Psalm - Psalm 15

Psalm 15:2He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.

Walks: behave

Uprightly: sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity

Works: to do or make systematically and habitually

Righteousness: ethically right

Speaks: be spokesman, declare

Truth: faithful, right, sure, true, verity

Heart: he man himself—meaning characteristic

“Walk straight, act right, tell the truth." Psalm 15:2 (MSG)

Behave. Create a habit of being ethically right. Be a spokesman for truth. 

Actions. Attitude. Words. Are they in accordance with God and His Word? Simple question. Think about your response before you answer. Remember it's in accordance to God's standard, not what you think or feel. 

“Walk straight, act right, tell the truth." 

The Required Routine for 2018!

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

Good: ethical, right

Require: ask for, demand

To Do: accomplish

Justly: attribute of justice, right, rectitude

Love: love

Mercy: kindness (especially as extended to the lowly, needy and miserable)

Walk:  associate, be familiar with

Humbly: keep close, reserve, preserve, retiring, modest, lowly

The Required Routine for 2018 is to:

1. Do justly

2. Love mercy

3. Walk humbly with your God

Each requires -

- a God perspective: what is good, ethical, right?
- an action: do, love, walk.
- a willingness: What does the Lord require?
- a personal relationship: your God

Required Routine - do justly, love mercy,

and walk humbly with your God. 

My prayer is that I can fulfill the required routine in 2018 and beyond. 

Walk Worthy

As I was studying Galatians 5;22, 23, I decided to see what other verses used the same words.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

Gentleness: power with reserve

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3 (NKJV)

Walk: to regulate one's life, to conduct oneself

Worthy: suitable because recognized as fitting; having worth that "matches" actual value

Calling: used of God inviting all people to receive His gift of salvation – with all His blessings that go with it

Were called: invited

Lowliness: humility

Gentleness: meekness ("gentle strength") which expresses power with reserve and gentleness

Longsuffering: patience, forbearance, slowness in avenging wrongs; embraces steadfastness and staying-power; long-tempered (as compared to short-tempered)

Bearing with: "still bearing up," even after going through the needed sequence (course of action)

Love: which centers in moral preference

Endeavoring: to move speedily by showing full diligence (fully applying oneself)

Keep: properly, maintain, preserve

Unity: oneness, equivalent to unanimity, agreement

Bond: a bond (close union); a close (inner) identity which produces close harmony between members joined closely together

Peace: wholeness, harmony

http://biblehub.com/interlinear/ephesians/4-1.htm

Walk worthy. 

Those two words pack a powerful punch. 

Am I living my life that I am recognized as one who has accepted God's gift of salvation? There is no question as to how that is to look. We are told in Ephesians 4, and Galatians 5:22, 23. 

Today's focus is gentleness. A meekness ("gentle strength") which expresses power with reserve and gentleness. Just because I have the strength, power, I need to reign it in, and respond with reserve. Handle situations and people carefully. 

Walk worthy.

Proverbs 1:15: Choices—verbs, action—Walk and Keep

My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path. Proverbs 1:15 (NKJV)

walk: go, depart, proceed

the way: of moral action and character, in the bad sense
keep: withhold, hold back (imperative—strong advise!)
path: of moral action, and character (absolute—referring to action)

After reading Proverbs 1:11-14 and the choices that the sinners were making (killing, stealing) once again, we are warned DO NOT proceed down this path. Don't do it! 

Choices. There are two Verbs this verse which give sound advice: Walk and Keep. Walk is proceeded by DO NOT and Keep is written as very strong advice! These verbs are flashing in NEON signs; they are blinking stop signs. 

Often we get caught up in the here and now, and can't see what lies ahead. Right now it's fun and the excitement of the group has drawn us in. However, we are warned of what lies ahead. And we are given STRONG advice—don't even start down this path. Do not go or proceed any further in this direction! Hold back from going with them down this path of sin. 

How often do I ignore the flashing stop sign signals God puts before me? How often do I try to justify and rationalize my choice for following a group? How often do I ignore sound advice and go it on my own? 

Only when my heart is permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG), will I be able to hear the advice, and willing to follow the advice. Choices—verbs, action—Walk and Keep. Which will I choose? 

Cause-Effect

As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. Colossians 2:6 (AMP)

Cause-Effect. Having accepted Jesus Christ as THE Lord, then the result should be a life that is lived in accordance with Him and His Word. Sounds simple enough. 

The word for "Walk" means to continue walking; carry into practice the Christ-unified life in your walk. It's a continual action. It's not "I'm saved—period, so I'll live my life as I please." 

If I truly recognize Jesus Christ as THE LORD, the Messiah, the Son of God—then that should have an effect on how I live. 

Unity. One. Not at odds. 

How do I conform to Jesus Christ? How is that unity created? It begins at the moment of trust Jesus Christ as my Savior. Then I am to continue to get to know Christ through reading His Word, so that I can live a life that honors and glorifies God. 

Cause-Effect. To conduct myself in conformity to Christ, I must be permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31; MSG).

Teachable with Follow Through

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 27. Here is what I learned.

Teach me your way, O Lord. Lead me on a level path because I have enemies who spy on me. Psalm 27:11 (GW)

Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you’re on. Psalm 27:11 (MSG)

Lord, teach me your ways, and guide me ·to do what is right [on a straight/right path] because ·I have [of my] enemies. Psalm 27:11 (EXB)

"Teach me thy way, O Lord." He does not pray to be indulged with his own way, but to be informed as to the path in which the righteous Jehovah would have him walk. This prayer evinces an humble sense of personal ignorance, great teachableness of spirit, and cheerful obedience of heart.

"Lead me in a plain path." Help is here sought as well as direction; we not only need a map of the way, but a guide to assist us in the journey. The Treasury of David

Teachable. If I ask God to teach me, I need to be teachable. That means that I need to be open to what God wants to teach me, and I need to be wiling to learn. No preconceived ideas. No “I know it all” attitude. No ignoring the lessons. And most of all, no “I’ve learned that before”! Because if God is teaching me... again, I must not have really learned it the first time. 

Then once I learn what God is teaching, I need to follow through. I need to learn the path God wants me to walk, and once I learn it, I must be willing to walk it. Knowing the way and not following through, won’t get me very far. 

How often have I known what God wants me to do... and I remain standing still. If I’m not walking the path God has prepared, I’m not only guilty of disobedience, but I’ll miss out on the blessings God has along the path.

Teachable with follow through—only both those actions will create a positive day!