Morning Devotional July 30, 2016

Psalm 119:65-72

“Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O Lord, according unto thy word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes. The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart. Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.”



Notice here that he says “Before I was afflicted I went astray:”. Notice there is no pause or comma after “Before”. So what he is saying here is that he went astray before he was afflicted. Notice where the affliction comes from. It comes from our Lord.
Have you ever noticed how when we go astray it is usually when we think all things are going well in our life. Or when it seems our Lord is blessing us. It is at those times that we will become lax in our faith. We become so comfortable with our life and everything that God seems to be blessing us with that we fall into temptations or we follow after the world.
When our Heavenly Father comes to chastise us for not following His Word it is not a chastisement unto death or a form of His wrath. No, it is a show of His love toward us. It is Him teaching us that we can do nothing without Him. Even when we go astray and follow the world, He comes and breaks our leg like a shepherd would a lamb that has gone astray. And He carries us in His arms until we are healed. While that leg is broken and healing He teaches us His precepts. Then when we are healed and He is ready to turn us back with the rest of His flock the first thing we want to do is tell the others of the love of the Great Shepherd.
O what a wonderful experience to have that time with our Lord while we heal ! O what great lessons He teaches us during that time! O how He makes us willing to learn His laws and precepts!
Through affliction our Lord teaches us His statutes. “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.” His law should be more precious to us than any wealth this world could afford. What a glorious God we serve!!!



Praise ye the Lord!!!