Day 194/365- Psalm 119:6

"What Gives?"

Then I will not be ashamed
when I compare my life with your commands. (Psalm 119:6 NLT)

Psalm 119 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture in the Bible. Its 176 verses focus on nothing but the Word of God. It shows what the Word of God is for us, what it does to us, what it produces in us, & what it wants to do through us. It speaks of God's mercy, life, love, favor, promises, justice, freedom, & comfort just to name a few. It shows us how to delight in God, know God, love God, rest in God, obey God, walk with God, & many others. It reminds me of the Proverbs in that we could spend the rest of our lives unlocking the treasures found in these verses.

The Bible talking about itself has always been something of great interest to me. I know what I think of the Word & how it speaks & transforms me but what I need is to see how God wants it to speak & transform me. The Bible's words about itself help us to know how to use it & read it. It shows us what it wants for us & what it gives to us. It tells us what it should be doing in us & brings conviction & action to ensure it does happen.

I believe a Christian's Bible is the single most important tool for their walk with God, their obedience to him, their knowledge of him, their understanding of their own lives, & their purpose in life. It has it all. It shows us who we are, who we were, & who God desires for us to be.

That being said, I'm not always as consistent as the Psalmist when it comes to the Word. I often feel like my life & the commands of God don't match up. The Bible calls this disobedience. Psalm 119:6 says, "Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands."

What do our lives look like compared to God's commands? Do they match up or is one of these things not like the other? If they don't match up, our tendency is to want to change something. There is a tension here & so something must give. So, what gives?

We often try to bend the Word to fit our lives rather than changing our lives to match the Word. God's Word never changes but we must. When the Bible & our lives are at odds, we must do the changing. We must adjust to it & not expect it to adjust to us. We need to change, not it.