Summer 2011 Bible Study: Week 3 Day 3

How good is His Word? I just cannot get enough! It is the Book I reach for while I am pool side looking for a good read. It is the Book I read before I go to bed, it is the Book I want to study and learn more about. I am not one of those people who would be okay with their Bible being stolen. I have heard many times, "My Bible got stolen, I pray they read it and come to know the Lord." My friends, that would not be my response, I would call the cops and tell them my life got stole, my diary is missing and my journal has been taken, oh and it happens to all be the same Book, THE BOOK. I am not sure I would react to kindly to the Word being stolen.

I have come to know, that most people, are not like me. Most people, do not want to spend an evening with research books and the Word as their company. Most people, do not find it interesting to discuss a portion of Scripture until they are blue in the face. Most people, aren't me. My husband pointed out that I was a "researcher of the Word", bless his heart, I love that man. Me, dyslexic me, a researcher of the Word. Little unknown fact about me, I never read out loud until my dear friend got married 8 years ago, she asked me to read at her wedding and I was so honored I couldn't say no, but this was seriously the first time I had read out-loud. I made it through school by either lying my out of it; "I forgot my book today" or by just pretending to be asleep. I finally got caught in the 9th grade and that is when we discovered I had a type of dyslexia, even after that, I never read out loud, let alone, read.

Books were never my thing. My sister could read and read and read, and me, I would rather watch the movie and if the book hadn't been turned into a movie yet, I would just ask my sister what it was about. And, here I am, reading THE Book for fun. Funny how the Lord works!

Lord, open Your Word and teach me. Teach me about You, living for You, living with You and living because of You. Teach me to walk in Your ways and obey Your word. Remind me of Your love for me and forgiveness when I fail. Bless our time together and my day. Amen.

Turn with me to Psalm 15 and read the entire thing.

If you are anything like me, you appreciate a good list. I like to know what I need to get done, mostly because I make my lists with really cute little boxes off to the left of each item so I can simply check the box when the item is complete. I function very well off a list. And here is a list within the Word, Praise Jesus!

Now, I find that this Psalm starts off like many of my conversations with my Sweet Jesus... "Jesus, there has to be more to this thing called life with You, just tell me what to do, I will write it on my list and I will check it off when I am done" ... or so, that is my very loose translation of the first verse of this scripture.

But, I believe within this Psalm, the Lord gives us 10 items for our list...

#1. Have a walk that is blameless.
#2. Do what is righteous.
#3. Speaks the truth from the heart, and utter no slander.
#4. Do no wrong to a neighbor.
#5. Despises a vile person.
#6. Honor those who fear the LORD.
#7. Keep an oath even when it hurts.
#8. Do not change your mind.
#9. Lend money to the poor without interest.
#10. D0 not accept a bribe against the innocent.

And then we are told that if we do these things, we will never be shaken.

Sound easy enough? Well, I don't know about you, but I am not sure I could get past item #1. I am not sure my walk has ever been blameless, I am not sure a minute of my day as been blameless if I were to really look honestly at my day. And then, there is the items on the list that have to do with my tongue, which often lands me at the feet of my Sweet Jesus more than any other thing. I am constantly putting my foot in my mouth, praise Him for His forgiveness, mercy and grace. I would be stuck on #7 and #8 for years.

So, after I read this Psalm, I had a list, but I was discouraged. And then, I was reminded of our time in the Word yesterday, His love for me keeps no record of wrongs. His love endures forever. His love for me is not easily angered when I fail time and time again.

See, one of the things I have learned about my Sweet Jesus is the everything was covered on the day His blood poured out, EVERYTHING! Because of His death, my walk can be blameless. Because He poured out His own blood for me after what had to be a painful and exhausting death, I can be called righteous and holy. Praise HIM!

Jesus, My Sweet Jesus, THANK YOU for your blood that covers all my crap. Thank You for fulling the scripture so that my list can my forgiven. Thank You for loving me on the good days and the bad days. Thank You for teaching me that it isn't about my list and what I do or do not accomplish but rather what You did accomplish. Your grace is sufficient. Amen.