David’s call for patriotism about Jerusalem was a demonstration of his belief in the extra ordinary status of this wonderful city.
 
As a king, David made Jerusalem his “stronghold” and “fortress.” He made Jerusalem the capital city where he ruled Israel from. He believed Jerusalem is “the city of God” and has a spiritual significance. He also believed that peace is necessary in Jerusalem for peace to be in the world.
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But as believers today, does that belief still hold and is the command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem with its attendant blessing on those who pray for it is still binding on believers?

Psalm 119 is not only reputed to be the longest chapter in the Bible, it also harbor in it’s 176 verses powerful gems of wisdom, knowledge, and quotes for believers – even unbelievers – to navigate the world.

From the 97th verses down through 105, David penned what can be called one of the most important eulogy about the law and the commandments of God, which in our today’s world can be simply called, the word of God, as we are no longer under the law but under grace.

Here in this passage are ten powerful benefits of meditating on God's word.

According to the passage above, there are several powerful benefits of meditating on God's word. 

This is Part 1 of the 2-Parts Series on ​10 POWERFUL BENEFITS OF EMBRACING GOD’S WORD.

Here in Part 1, let's explore five of the 10 benefits.

1.  It makes you wiser than your enemies.

• Imagine being wiser than your enemies.
• This means:
  • You’d always be a step ahead of them at all times and in all ways!
  • This means victory.
• Only the word of God can do that when we mediate on it “day and night” like God told Joshua to do.
• God told Joshua that if he did that, he would have ‘good success.’ (Josh 1:8).
• We will have “good success, too, if we meditate on the word of God ‘all day.’

2.  It gives you more understanding than all your teachers.

• This is divine! You understand more than, not one, or two, but ALL your teachers.
• Is this even possible?
• Well, David said he did. And if you read your Bible well, you know this is true. This is the result of not only reading the word of God but “Meditating” on it ALL DAY!
• There is power in the word of God through the Holy Spirit whom the Bible calls a “quickening spirit.’ he makes you to know and understand quickly beyond (Psa 143:11, Rom 8:11).

3.  It makes you to understand more than the ancients.

• Jesus at age 12 stood at the temple and expanded the words of prophet Isaiah who lived over a thousand years before him to the Pharisees who were older than him.
• Result? They opened their mouth wide.
• First, they couldn’t understand where Jesus learned the Greek language he was speaking with instead of Aramaic.
• Secondly, they were baffled where or how he knew anything about prophet Isaiah and what he said and how he fit in – that’s the power of meditating on God’s words – he will teach you all things (1Jn 2:27).

4.  He keeps your feet from every evil ways.

• Only the word of God can keep you from EVERY evil ways.
• This because Pro 4:12 says, “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
• But the word of God keeps you from the claws of a strange woman and from the deceit of a cunny man.
• When you meditate on the word of God “all day,” it keeps you from falling into the trap, arrows, and schemes of the enemy.

5.  It makes you accept God’s sovereignty – His judgments.

• Not departing from the ‘judgment’ of God is to accept Him as sovereign in all things even when we don’t understand.
• Job did not call God a fool despite his predicament – he accepted the ‘judgment’ of God until God came through for him
• When we accept the plan, purposes, and programs of God in our lives as sovereign, we embrace his judgment

1. Men of Issachar:

1. The Bible calls them “valiant men of might” (1Chr 7:5).
2. They are part of the “mighty men of David” in war and battle.
3. But they did not use sword or threw javelin.
4. Their might and strength was their “understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1Chr 12:32).

LESSON: Surround yourself with people of physical might but also people endowed with counsels, experience, and wisdom to guide you through life, times, and seasons.

Bible Reading: 1Kngs 12:8,15-16, 2Sam 15:12,31, 2Sam 16:23, Pro 4:5,7, Pro 11:14, Pro 15:22, Pro 16:16, Pro 19:20, Pro 23:23, Pro 24:6.

Biblical Definition of Gratitude

1. Gratitude is a feeling and sense of thankfulness. It is appreciating God for all his blessings and gifts that we have received from him. Psa 68:19 says God “daily loads us with benefits.” David asks us to “…come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song" (Psalm 95:2). Colossians 3:15, says, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” Peace in your heart is a response to gratitude that God is in control, no matter the situation or circumstances.
2. Gratitude is also an act of worship. Acknowledging God as the source of all gifts and blessings in our lives. When see God as the source of all blessings, we will do what David says in.  Worship as gratitude comes with giving, giving thanks, giving offering, giving sacrifice. David said, "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High" (Psalm 50:14).  

Ephesians 5:20 says, "And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Bible teaches that the path of righteousness is like a shining light, ever-growing in brightness until the perfect day.

As Christians, we are called to live our lives according to the teachings of God, found in the Bible. We are to remain true to our faith and maintain a moral compass that guides us along the righteous path. We must strive to follow the example of Jesus Christ, walking in his footsteps, and living a life of holiness and righteousness.

