Wednesday, December 18, 2013

December 18 ~ This morning's Advent study


From my collection of vintage cards.  I love how this one has a real snip of red satin ribbon as a bookmark!
For something different today, I thought I would share my little Advent study time from this morning.  [Let me quickly interject here that I am not in any way a theologian.  I realize that today's verse is from a psalm that's considered a Messianic psalm.  I am simply going to share how this verse spoke to me this morning.]  This week's theme is "Joy" and today's verse is Psalm 16:11 --

S [Scripture]: "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

O [Observation]: This psalm is titled by Scofield [in the reference Bible I was using] "The path of life and joy."  Psalm 16 is considered to be a Messianic psalm pointing to the resurrection of Christ.

But it has a message for me as well, a message that I can take from this without doing any disservice to the Scriptures :
1) God will show me the path of life.
2) In God's presence there is fullness of joy.
3) At God's right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

A [Application]: God promises to show me the path of life.  He will give me guidance and direction day by day, and even moment by moment, as I consistently look to Him.  Am I doing this?

In God's presence there is fullness of joy.  Even in very difficult times, I can joy in the God of my salvation.  His presence is always with me, and joy can also be my constant companion as I choose to look to God and not my circumstances.  Am I doing this?

And I know that "pleasures forevermore" await me in heaven.  I am so blessed not only to have God's presence and guidance here in this life, but to have heaven to look forward to.  Am I living as befits a citizen of heaven?

If I'm honest, I will have to admit that I cannot answer a wholehearted "Yes!" to any of these questions.  My answer would have to be more like, "Yes, but not consistently."  Obviously, I need to pray about these things and make them part of the fabric of my everyday life.

P [Prayer]:  "Lord, I thank You so much for the clarity of Your Word!  I praise You that it so clearly teaches Your people how You would have them to live!  This verse has so much instruction for me to act on today.
"Lord, I thank You for the guidance and direction You promise to give for my life as I am faithful to look to You consistently.  I pray that You will help me to seek Your wisdom daily -- even moment by moment as necessary.
"And I praise You for Your constant presence with me.  You will never leave me or forsake me.  Help me every day to look to You and not my circumstances.  Many times, life doesn't look or feel very joyful, but I can have joy in  my heart when I look beyond my circumstances to You  and remember that You have a good purpose in my trials and that You are in control.
"I thank You that my citizenship is in heaven.  I am just passing through; just a pilgrim in this life.  Help me to conduct myself every day as a citizen of that better country.  I thank and praise You for all that You will do!  In Jesus' name, Amen."

So that was a good bit of my quiet time this morning.  Is anyone else doing an Advent Bible study?  I hope you are finding it a blessing!


2 comments:

  1. I always enjoy your Bible study! Thanks for sharing your thoughts this morning.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are welcome, Susan! Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad the post was a blessing to you!

    ReplyDelete

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