By: Dale Weckbacher
Psalm 119:73
Your hands made me
and formed me;
give me understanding
so that I can learn your commands.
give me understanding
so that I can learn your commands.
(CSB)
The founding of the United States is unique in human
history. While many nations throughout
history come out of rebellion, the Declaration of Independence (1) and U.S.
Constitution (2) represent the desire
of the founders of the United States to form a unique and different form of
government. In the Declaration the
authors begin with expression of the need to separate themselves from
government that separates them from the Laws of Nature and Natures God. (1) In the second paragraph of the document, the
author goes on to state the unalienable rights coming from humanities creator
God, the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (1)
After the Revolutionary War the founders of the nation
convened to write the Constitution (2)
after it was determined that the Articles of Confederation governing the nation
was insufficient. (3) The purpose of the Constitution is the
formation of a central government with safeguards designed to prevent formation
of another tyrannical monarchy like the one in England. (4) Unfortunately, liberal progressivism now
represents a threat to this limited form of government designed to protect the
God given rights of individuals. (5)
Like the founders of the United States, the psalmist of Psalm
119 understood the importance of a foundational belief in a creator
God. The psalmist understood that,
1)
God created us with understanding so we can learn
His commands (Psalm
119:73) – Unlike the rest of God’s creation, humanity was created in the
image of God (Genesis
1:26-27) and as such has the ability to reason. However, sin and its separation of humanity
from God means our minds are in need of transformation for discernment of the
good, pleasing, and perfect will of God (Romans
12:2).
2)
Believers rejoice upon seeing each other (Psalm
119:74) – This rejoicing at coming together stems from a common hope in God
and the promises of His Word. This
common interest is why it is important for the people of God to regularly meet
together. While technology today gives
us the opportunity to attend church services online, this should not be the
norm and used only when distance or physical disability makes physically coming
together difficult, or even impossible.
When we have a need our first reaction should be to take it to God, but
we also need face-to-face encouragement from like minded fellow believers. For those unable to physically come to
church, fellow believers should make an effort to go to them for they most
likely would like to physically come to church but are unable and need
encouragement.
3)
God’s judgments are just (Psalm
119:75) – God’s judgments are just but not necessarily easy. However, the psalmist reminds us that any
afflictions we may suffer because of God’s judgments are fair. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans
also reminds us that all things work together for the good of God’s people (Romans
8:28). We can also find comfort that
God has a plan for us and that that plan is for our good and not our
destruction (Jeremiah
29:11).
4)
God’s faithful love and compassion comforts us (Psalm
119:76-77) – God loves us so much that he sent his Son to suffer a violent
execution on a cross for our sins even though he knew no sin (2
Corinthians 5:21). While most of us
that believe in Jesus as our savior know of God’s love for us, it is something
entirely different to experience his loving compassion in our lives. Therefore, spiritual disciplines and a
regular time of devotion are critical in the life of a believer. I collect coffee cups and mugs, okay we all
have some vice, and the other day while shopping at Walmart, I saw a coffee mug
that said Jesus and coffee. I bought the
coffee mug because it reminds me to spend some time with Jesus in prayer and the
Bible while enjoying my morning cup of coffee.
It is during these times that I find myself growing closer to God and
begin to realize the extent of his great love.
5)
The lies of the arrogant not believing in God
are put to shame by the precepts of the Bible (Psalm
119:78) – The secular philosophies of the world have one thing in common,
they place humanity above God, in essence making themselves God. They view Christians as competition for we
believe God and His Word is supreme.
Since they are void of any truth that is superior to God’s Word, they
can only resort to lies. We therefore
must ignore their lies and continue meditating on God’s Word.
6)
Those that fear God must turn to other believers
(Psalm
119:79-80) – While the psalmist’s call for believers to turn to him seems
arrogant, it comes with the psalmist humbly asking God for a blameless heart so
he is not put to shame. Besides
slandering believers with lies, the arrogant in the world will also capitalize
on any discovered sin in a believer’s life, especially if that believer holds a
position of leadership. While we all
have sinned (Romans
3:23) and are not sinless, our aim should be to grow in our relationship
with Christ and sin less.
Humanity is God’s greatest creation because God created humanity
in the image of God. However, when Adam
and Eve sinned, sin corrupted the minds of humanity leading to corrupt
thinking. When Jesus died on the cross,
forgiving people of their sins, God provided a way for restoration and
transformation of the mind back to the way God intended it. However, this transformation is not
instantaneous but a process of studying and learning the precepts of God, and a
process that begins with acceptance of God’s gift of salvation. If you are reading this and have not already accepted
this gift from God, I urge you to do so now by praying with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my
sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe you died, was
buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.
I urge you to now continue this mind transforming process by
regular study of the Bible, prayer, and association with other believers for
encouragement. May God bless everyone
reading this.
1. ushistory.org. The Declaration of
Independence. www.ushistory.org. [Online] [Cited: October 30, 2016.]
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/.
2. constitutionus.com.
The Constitution of the United States. constitutionus.com. [Online]
[Cited: January 21, 2017.] http://constitutionus.com/.
3. Brackmyre, Ted.
America’s First Failure at Government: The Articles of Confederation. ushistoryscene.com.
[Online] U.S. History Scene. [Cited: March 19, 2018.] http://ushistoryscene.com/article/articles-of-confederation/.
4. O'Neil, Duncan.
What are some examples of limited government in the Constitution? www.quora.com.
[Online] Quora. [Cited: March 19, 2018.]
https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-examples-of-limited-government-in-the-Constitution.
5. Mcginnis, John O.
Progressivism Is a Long-Term Threat to the Rule of Law. www.libertylawsite.org.
[Online] Law and Liberty, July 18, 2016. [Cited: March 19, 2018.]
http://www.libertylawsite.org/2016/07/18/progressivism-is-a-long-term-threat-to-the-rule-of-law/.
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