Psalm 119:23 Princes also sit [and] speak against me, [But] Your servant meditates on Your statutes. This verse reminds me of the situation I face at my job. My first evaluations under a new administration were based on misconstrued conversation taken out of context and hearsay, and since first impressions, no matter how flawed, tend to color our perception of people, I’ve had to struggle to undo the damage that was done. I feel a lot of the time that those in positions of power speak against me (I feel it’s done unfairly, but I’m sure they feel there is basis for what they say). Interesting to me is David’s response to this kind of situation. Instead of getting frustrated about what others are saying or worrying about it or fighting back, He meditates on God’s statutes. The word for statutes is choq and it means several things including: 1) statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due a) prescribed task b) prescribed portion c) action prescribed (for oneself), resolve d) prescribed due e) prescribed limit, boundary f) enactment, decree, ordinance 1) specific decree 2) law in general g) enactments, statutes 1) conditions 2) enactments 3) decrees 4) civil enactments prescribed by God I like that it means a prescribed task or portion. That hits home. When I feel that I am judged unfairly or spoken against, my focus should be on doing the portion or task that God has given me to do. It should also be on the laws and boundaries that He makes. And, on the due that those in authority deserve. So, I should do my job to the best of my ability. I should focus on doing the things and acting in the ways that God asks me to. And I should remember that these people are in authority and because of that, they deserve my respect. I keep praying that God will help me to find a job closer to where I live, so that we can save money and time, but if He doesn’t allow that, then I wonder if it’s because I need to learn this lesson better.
Amos 4:13 For the Lord is the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind. He turns the light of dawn into darkness and treads on the heights of the earth. The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies is his name! This is a powerful name. It’s also one that you don’t necessarily hope to hear in the context that Israel heard it. In this verse we get a small glimpse of some of the power associated with The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. He shapes mountains. He stirs up winds. He turns the light of dawn into darkness. He walks on the heights of the earth. But my favorite is He reveals His thoughts to mankind. These are no small feat. I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I shaped mountains or stirred up the wind. This name is indicative of God’s power and authority, not just over Heaven’s armies, but also over mankind. Things that are impossible for us are child’s play for The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. That’s pretty intense. So what? I don’t know. For me this reminds me that God is more powerful than I usually remember. Therefore, He’s able to take care of any situation I’m in. If He can shape mountains, then shaping my life and my situations should be pretty easy. It also reminds me that He has great authority at his beck-and-call. One word from Him and the armies of heaven rally to my defense. And that’s nice backup! In this context, it’s a warning to behave, too. That’s what this name means for me. Your turn!