That I May Walk in Your Truth

Psalms 86:11-13 ESV

 

“Teach me your way, O Lord,

    that I may walk in your truth;

    unite my heart to fear your name.

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,

    and I will glorify your name forever.

For great is your steadfast love toward me;

    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.”

 

Because of God’s great love toward us in sending Jesus Christ, God the Son, to the earth, ultimately to die on a cross for our sins, therefore, by God-given faith in Jesus Christ, we are able to be delivered from our slavery (addiction) to sin, and we are able to be empowered of God’s Spirit to walk in holiness and in righteousness in walks of obedience to our Lord Jesus. And then we can be taught the ways of the Lord that we might walk in them.

 

But we are not going to be able to be taught the ways of the Lord if we are still living to gratify the sinful cravings of the flesh. The two are directly opposed to each other. So, by faith in Jesus Christ, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. And then we must walk in obedience to our Lord and no longer in habitual sin.

 

For this is God’s design and purpose for our lives that we no longer walk in sin but that we now walk in his righteousness and holiness, in obedience to his commands (New Covenant). Therefore, we are to not let sin reign anymore in our mortal bodies to make us obey its passions, for sin is to no longer have dominion over our lives now that Jesus set us free. For we are slaves of the one whom we obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness and sanctification and eternal life.

 

So, if we want to be taught the ways of the Lord, then first we must die with him to sin that we might live to him and to his righteousness. We must surrender our lives to his control and then we must walk in his ways and in his truth in his power and strength and wisdom. And this is what it means to fear the Lord, to take him and his word seriously, then to submit to him as Lord (Owner-Master), and then to honor him with our lives.

 

[Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-32; Rom 8:1-14; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Co 5:15; 1 Co 6:19-20; Rom 12:1-2; Heb 12:1-2; Lu 9:23-26; 1 Jn 1:5-10]

 

Psalms 86:14-17 ESV

 

“O God, insolent men have risen up against me;

    a band of ruthless men seeks my life,

    and they do not set you before them.

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,

    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Turn to me and be gracious to me;

    give your strength to your servant,

    and save the son of your maidservant.

Show me a sign of your favor,

    that those who hate me may see and be put to shame

    because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.”

 

But you know what? If you are walking in the ways of the Lord, as described in the section above, and if you then are sharing with others how they, too, can be saved from their sins, and be led by the Lord, and then walk in the ways of the Lord, you are going to be opposed by some people, even (or mostly) by others who profess faith in Jesus but who are not walking in his ways and in his truth and righteousness.

 

For these people who will oppose you are usually insolent (disrespectful, sassy, mouthy, foolhardy, impulsive, irresponsible, reckless, unwise) people whose god is their stomach (their fleshly appetites), which they want to hold on to. And so they will mock you, falsely accuse you of wrongdoing, fight against you, tell lies about you, twist your words, treat you with dishonor and with disrespect, and they will try to “get your goat” (irritate you).

 

And if you are on the internet sharing the truth of the gospel of our salvation, and the Scriptures to support that gospel presentation, you are likely to run across people like that who will try to “egg you on” (incite you) into a debate with them. So it takes wisdom to see who is for real and who is just trying to incite you into a pointless argument. If they totally ignore the Scriptures you share, then likely they are intending to incite you.

 

But now if what you are teaching is of the flesh and not of God, and a wise person comes along to try to point you to the truth, then you should listen. But test everything you hear coming from the mouths or writings of other humans against the Scriptures (IN CONTEXT). Don’t stubbornly shut out such people. Listen to what they have to say, and then take it to the Lord in prayer and in the study of God’s word and seek the Lord for truth.

 

[1 Thess 5:19-22; 1 Jn 4:1; Rom 16:17-19; 2 Co 11:3; Eph 4:11-16]

 

So, when we are being opposed, and when we are being attacked because we are following the Lord Jesus in obedience to his ways, and because we are sharing the truth of the gospel (the whole counsel of God), then we should take it all to the Lord in prayer. We should pray for understanding and for wisdom to know what to do and how to react and what to say and when to say nothing at all in response to those who are foolish.

 

And we should pray for the strength of the Lord to keep on in sharing the truth of the gospel despite all opposition against us and despite all the rejection and persecution we might face because we are obeying the Lord. For Satan is on a rampage against us, and he will use other humans to hurt us and to try to take us out and to discourage us, because Satan wants us to stop sharing the truth, and he wants us to stop exposing his lies, too.

 

So, be encouraged, for our Lord Jesus promised us that if we follow him with our lives that we will be hated and persecuted and opposed just like he was. And the closer our walks with the Lord, and the more that we share the truth and expose the lies of the enemy, the more Satan is going to come against us to try to take us down. So just surrender it all to the Lord Jesus and then keep walking in his ways and in his truth, to the glory and praise of God.

 

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:18-21; Jn 17:14; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13]

 

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

 

By Ira F. Stanphill

 

I don't know about tomorrow,

I just live from day to day.

I don't borrow from its sunshine,

For its skies may turn to gray.

I don't worry o'er the future,

For I know what Jesus said,

And today I'll walk beside Him,

For He knows what is ahead.

 

Many things about tomorrow,

I don't seem to understand;

But I know who holds tomorrow,

And I know who holds my hand.

 

I don't know about tomorrow,

It may bring me poverty;

But the one who feeds the sparrow,

Is the one who stands by me.

And the path that is my portion,

May be through the flame or flood,

But His presence goes before me,

And I'm covered with His blood.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1puNvGPFiM

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Christ for Me

 

Author Unknown

 

Christ for me, yes it’s Christ for me.

He’s my Savior my Lord and King,

I’m so happy I shout and sing.

Christ for me, yes it’s Christ for me,

Every day as I go my way it is Christ for me.