Ezekiel 33:31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.
Luke 12:15
And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
As believers we follow the two commandments that God, in the Word made flesh, gave to us. We Love God above all and we love and care for our neighbors and ourselves. In these two the law is fulfilled. In keeping them, we show by our actions, God’s love for the world. He sent His only begotten Son, that in Him and through His sacrifice, the world could be saved. Through your good deeds show others His agape love for all of His creation. We live in the righteousness of Jesus not our own. Character matters. Carla
Psalm 119:33-40
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way.
38 Establish Your word to Your servant,
Who is devoted to fearing You.
39 Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your judgments are good.
40 Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me in Your righteousness. (NKJV)
The phrase Your way describes the will of God as a path, distinguished from other paths that lead to destruction. God’s path leads to life, and His ways are a reflection of His good character. The NKJV Study Bible
The psalmist asks Yahweh to change him so that he might keep Yahweh’s directions. The psalmist wants Yahweh to transform him so that he can avoid being seduced by unjust gain (verse 36), continue to worship Yahweh (verse 38), receive protection from attack (verse 39), and receive sustenance (verses 37, 40).
Incline my heart expresses the idea that the heart is wayward and needs help in pursuing what is good.
The word betsa' for dishonest gain can imply unjust gain and is sometimes associated with bribes.
The psalmist asks God to rescue him so that he can continue to honor Him at a personal level, and perhaps proclaim Him to others. Faithlife Study Bible
Psalm 119:25–27
My soul clings to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word.
I have declared my ways, and You answered me;
Teach me Your statutes…
This is not about who you are supposed to be.
Or who you should be.
This is not about the denial of pain and suffering.
Or the denial of grief and loss and hardship.
Or even the denial of death.
Because grace imbues courage. This is not easy to do in a world that can rattle and unnerve us.
“I want to separate courage and bravery,” Brené Brown writes. “Courage, the original definition of courage, when it first came into the English language, it's from the Latin word cor, meaning heart, and the original definition was to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart... and wholehearted folks had, very simply, the courage to be imperfect. They had the compassion to be kind to themselves first, and then to others. Because as it turns out, we can't practice compassion with other people if we can't treat ourselves kindly. And the last is, they had connection--this was the hard part--as a result of authenticity. They were willing to let go of who they thought they should be in order to be who they were.”
If you voted, thank you. If you have not, please make your way to a ballot box, or voting center.
As parents, we strive to teach our children indispensable values, like kindness, compassion, responsibility, and fairness. And one of the most powerful lessons we can share with them is the importance of participating in our democracy through voting. While voting might seem like an adult responsibility, it plays a significant role in shaping the future that our children will grow up in. Sabbath Moments
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