Psalm 119

I feel like I could read this Psalm forever, over and over again.

I always feel insanely distracted when I read my Bible, but the new method I’ve been trying has been working so well! I am actually allowing the Holy Spirit to give me spiritual insight and wisdom and I am actually understanding the text! Basically I have YouBible on my cell phone, so I have been reading along to passages that have audio, and the audio that is in place on the app is this man’s voice that is SO clear and crisp. It is essentially subliminal commentary BECAUSE the inflections in his tone perfectly describe the sentences, whether they are questions or not, loving promises, etc. So I took this further, and based on the highlightability of the app (take pencil crayons for paper bible versions), I decided to code all COMMANDS- PINK, PROMISES-YELLOW, and all CHARACTERISTICS of God as ORANGE. Then I pause and re read passages I have questions to, or want to meditate on. It’s been working!!

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart—
3 they do no wrong
but follow his ways.
4 You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.
5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying your decrees!
6 Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart
as I learn your righteous laws.
8 I will obey your decrees;
do not utterly forsake me.
ב Beth

9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
12 Praise be to you, Lord;
teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.

Pray out this Psalm to God!!

Hand-picked moment.

I have a verse box I created years ago, with verses I liked that I felt I should memorize to use in times of temptation, etc.

Today my friend and I were hanging out and I just said, “PICK A VERSEEEE” and she picked this one. Needless to say, it’s a very convicting verse regardless of where you are in your journey to overcoming this addiction.

1 Thessalonians 4: 3-8

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

How It Feels To Be Addicted…Psalm 69.

Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

3 I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

6 Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.

7 Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.

8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.

9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.

11 I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.

12 They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.

13 But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

14 Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

15 Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

16 Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

18 Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.

19 Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.

1 Chronicles 10

I read this today. At the end of the chapter in verse thirteen, there is a blunt conclusive statement about the events and the reasons behind them.

verse 13: The reason for Saul’s death…
“Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.”

My mom always said, “The Bible is like a mirror, you look at it, and you see in your own life the things that are not in alignment or the lessons needing to be learned from stories.”

In this I saw, reading on, a contrast in Saul’s life and David’s. David, the Bible says, “inquired of the Lord.” Faithfulness is the word that comes to mind.

8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went out to meet them. 9 Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim; 10 so David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”
The LORD answered him, “Go, I will deliver them into your hands.”

11 So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.[b] 12 The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire.

13 Once more the Philistines raided the valley; 14 so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, “Do not go directly after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” 16 So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

Dear Lord,

I pray that you give me the same faithfulness David had. I want to obey your commands fully, following through with each one. Help me, and guide me in doing this, I pray for your strength, as I meet my own enemies head on, let people see who is the strength behind my success and victory. Amen.

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Action Plan to Overcome Sin.

 

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5)

1) We need to have a growing realization that the Lord is SO pure, so clean and so majestic in comparison to us. This will only come from reading the Word. (Refer to points below)

 

2) Sin in darkness thrives, so get it out. Tell someone you know is more mature than you spiritually.

 

3) I find that sin has a tendency to fluorish when our living environment’s are unclean, untidy, and disorganized. My parents would always say, “Your room is an EXACT representation of your mind.” I always thought they were crazy for saying that, but it’s a quote I live by—chances are if I’m living in a “pig-sty” it’s transferring over to my spiritual life as well.

 

4) You need to have tactics in place. First you need to be aware of your triggers, be as honest with yourself as possible and work against those. THIS IS A WAR WE’RE FIGHTING. Ex. if you have a laptop, make sure you decide to a) keep door open, b) laptop away from your room and or c) to remove the ‘fuel’. What I mean by fuel is, the Jersey Shore episodes you are watching, or the sleazy movies, or the places you end up visiting with friends, it all adds fuel to the fire. When temptation comes you can be sure that your own choices triggered it.

 

5) Accountability needs to be ongoing, so it doesn’t end with a confession. You need daily check ups at first, or weekly ones where you are acknowledging your struggles to someone else regularly.

 

6) THE BIBLE. You need to figure out a time for yourself where you are going to delve into the word and hear what God has to say. Come before the Lord in reverence, and don’t just flip through pages selfishly till you find a verse that “resonates” with you. Pray over the word, and BE DISTRACTION FREE. That means no cell phone, youtube, texting, facebook, or music unless you use it to soften and open your heart (I put on worship songs before my quiet time sometimes but need to be on guard or else I’ll get distracted and simultaneously check my email–def not reverent to Christ. Read Revelation 4 to understand who we are worshipping and how great He is.)

 

LORD. Thank you for your magnificence. I’m sorry for only understanding you with my miniscule brain, and placing you in a box. You are so great and mightly Lord! Grant me the strength and power to overcome temptation, let me heed your word and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I pray in your name, Amen.

If you want to BEAT this addiction…

…you need to stop and realize your helplessness in overcoming it. So many times we lean on our own knowledge and understanding opposite of what Proverbs 3:5 says to do. So many times we RESOLVE to fight this once and for all and find ourselves entrenched even further.

Psalm 40:17 says, But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the lord think of me. You are my HELP and my DELIVERER ; you are my GOD, do not delay.

For thou does not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; thou art not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou will not despise. Psalm 51:16-17