God's Commandments are Wonderful, Indeed

“Your testimonies are wonderful;

    therefore my soul keeps them.

The unfolding of your words gives light;

    it imparts understanding to the simple.

I open my mouth and pant,

    because I long for your commandments.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,

    as is your way with those who love your name.

Keep steady my steps according to your promise,

    and let no iniquity get dominion over me.

Redeem me from man's oppression,

    that I may keep your precepts.

Make your face shine upon your servant,

    and teach me your statutes.

My eyes shed streams of tears,

    because people do not keep your law.” (Psalms 119:129-136)

The testimonies of the Lord are now the Old Testament and the New Testament in the Bible (Genesis to Revelation). For a good part of the Old Testament, God’s people were under the Old Covenant, including in the Gospels in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). But Jesus Christ taught the New Covenant when he lived on the earth during that time. And beginning with Jesus’ death and resurrection, God’s people (all who believe in Jesus Christ with genuine faith) are under the New Covenant.

Now "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV). But not all Scripture is to be specifically applied to everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ. We need to read the Old Testament in light of the New Testament, and we need to read all the Scriptures in their context to see who they are for and how they are to be applied to our lives today.

And even under the New Covenant we have to obey the commandments of our Lord that he has for us now to obey, and which are spelled out for us all throughout the New Testament, which is filled with “put off that, put on this,” and “don’t do that, but do this,” and “You used to do that, but now do this.” For we learn in the New Testament, under the New Covenant, that faith in Jesus Christ involves us dying with Christ to sin, not just once, but daily, and us walking in obedience to his commands in holy living, by God’s grace.

Now the Scriptures (Old and New Testaments) give light to us who listen to them and who take God and his word to heart to obey them. They teach us about God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – and of his/their divine character and will for our lives. And they teach us the ways of the Lord – of righteousness, godliness, moral purity, uprightness, honesty, faithfulness, integrity, and obedience. And they instruct us in death to sin and in living to God and to his righteousness in obedience to his commands.

And we are to view the teachings of God to us as something wonderful, and as something to be desired above all else. And we should long for the commandments of the Lord and not try to find “wiggle room” around having to obey them. They are not something to be avoided, but embraced and followed. And we should desire strongly to be taught by the Lord in his ways and for him to grant us the strength and wisdom to follow him in obedience, and to fulfill his plan and his purpose for our lives – all in his power.

Now, when it comes to asking the Lord to keep steady our steps and to let no iniquity get dominion over us, this involves our full cooperation with God and our full participation with him in his work of grace in our lives. We cannot expect God to treat us like marionettes with him pulling all the strings and with us having no choice regarding what direction we go. The Scriptures are quite clear on this subject that we must say “No” to sin, and we must say “Yes” to God by our choices that we make every day.

So, if we choose to go the wrong direction, and if we choose to make our steps unsteady and to let iniquity (sin) get dominion over our lives, that is not God’s fault! It is our own fault! For he gives us everything we need to make the right choices and to live godly and holy lives in obedience to his commands. And if we give in to (yield to) the oppression of other people, and so we let their treatment of us define who we are and what choices we make, that is also not God’s fault. We alone are to blame if we do wrong.

So, not only must we earnestly and sincerely seek out the Lord and his commandments, and his will and purpose for our lives, but we must yield control of our lives over to the Lord, and we must submit to his will and purposes, and we must cooperate with his work of grace instead of resisting him, and instead of choosing to go our own way. And then we should be among those who truly shed streams of tears because people do not keep the law of the Lord, rather than us rejoicing with what is evil. 

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

As the Deer 

By Martin J. Nystrom

Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water

 So my soul longeth after You

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield

 To You alone may my spirit yield

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70

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