Psalm 119:17-19 -

Do good to your servant, and I will live; I will obey your word.

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.

Psalm 119 is an extended song about God’s words – his law, his commands, his ongoing revelation in our lives, and the Living Word (Jesus).  Each verse teaches the believer something about how God intended us to interact with his words and assimilate them into our lives.

“Do good to your servant, and I will live; I will obey your word.” – Notice how the response to God’s blessing is OBEDIENCE.  Many churches recite the slogan every week that says, “God is good – all the time!”  We cannot stop there, merely reminding ourselves of God’s goodness.  God’s “kindness leads us to repentance” (Romans 2:4).  He extends his mercy with a purpose, to transform our lives.   continue

Psalm 73 - “For I envied the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”  (Psalm 73:3)

“When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.”  (vv. 16-17)

“Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.  But as for me, it is good to be near God.  I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”  (Psalm 73:27-28)

In this Psalm, God talks about the “pure in heart,” as well as the “arrogant” and the “wicked.”  To man, the wicked may seem to have no troubles.  Those who are faithful feel that they have many struggles.  Sometimes this seems unfair, even to believers.

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“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:5, KJV)

Our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.  We should adjust our mentality and thinking to align with that of Christ Jesus.  This passage is not talking about copying some of the actions of Jesus, like religious people do when they mimic a few outward deeds that Jesus did.  The point here is an inward change that will affect all our behavior. We need to adopt the same attitude or way of thinking that Jesus had. Paul then delineates exactly what he means by the “mind” or “attitude” of Christ Jesus. 

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Genesis 37:5-9 - Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.  He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”  His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. 

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Genesis 39:5-6 - From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

We see here two important lessons about the Lord Jesus.  First, the Heavenly Father has put all things under his control and authority, entrusting to the Son the complete project of salvation.  Jesus is not just someone to worship or believe; we must understand that the many tasks of Father’s great plan have been put in his care, and Jesus is carrying out that work with diligence.  This is the Work in which we want to be included.

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Luke 10:39 - “She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.”

Throughout the Scriptures, we find pairs of people who, side by side, illustrate the attitudes and choices that please God and those that do not.  Martha and Mary provide one example of this pattern.  When these pairs present a contrast between two women (Sarah and Hagar, Hannah and Peninnah, etc.), we know that it prophetically represents the faithful church and the unfaithful who are nominal believers (see, for example, Galatians 4:21-31).   continue

Exodus 21:5-6 - “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.”

This talks about servants or slaves in the Old Testament, but illustrates how we become the Lord’s servants today.  There is a similar passage in Deuteronomy 15:16-17.  Israelites had to release any Hebrew slaves or servants after seven years.  Even so, the servant could remain in the position permanently if he wanted to. The original languages of the Bible do not have differentiated terms for “slave” and “servant” as we do in English.   continue

1 Sam. 3:9-10 -  ”Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening…”

In this story, Samuel is a little boy who lives at the Tabernacle in Israel and helps with chores.  This was the twilight of the period of the Judges in Israel, a time of great spiritual confusion.  The priests in that day had lost connection with God.  The Bible says that it was very rare then for anyone to hear directly from God.  The people had stopped listening.  The priests themselves were unfaithful.  There were awful scandals surrounding the new generation of priests, and the old generation had grown weak, lazy, and ineffective. 

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Romans 12:1-2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The purpose of salvation is to bring us to eternity.  God prepares us for eternity by transforming our lives through Christ.  Many Christians think the Gospel is merely about forgiveness of sins.  God has a greater purpose.  Forgiveness is the first step in a transformed life.  Forgiveness allows us to leave behind what is past so that we can proceed to change.   continue

Luke 16:2 - “So he called him in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’” 

OWNERS: When we own something, we can use it however we want.  We get all the benefits from our own property.  If we destroy or use up our own property, we feel the loss.  Most people avoid making decisions that result in the loss or destruction of their own property – people are usually careful with their own belongings.   continue