Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Pastor Foley finished his message with an assignment that we will review together today.

Today’s scripture, Psalms 119:10-14 (NLT) testifies…
[10] I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. [11] I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. [12] I praise you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. [13] I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us. [14] I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches.

Consider…
Pastor Foley challenged to look back at the end of the week and ask…

• Was God’s word my priority?
• Was meditating on God’s word my practice?
• Was obedience to God’s word my pathway?

Those same questions in present tense are also good ones to start each day…

• Is God’s word my priority?
• Is meditating on God’s word my practice?
• Is obedience to God’s word my pathway?

The Psalmist in today’s scripture affirmatively answers the questions.

In today’s first verse we see God is a priority. Notice he said, “I have tried hard to find you”.

That hit play on Tasha Cobb Leonard’s singing the One Pure and Holy Passion…

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You

Knowing and following hard after the LORD must be our passion and obsession, which will make knowing what He desires and requires, revealed in His word, a priority too.

The Psalmist emphasizes the importance of knowing God’s word to prioritizing Him, with the words…
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

I think I like AMP version of verse 11 more. Psalms 119:11 (AMP) reads…Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

Is God’s Word (Jesus), and word (scripture), treasured and stored in your heart?

Are you singing along with Jonathan Butler in I Stand on Your Word…

[Verse 1]
No matter what the situation, I believe, I believe
No matter what the circumstances, I believe, yes, I believe

[Chorus]
I stand on Your word
I stand on Your promise
I stand on Your word
I stand on Your promise
My soul says yes, my soul says yes

[Verse 2]
Even when my faith is weary, I believe, I believe
Before I know that You will answer, I believe, I believe

[Chorus]
I stand on Your word
I stand on Your promise
I stand on Your word
I stand on Your promise
My soul says yes, my soul says yes

[Bridge]
To your will, to Your way
I will trust and obey
To your will, to Your way
I will trust and obey

[Chorus]
I stand on Your word
I stand on Your promise
I stand on Your word
I stand on Your promise
My soul says yes, my soul says yes

All of today’s verses align with affirmatively prioritizing God’s word.

From the same chapter of today’s scripture, I found the following examples of affirmatively meditating and obeying God’s word. Psalms 119:54-57, 59-60 (NLT) affirms…Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived. [55] I reflect at night on who you are, O LORD; therefore, I obey your instructions. [56] This is how I spend my life: obeying your commandments. [57] LORD, you are mine! I promise to obey your words!
[59] I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. [60] I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands.

I believe the Psalmist provides the key to his meditative obedience a few verses earlier. He said in Psalms 119:47-48 (NLT)…How I delight in your commands! How I love them! [48] I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your decrees.

As I saw the Psalmist toggle between commands and decrees, I became curious and looked up the terms. I found…
In theology, “decrees” refer to God’s unchangeable, sovereign plans, whereas “commands” are His revealed moral will for people to follow.

So God’s commands are His instructions to help us fulfill His sovereign plan.

That ran me back to 119:54-55…Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived. [55] I reflect at night on who you are, O LORD; therefore, I obey your instructions.

Like the Psalmist, can you say that God’s sovereign plan is your theme song, and His instructions are the notes you sing within it?

Are you humming along with Erica Campbell singing Trust and Obey…

[Verse 1]
What’s this I hear?
I can hear it so clear
Speaking right into my soul
Telling me things I should already know
But my ways are too hard to let go

[Chorus 1]
Trust and obey
Mm, trust and obey
Lord I hear, hear what You say
I must do it Your way
Trust and obey
I should trust and obey
Lord it’s hard, but I still say
I must do it Your way

That’s it, the Holy Spirit is telling us to practice doing it God’s way! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Lastly, are you on the right path? Not sure, Proverbs 3:6 (NLT)
advises…Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

And Proverbs 14:2 (NLT) instructs…Those who follow the right path fear the LORD; those who take the wrong path despise him.

Proverbs 15:24 (NLT) further explains…The path of life leads upward for the wise; they leave the grave behind.

Which makes me immediately think of Philippians 3:13-15 (NLT)…No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. [15] Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.

The right path is the one leads to the right destination.

So your path is right if Colossians 3:2-3 (NLT) is true for you…Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. [3] For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

And if in addition to following the heavenly road signs, you’re being led by Heaven’s Light who said in John 8:12 (NLT)…“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

Or simply as said earlier, you’re doing it God’s way!

This journey through God’s word revealed the OBEDIENCE is correct answer to…

• Prioritizing God’s word
• Practicing God’s word
• Prosperous Path-following God’s word

Today’s song is…
Obedience

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)