It is another glorious autumn day, when I feel at peace with the world around, and have thoughts of praise and thanksgiving in my mind. I give thanks to God for my life and His love for me and all mankind: manifested. Psalm 119 is a good place to start in revealing what God means to me, through the words written long ago, by another who had love and wisdom about God to express. Psalm 119: 89-93 “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. 90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides; 91 They continue this day according to Your ordinances, for all are Your servants. 92 Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life.” The laws of nature, and how all creation operates is a mystery and so very essential to all life; mine included. I wonder why many of us do not stop to praise God more often for life and Gods magnificent, power, love and generosity.
The joy in loving God and all His laws and precepts, is a common theme of the Psalms. To follow their example and the words of Jesus and many New Testament authors, brings deep joy to all who are faithful in love and obedience to them. Galatians 2: 19 NKJ “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God” or the Clear Word Translation “When I first saw the true meaning of the laws God had given us and realized, that I was still a sinner because I was keeping these laws as a means of salvation, the legalist in me died. This was good because it made me look to Christ as my Saviour instead of depending on what I could do.”
Jesus came to earth, many, many years after the Psalmist expressed his faith in God earned through faithful dependence, upon Almighty God and His message; supported what God had revealed of Himself so many years before. God, His message, along with Jesus and what He said whilst He was on earth, has not changed for us in these times. A knowledge of this brings such comfort and anchor point for all who believe, with faith in the living God. John 14: 15 – 18 “If you love Me, keep My commandments; 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever- 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” The Holy Spirit has been with earth from the beginning – Genesis 1: 2”……..And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Jesus tells the disciples in the above verses, that the Holy Spirit already dwells with them and will be in them. Jesus also knows the loss and anguish the disciples will feel when He returns to heaven, and this same Holy Spirit, will be their ‘Helper’ or ‘Comforter’ when Jesus Himself will no longer be with them to fill this role.
The hard times and the attractions and distractions of everyday life and the world in which we live, can rob us of the blessings that God has in store for all who believe Him. Jesus, to whom His Father revealed all things needful, during His long hours of solitary prayers to His Father, knew what was ahead for His every follower. 1 John 5: 4, 5 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? These verses are a good place to finish as I give thanks for all that has been given me, and that the ‘Helper’ is with me, and in my desire to grow closer and closer to Jesus and His likeness, and leave my worldly ways behind.