The alphabet is a wonderful invention. It simplifies our written language, gives us a way to handle the complexity of communication. In Psalm 119 we’re learning the alphabet of God’s Word. Are you ready for the next lesson?
Psalm 119:25-32 stresses our choice of the way or path we will walk, and the psalmist encourages us to choose God's way and run wild and free in it.
If you are getting started in a relationship with God, trying to have a quiet time or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.
Spend your first fifteen minutes of the day listening to God and responding in a personal way. This podcast will show you how and teach you in an easy to follow process.
In fifteen minutes (or less) you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. What a perfect way to get started!
We are listening to Psalm 119, the longest psalm of the Bible. We're listening to one or two stanzas at a time. This wisdom psalm about God’s law is written as an acrostic in Hebrew, a poem where the lines begin with the letters of the alphabet in order. The Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters, and Psalm 119 has 22 sections of 8 verses each. Each section or stanza starts every line with the same letter: This episode features the fourth stanza (daleth) where every line starts with "d".
In this episode we pay attention to what gets repeated. The word “way” is repeated a lot, five times in fact. The Hebrew word “way” is derek, the same word that is prominent in Psalm 1 (the way of the righteous and of the wicked). It’s also in the first verse of Psalm 119, which shows its importance.
Scripture teaches we are free to choose. God gives us free will. He wants us to choose him and his way, but he doesn’t force us. The psalmist is quietly, persistently urging us, “Choose his way.”
I invite you to write out one stanza (8 verses) of Psalm 119 each day until you finish it. Writing out scripture is one way to make it "sticky". After you've written out the stanza for the day, pick one verse from that section to meditate on throughout the day. For today's reading, I recommend either v. 31 or 32.
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As we progress in season three get a copy of the book God Help Me Grow: Learning to Pray through the Psalms on Amazon (or the ebook) so you can pray all of the first 30 psalms in the book of Psalms.
You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com