral palsy means that my muscles and tendons are usually very tight and need stretching. It takes effort but its worth it. We try to make an effort to eat well and live healthily and look after the different aspects of our mental health. Do we make the same effort with our spiritual one as the Psalmist writes here. And it doesn’t just apply to young people. New and older Christians of any age need to apply the effort that the psalmist has done.
The poem below popped up on my Instagram feed today after I had done my daily reading. It certainly reinforces what is written in the psalm. It was posted by a group called “Women who pray”.
“Girl read your bible.
You can eat all the kale,
Buy all the things,
Lift all the weights,
Take all the trips.
Trash all that doesn’t sparkle joy,
Wash your face and hustle like mad.
But if you don’t rest your soul in Jesus,
You’ll never find your peace and purpose.
Author Unknown.”
And that applies equally to the men folk too. When I started documenting what I learned from daily bible readings, which in turn led to the blog, I was astounded at how fresh everything became, and how the initial reading led me to study a topic in more depth. It has made such a difference when I don’t rush over that time and has been definitely worth the effort!
Dear Lord,
How precious indeed is Your word which is fresh every day. Help me always to take the time not to rush the time spent reading and learning so that I can be spiritually healthy and well. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.