Psalm 119: Focus On God's Word Pt. 115 Stir Up Your Heart For God

Psalm 119:35  Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. 

We have been learning about our need to ask God to make us or lead us in the path of His holy commandments. We learned that we need to be led by the Holy Spirit and to walk in His ways. 

Jehovah's abundant help is promised.

Philippians 4:17-19  Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. 18)  But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God 19) But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

We need God's help and He has promised to liberally supply for our spiritual needs. Paul loved the Christians at Philippi and he wanted the very best for them. 

He prayed that they would serve God and have spiritual fruit while progressing toward mature faith in Jesus Christ. He spoke of their sacrifice to meet the apostles needs, and how their offering was a sweet smelling savor to God.

As they had given to Paul in his distress, God will never suffer them to suffer physical needs like needing food, clothing or shelter. God would raise up help for them, just as He used the Philippians to supply for Paul's needs.

God's supply is inexhaustible and full of rich bounty that He will dispense as we need it.

Our inner man in Christ needs spiritual strengthening. 

Ephesians 3:14-19  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15)  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16)  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17)  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18)  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19)  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 

Paul prayed for believers to have their new man in Christ be strengthened by God's mighty power through His indwelling Spirit.

We can expect all from Him as a freely given gift through Christ Jesus. May we allow this to be a ruling sentiment of your hearts when we pray to God. 

He is willing and able to give to us abundantly beyond all that we can think of or ask Him for (Ephesians 3:20). 

The abundant provision of God is according to the measure of His own eternal fullness. God’s infinite mercy and goodness are the measure according to which we are to be saved. 

We have many enemies, cunning and strong. We will face many trials, too great for our natural strength. We will endure many temptations, which no human power is able successfully to resist. We will have many spiritual duties to perform, which cannot be accomplished by the strength of man.

Every man is a compound being. We have a body and a soul. The outward man is that alone which is seen and considered by men. Our inner man is that which stands before God in Christ and is readied for eternity. 

Our outward man is strengthened by earthly food and drink in order to live.  Our inner man is strengthened by spiritual and heavenly influences. 

Knowledge, love, peace, and holiness, are the food of our inner man. We feast on Jesus Christ, the bread of life which came down from heaven. 

Those who eat this living bread shall live and be strengthened by it. Our soul must be as truly fed and nourished by heavenly food prepared by our Father, just as our body requires natural food.

Therefore we need Divine strength. We must have His might and be strengthened every where, and in every way fortified by His might. Thus, we must be mightily and most effectually strengthened by our great God. 

The indwelling Holy Ghost is a fountain of spiritual power. He can alone supply the spiritual strength which is necessary for doing spiritual work and facing spiritual conflict.

We need God's strength for spiritual conflict.

1 Peter 5:6-9  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7)  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8)  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9)  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 

Seeking strength from God means humbling ourselves before Him. We acknowledge that we have no strength in ourselves to live for Christ alone. Our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak. 

We cast all our cares and worries upon Jehovah because He cares for us. He loves us with a boundless love and wants us to give Him our burdens, worries and things we fret about. 

God reminds us through Peter, that we must be sober minded and seek those things above where Christ is seated. Why? Because a malicious and strong enemy relentlessly stalks each believer, seeking an opportunity to attack us with his fiery darts. 

We cannot resist him if we have not been strengthened by God. This is why the Psalmist prayed that Jehovah would make him go in paths of holiness and righteousness. 

He admitted his own weaknesses and inability to live for God's glory, in order that God would supply the strength needed to make him walk in right paths. 

Believers are kept safe by God's mighty power.

1 Peter 1:3-5  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4)  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5)  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

Just as the Psalmist appealed to God based upon what he knew to be true of Him, so we make our prayers to God for strength. Spiritual warfare requires spiritual strength for our inner man. God has promised this as we have only to ask Him for it. 

We are born again through repentant faith in Jesus Christ. We have living hope of eternal life because Jesus arose from the dead and is now seated at the Father's right hand. 

God keeps us by His mighty power and we are complete in Christ. When God awakens our hearts by His grace, He quickens our hearts and we are carried forward in earnest and strengthened in our inner man.

However, this supply must be sought afresh each day. This is why we must ask the Lord to make us go in His paths and walk in His ways. 

We must stir up ourselves to seek God's strength.

Isaiah 64:7  And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. 

Isaiah complained that the people of God were failing to call upon His mighty name for help and deliverance. They were not stirring up themselves to seek God and take hold of His promises. 

Therefore, God hid His face as it were, because iniquity took over their lives. This is why it is dangerous to be a sleepy, lethargic Christian. 

We must stir up our soul in earnest prayer. The words "stirreth up" mean to be excited, triumphant, awakened and aroused to action. 

2 Timothy 1:6,7  Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7)  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

Paul encouraged young pastor Timothy that he must stir up the gift of God so that he might serve God in Spirit and in truth. The words "stir up" mean to fan the glowing embers back into a roaring fire. It means having our zeal and passion for God reignited. 

Arise and be doing the work God gave you to do.

1 Chronicles 22:14-16  Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto. 15)  Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work. 16)  Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee. 

King David gave his son Solomon, a solemn charge to build the temple of Jehovah. The king gave Solomon blueprints that the Spirit of God gave to him, and and he instructed his son about all the material inventories to be used in the temple's construction.

Notice, then, what King David told Solomon to do, for this is what the Lord says to us. "Arise and be doing because Jehovah is with you." 

Thoughts to Ponder...

We need strength from God and He promises to give it when we pray and ask Him for it. 

His supply is abundant and He will liberally provide strength we need to walk in the path of His holy commandments. 

We must stir up ourselves and be instant in prayer for these things. 

We must rise up and be about the things of God more than anything else in our lives,

May we seek Him first, and live for His glory.

Bob