J. C. Ryle once stated, “It is natural to us to do wrong…Our hearts are like the earth on which we tread; let it alone, and it is sure to bear weeds.”[1] How true he is, the Bible states, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good” (Psalm 14.1, ESV; also see Romans 3.12).[2] It does not matter what we try to do, we cannot do anything good outside of God’s help. The Psalmist claims, “I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord,” (vs. 145).[3] He is leaving nothing on the table, crying out to God with all his heart. In the next verse he says, “I call out to You; save me” (vs. 146); the Psalmist desires God’s intervention in his life. He will not take no for an answer. However, notice he is not just asking for an answer, but he is also declaring his willingness to obey and keep the decrees and statutes of God.
Just how much should we desire to obey and keep God’s Word? How earnestly should we cry out to God for help, for Him to listen to us? The Psalmist says, I have put my hope in Your Word, therefore I rise up early in the morning and cry out to you for help (vs. 147, my emphasis). No matter what troubles might come, whether we are up or down, meditating on God’s wonderous promises will always keep us watchful through the night. The Lord loves to hear from His children, He is waiting for us to communicate with Him. The question is will we reach out to our Heavenly Father and ask Him for anything? Sometimes the things we need to be asking for are simple, like “preserve my life” (vs. 150). We must always be on the lookout for those who do not wish to follow God’s Word. They are easy to spot, they are the ones not obeying His Word or Commands. We need to show them love and compassion but we need to also show them how to live according to the Word of God. No matter how far away God might seem, when we cry out for Him, He is always right beside us. We can be reassured of His presence and help by His faithful and trustworthy Word. Knowing what God’s Word has to say and applying it to our heart will help us to learn His statutes and ways. Also, continually reminding us how wonderful, awesome and everlasting God’s Holy Word really is. Application
[1] Ritzema, E. (Ed.). (2012). 300 Quotations for Preachers. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ps 14:1). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [3] The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 119:145). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. [4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ps 66:18). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
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