The Bible offers us many examples of the path of righteousness, from the stories of Noah and Abraham to the teachings of Jesus. The Bible shows us that we can live a life of faith and morality, even when the world around us may be filled with darkness and despair.

We must continue to walk in the light of the Lord and strive to reach perfection. In doing so, we glorify God and honor His teachings. 

Finding Peace is not a function of money or things. 

Many have these things but are still looking for peace in all the wrong places

True peace is inner peace. People don't know where to get this peace despite all the possess. 

Some truly have peace in the world but do not have peace with God. What sense is in having peace for 100 years on earth and not having peace for eternity? All the things that gives us peace now will one day go and we will be left with emptiness.  

The best peace we can have is having peace with God and that can only happen through Jesus. 

Peace with God is the ultimate as it not only gives us peace here on earth but also in the after life. Jesus said, "My peace I leave with you not as the world gives." (Joh 14:27). 

True peace is the peace that transcends your own understanding and the understanding of any man or anything. 

Finding peace is not being afraid of tomorrow. It is not not being afraid of death and afterlife. 

Paul tells us in the book of Romans two ways we can have this peace.  

"Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom 5:1).

1.  Through Justification. This is through the death of Jesus did on the cross. We are pronounced "not guilty" because He took our place and died for the sins He did not commit. We are now justified by the faith we have in that finished works of Christ on Calvary. We can rejoice in that and that will bring peace into our hearts.

Justification not only give us peace in the world, but also peace in eternity with God. We can live the rest of our lives in peace knowing that we are not condemned. He does not condemn us but rather just justified us (Rom 8:1). Even when we commit sin, we have peace that if confess our sins, "... he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1Jn 1:9).

2. Hope of eternity. Many don't know where they are going when they die. But because we have been justified here on earth, we will be glorified in there heaven. That brings peace into out hearts knowing that we know where we are going when we die. Isn't that simply peaceful! That's why the Bible calls it a "hope of eternity".

​Paul says in 2Cor 5:1: "For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens" This means even if we pass through difficult time here on earth, our hope of eternity should keep us alive. 

Little wonder 1Cor 15:19 says, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." Our hope is in heaven, therefore our affection should be there. 

In the last line of verse two of our text, Paul asked us to rejoice in the hope of this glory.

Our finding peace is because of these two reasons above, among many others. 

Start rejoicing. Start to confess peace. Confess peace in your life, home, family, and so on. Confess peace over your children regardless of what the enemy is doing. Confess peace over your marriage despite the tide. He has given you peace on earth and peace after you die. 
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Rejoice, again, I say, rejoice. Always! Shalom!
Join me at CLUBHOUSE M-F 6:30AM CST  / Sunday 8.00AM Shalom! 

How to handle situations that may make your good be evil spoken of

Have you ever been in a situation where: 

• You go out of your way to do something that is not convenient for you for someone, only for the person to turn around and use it against you. 
• You have let someone into your life and he or she is using what he knows about you against you. 
• You have helped someone from what you barely have, and the person does not appreciate it. 
• You have allowed someone to know a secret about you and he is making it public.  

Jesus was in situations like these many times in his life.  

The same Pharisee that invited Jesus for dinner in his house in Luke 11:37-40 turned around to accuse him and his disciples of eating without washing their hands. 

In moments like this, you need divine wisdom so that your good will not become evil (Rom 14:16). 
Several times Jesus’ display of divine wisdom shot the mouth of the lions.  

Remember a man that called Jesus "good Master," and asked if they should pay tax to Caesar. What a sweet way of Jesus calling this man’s bluff. Jesus’s display of divine wisdom made the man not only to regret his attempt to bring Jesus down but also to know how stupid he was. (Matt 22:15-22). 

They brought a woman taken in adultery to Jesus. She was taken “in the very act.” They wanted to see if Jesus would go against their laws so they would use his words against him. The divine wisdom Jesus displayed left them guilty, from the high priest to the least of the accuser of the woman. At the end, Jesus displayed further divine wisdom by asking the woman to “go and sin no more.” (John 8:3-11). 

What if you possessed this type of divine wisdom? – the good news is, you can! 

Jesus did not get angry at the Pharisee who invited him for dinner in his house and later accused him and his disciples. He did not storm out of the Pharisee’s house in anger, abuse, or accuse him back. He rather used the situation as an opportunity to display divine wisdom. 

Do not miss an opportunity to teach a zealot or a Pharisee about the difference between culture and doctrine. Do not miss the opportunity to let an ingrate, or someone who is turning your good gesture as a weapon against you to know that they cannot bring you to their level.  

Divine wisdom is the sweetest revenge against someone that behaves like a friend but talks evil behind your back. Divine wisdom is the weapon to shame a hypocrite.  

You need this divine wisdom. The book of Proverbs says: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7). 

Do you know you can get this divine wisdom if you really want to? The Bible says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). 

Join me live every day, Monday to Friday 6:30am – 7.00am CST for Morning Devotion on Clubhouse