Psalm 119:25-32
God's Word revives us and encourages us. The Psalmist starts this section by saying he lies in the dust. Now that's pretty low--about as down and discouraged as a person can get! And I think we've all been there at some time or another. And I'm afraid our tendency is to turn to every solution except to God and His Word. We should do like the Psalmist does in this section:
1) He asks God to teach him and help him to understand His Word. vv. 26-27
2) He promises to meditate on God's wonderful deeds. b. 27
3) He asks for encouragement in his sorrow. v. 28
4) He asks God to keep him from lying to himself. v. 29 Wow, I guess they did that even in Bible times!
5) He promises to be faithful and to live by God's regulations, clinging to His laws. vv. 30-31
6) He asks that God not let him be put to shame and he again promises to pursue God's commands as God expands his understanding.
Acts 1:12-26
These early believers were people of prayer. This particular group were the 11 remaining disciples along with Mary the mother of Jesus, a few other women, and Jesus' brothers. (v. 14 makes clear that Jesus had brothers, and so this refutes the belief of some groups that Mary never had any other children.) Another time 120 believers were gathered together. Peter, who had been forgiven and reconciled to Jesus before He went back to heaven, reminded them that Judas' betrayal had been predicted in the Old Testament. Now it was time to choose a replacement for him. It had to be someone who had known and traveled with Jesus and who had witnessed His resurrection. They followed God's instructions from His Word in making this important decision. Think about what we are reading in Psalm 119. These believers knew those very words. Again they prayed, and God showed them through casting of lots that Matthias should become the 12th apostle.
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