Psalm 119:68 – Doing Good
I discuss the goodness of God’s laws and statutes, contrasting human perceptions of rules as burdensome. It encourages viewing the law as a divine blessing promoting greatness.
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Psalm 119:66 – Teach Me
I discuss interconnectedness of beauty, order, and knowledge in studying both nature and scripture. It warns against complacency, urging continuous exploration while balancing faith with accurate understanding and skepticism toward misleading narratives.
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Psalm 119:65
You have treated your servant well,according to your word, LORD. I pause to note a milestone. This is the first verse in the new section of Psalm 119. We’re in the section in which each verse starts with the ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Teth. That is the first letter of “TOV” which is…
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Psalm 119:64
God’s grace precedes His laws, illustrating that divine love and covenant obligations are gifts. True holiness comes from God’s actions, not self-sufficiency.
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Psalm 119:63 – Companion
I’m a companion to all who fear you,and to those who keep your precepts. My thoughts today took me onto the subject of companionship and friendship. Who are your friends? Why are you friends with various people? In scripture we have a tension between two views of the relationship between God’s people and those around…
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Psalm 119:62
I reflect on the challenges of waking up at night, often due to worry, and discusses the importance of prayer and rest for mental clarity and health improvement, but also for simple rest and relaxation.
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Psalm 119:61 – Bound?
The bonds of the wicked encompass me,I do not forget your instruction. These posts are meditations, not attempts at exegesis. I’m pretty sure the psalmist is here congratulating himself and pointing out to the Lord how he has been faithful under difficult circumstances. But what occurred to me is the number of times the “wicked,”…
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The Danger of Serious Bible Study
I believe it’s important to study the Bible. Many approaches are useful in this, and I’ve discussed them elsewhere. But the idea of serious Bible study can become a problem. I’m sure some readers are scratching their heads. How can it possibly be a problem to study the Bible seriously? Isn’t that obviously the right…
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Psalm 119:60 – Obedience without Delay
I hurried, and didn’t delayin obeying your commands. The Message has an interesting way of expressing this: I was up at once, didn’t drag my feet,was quick to follow your orders. Psalm 119:60 (The Message) Some might like me to talk about what seems like a rash statement. Who can claim to have always been…
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The Bible, Literally
I frequently note that if I could take just one line away from liberal/progressive/mainline Christians it would be “we don’t take that literally around here.” And if I could take one line away from conservatives/evangelicals/fundamentalists, it would be “the Bible plainly teaches.” To the first group I would simply ask, “How do you take it?”…
