Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Be With Me is a daily 7 minute chronological walk through the New Testament hosted by Michael Smith. It is for everyone who is curious about what Jesus actually said and did in the gospels. Most episodes will leave you with at least one good thought to chew on for the rest of the day. We start with the Bible and hopefully end with Awe. We are walking through the chronological events of Jesus' life and then thoughtfully considering them. It is meant to spur the devotional life of the Christian and the not-yet-Christian. We occasionally venture into the Old Testament when it helps our understanding of the New Testament events. Everybody has 7 minutes. Everybody needs to wonder. Be With Me is hosted by Michael Smith who has absolutely no special qualifications to do a podcast. He is not a pastor. He has not been to seminary. He does not lead a mega-church. He is not a professional and he has no more credentials than you do. He does, however, follow a great God with an observant eye and a curious heart. Each day, he starts with a study bible and aims for astonishment. ‘be with him’ for 7 minutes as he sets out daily to discover the God who invites us to ‘Be With Me.’
Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
It’s all there in Psalm 119 S30e159 Ps119
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It's all there in Ps119. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but not much.
When you struggle with temptation...
When you sit in the dust...
When your soul melts for sorrow...
When you have forgotten your way...
In all of this, Psalm 119 has something to say. Join me there please. and Subscribe on YouTube and ApplePodcasts and Spotify, etc.
https://youtu.be/U96F2-zNxR4
It’s all there in Psalm 119 S30e159 Ps119
276
Not quite true, but it is close.
I was wonderfully tricked into taking a look at Ps 119
Psalm of greatest structure
It takes 22 letter of the Herew alphabet 8 verses each for 176 verses
So too it is a Psalm of Great substance gravitas purposefulness
Longer that some whole books of the Bible.
It is a love song for the WORD OF GOD
Now The OT is an expression of God Himself to mankind.
It is as if the psalm says: Lord, You have communicated yourself to us and for us and I am going to sing about it!
To contrast: Think about What if God was silent. What if we never knew much about Him. What if He was a strong silent type only.
NO! He gives us Himself via this Word
And we best be happy joyful of song about it--
It is an antidote to SIN. Quotable antidote
In it, we expose ourselves to YOUR ways Lord, so that what?
So that it affects MY WAYS.
Specifically that I may not sin against you
For example: 9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
. You will struggle with porn unless you love something more.
You will not have victory in purity until you love something more.
It is a landing zone for SORROW
25 when my soul clings to the dust.
28 My soul melts away for sorrow; ************
50 This is my comfort in my affliction,
that your promise gives me life.
When your soul melts for Sorrow, where will you go? Ps119
We come with melted souls for sorrow and then we ask the Lord, a few things Teach, give me understanding, lead me, Incline my heart turn my eyes confirm your promise and turn away the reproach
But there is much we can DO: Put self under teaching. Study for understanding. Be led. Actually incline my heart downhill towards your Word, turn my eyes actively away from some worthless things… and turn toward the valuable.
Like peter in John 6: where else are we to go? You have the words of eternal life
Here is an internet question: have you ever been trapped into watching some news feed, or tik tok, or Instagram just doom scrolled?
Time goes by 5 minutes 55 minutes 5 hours—designed to harvest your eyeballs and serotonin in your head. Don’t be surprised 37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.***********
Ps 119 is a source of memorizable, practical wisdom
Ps 119 is a REMINDER a keepsake
It is essentially people, reminding God not to forget His word,
which He cannot help but do,
reminding us to remember God remembering His law,
which we cannot help but to fail to do.****
Ps 119 is a promise of SPACE
45 and I shall walk in a wide place,
for I have sought your precepts. *****.
A narrow place is When the options are NARROW, limited. Choices are few and they are bad. Hemmed in in a bad way
But walking in a wide place, with possibilities before me.
In general, following God’s rules results in more options, better opportunities.
It reminds us what to do in suffering: when trouble is danger-close, God is shadow – close
It reminds us who to associate with in fellowship: 63 I am a companion of all who fearyou, of those who keep your precepts****.
Is a life with God lonely?
Am I unaccompanied in this journey?
Is the spiritual life to be lived alone?
Reminds us what to do with our hands:
If my hands are made by HIM, then what these hands do regarding work; what these hands consider regarding who they hold—both in affection and in fellowship, and to WHO THESE HANDS ARE RAISED IN WORSHIP
Three big W’s of life: work, women, worship. 3 things you gotta get right
Finally, answering the question: what do the eyes of your soul long to attain?
81 My soul longs for your salvation;
I hope in your word.
82 My eyes long for your promise;
I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
I notice Two things regarding what He desires:
1. You cannot see it NOW except in promise
2. You cannot see it HERE except in shadow
Here the psalmist longs for… something: YOUR SALVATION; fulfillment of the promise. I want what you said was going to happen, to HAPPEN.
Ps119 is a tour de force of the themes of the OT and the thems of God.
“Its all there” not quite true, but it is true enough to recommend highly