Words have meaning -

Psalm 119:17-26

“Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.  Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.  I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me!  My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times. You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments.  Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies.  Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.  Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.”

Words have meaning and it has become apparent to this writer that the insolent and accursed, have always been among mankind.  Yes, we are witnessing a vast amount of them in our culture, both in the wealthy, highly educated and the young uneducated college students, who have bought into what the socialist professors are feeding them in our universities.  Let’s examine words like insolent, rude or disrespectful person.  What about accursed, it’s meaning is doomed, ill-fated, appalling, hateful, detestable, and vile.  The Holman translation in verse 21, “You rebuke the proud, the one under a curse, who wander from your commands.”  Have you wandered from God’s commands, I have, and it is always my flesh desiring to get it’s needs met outside of Christ?  Often, I had to confess that I wandered, and God is always faithful to rebuke for the purpose of bringing His children back into fellowship with Him.  He is never getting even with me for a disrespectful attitude, for He took His full wrath out on Jesus for all the sins of mankind.

Let’s look at one last word “bountifully,” and it’s meaning is abundantly, generously, profusely, and lavishly.  Now that is the way a child wants his Father to deal with him so a wise child does what the Father desires.  In fact, they search God’s word to make sure they are following His precepts and His instructions.  They have an understanding that the world and its desires are passing away, but the Word of God is forever.  They fully grasp they are strangers on earth, heaven is their home and they are just passing through.  This I know, heaven will be wherever Jesus is, and I will be with Him.

My prayer is that God’s Holy Spirit is your Counselor, as you look at the statutes and precepts of God’s Word.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice