relationships (Psalm 119:161-176) Faithful Peace

(Psalm 119:161-176) 

161 Rulers persecute me without cause,
       But my heart stands in awe of Your words.
162 I rejoice at Your word,
       Like one who finds great plunder.
163 I hate and loathe falsehood,
       But I love Your Law.
164 Seven times a day I praise You 
       Because of Your righteous judgments.
165 Those who love Your Law have great peace,
       And nothing causes them to stumble.
166 I hope for Your salvation, Lord,
       And do Your commandments.
167 My soul keeps Your testimonies,
       And I love them exceedingly.
168 I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
       For all my ways are before You.

169 Let my cry come before You, Lord;
       Give me understanding according to Your word.
170 Let my pleading come before You;
       Save me according to Your word.
171 Let my lips pour out praise,
       For You teach me Your statutes.
172 Let my tongue sing about Your word,
       For all Your commandments are righteousness.
173 Let Your hand be ready to help me,
       For I have chosen Your precepts.
174 I long for Your salvation, Lord,
       And Your Law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live that it may praise You,
       And let Your ordinances help me.
176 I have wandered about like a lost sheep; search for Your servant,
       For I do not forget Your commandments.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

In and through a very personal relationship with the Lord, God, Himself, speaks directly to us through His word!  The closer I get to the Lord, the more I lean on Him for my help and wisdom.  And the more I study God's word, the more in awe I am!

In knowing and loving God's promises and His commandments, I see how we can have peace in our lives, no matter what we are going through.  In fact, David asks the Lord that he might live longer here on earth in order to further spread the Lord's message of salvation.  And, in times of tests, trials and struggles, God's miraculous answers to prayer are more evident.  This in itself is a testimony to us and others of God's faithfulness and blessings.

Over all the years, in all of my experiences, I have seen this to be very true!  The more I trust and rest in God and His word, the more peace I experience!  There is individual inner peace that cannot be described, and cannot be manipulated or quashed by others.  And when a group of people all strive to live according to God and His word, there is a very real and widespread peace, and unconditional love, which brings about a unity among God's children!