September 10 - Preserve My Life

Today's Reading:
Psalm 119:153-160
Click on Text Link to Read Online

Psalm 119:153-160
¹⁵³ Look on my suffering and deliver me,
    for I have not forgotten your law.
¹⁵⁴ Defend my cause and redeem me;
    preserve my life according to your promise.
¹⁵⁵ Salvation is far from the wicked,
    for they do not seek out your decrees.
¹⁵⁶ Your compassion, Lord, is great;
    preserve my life according to your laws.
¹⁵⁷ Many are the foes who persecute me,
    but I have not turned from your statutes.
¹⁵⁸ I look on the faithless with loathing,
    for they do not obey your word.
¹⁵⁹ See how I love your precepts;
    preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with your love.
¹⁶⁰ All your words are true;
    all your righteous laws are eternal.

Response and Action:

Sometimes it can be hard to feel like reading the Bible. Taking time to read and think about Scripture may not be my first inclination during times when I am suffering and feel like things aren't going well. Do I reach out for God's word when I'm being persecuted or feeling like things are falling apart? Sure, I cry out to God for compassion and deliverance, but do I also reach out for instruction and promise? Time in the Word isn't just for people who have their schedule worked out. It's not just for people with comfortable and stable lives with plenty of time for quiet and meditation. No, Scripture is for the stressed and the overwhelmed. It's for people with messy lives and reasonable fears. It's for the suffering and the persecuted. It's a lifeline of truth we can cling to.

NEW 2015-16 READING SCHEDULE BEGINS SEPTEMBER 13
The Useful Breath reading schedule for 2015-16 starts up on Sunday, September 13th.
Click Here to view, print, or download the new 2015-2016 Schedule as a pdf document.

Today through September 12, I will be posting meditations from Psalm 119 that remind us of the ways Scripture shapes and informs the believer's life.