OUR UNDERSTANDING - PART 1

MONDAY 28 AUGUST 2023

One of the ways for us to walk in the full knowledge of God's commands or law is to study it daily and effectively until we are firmly initiated into His way of doing things, which is the divine path of life. God's Word has the power to mould our Christian lives on the side of righteousness, and it is the very fountain of divine understanding. To that effect, Psalm 119:130 says, "The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple" (NIV). More below!

Reference: Psalm 119:32 New International Version (NIV) "I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding."

The Psalmist says, "I run in the path of your commands...", which denotes consistency. In other words, for him, it is a habitual performance. Consistency in any kind of practice gives increasing power in that field of practice.

The Good News Translation says, "I will eagerly obey your commands, because you will give me more understanding."

The main focus in this article is on the first line: "I run in the path of your commands." The force of this expression suggests that the Psalmist eagerly yielded to the dictates of the Word. By this, we know and understand that his life was hugely influenced by the Spirit of God, and so indeed, blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord.

The design of the referenced passage also gives us simple general guide by which we can live the life of the Spirit, in order to stay determined to function according to the Word and keep fulfilling God's plan for our lives. Instead of dwelling on the wrong ideas and negative perspectives, we should endeavour to allow the Word to dominate our thought patterns, by giving ourselves to it. This is because the Word helps us to become accustomed to living God's way, thereby becoming unfamiliar with evil practices and negative influences in this present world. And the golden news is that any born again Christian can enjoy a life of increasing glow - uninterrupted, which is the supernatural result of persistent communion with the Lord through the Word.

The path of God's commands is the path of life. This was revealed in Psalm 16:11 which says, "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" (NIV). There is no death in this path because it is a divinely-orchestrated pathway that transmits the God-kind of life. Got it? To walk in that path is to function in conformity with God's perspective. To that effect, Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) reads, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

To run in the path of God's commands requires us to first of all, present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, and that means, submit yourself to God completely, which is a true and proper worship. And secondly, we ought to renew our minds with the Word continually, in order to experience steady transformation in our way of life. You must condition your mind to embrace the lovely and life-changing thoughts from the Word of truth and more so, linger on those thoughts cogitatively, until they become deeply ingrained in your spirit. And it must done on a daily basis to strengthen your conviction and confidence in God alone. Therefore, few days in a week are not enough; I recommend every single day! Renew your mind with the Word, so as to continually sustain the light of your Christian life. Stay tuned for part 2. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 119:105; Job 23:12; Matthew 4:4.

Exuberant Declaration: I run in the path of life because God has qualified me to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints, which is in light. This was made possible through the branch of God's mercy that instigated the death of Christ, denoting His atoning sacrifice on my behalf, which is the reason I give thanks always. Hallelujah!