Psalm 119 is an instruction how, in the midst of cultural upheaval, to stand firm as does God and His Word in the Heavens.
Psalm 119:164: “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.”
From Malachi 2:10 and Acts 17:24-29 we learn that, while God is the Father of all men everywhere in a creation sense; in a more personal, spiritual and redemptive sense He is only the Father of those who put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. This is made clear from the following scriptures: according to John 1:11-13, it is only those who receive Jesus Christ who are the children of God; in Ephesians 2:18 it is only those who have access to God through Christ and by the Holy Spirit who come to know Him as their Heavenly Father; according to John 14:6-9 we can only come to God and know Him as our Father through Jesus Christ; and Galatians 3:26 sums up the whole matter. We praise the Lord if we are truly children of God (Romans 8:15-17). Our loving Heavenly Father cares for us, watches over us, provides for us and understands us (Psalm 103:13; Matthew 6:25-34).
Here we have everything to praise God for! Without Christ we are lost (Luke 19:10); dead (Ephesians 2:1); condemned (John 3:18); under God’s wrath (John 3:36). Sinful man is summed up in Ephesians 4:18, therefore the greatest need of everyone is to have the Savior whom God has authorized and qualified to be the Savior of all who believe on Him – Jesus Christ. It was for this purpose that He came into the world (1 Timothy 1:15); that He died and rose again, so that those who believe on Him might be saved (Romans 10:9-10); and He is the personal Savior of all His people (Matthew 1:21). Every believer can say Luke 1:47!
The Holy Spirit is the third Person in the Godhead, one with the Father and the Son in the Holy Trinity. Where is He in relation to the believer? He is within every true believer. We learn this from John 14:16-17 (notice the words “will be in you”); Acts 2:4, which was the fulfilment of the Savior’s promise; Romans 5:5 (notice the words “whom he has given us”); Romans 8:9 and 1 Corinthians 6:19 (notice the words “who is in you, whom you have received from God”). Not only do we have a Heavenly Father who watches over us and cares for us, a loving Savior who is exalted at God’s right hand; but God the Holy Spirit is actually living in us.
God has not only come Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit, to live within us, but He has given us His Holy Word to guide us in all matters relating to faith (that is, what we believe) and practice (that is, how we should live). The Bible is God’s book, fully inspired from Genesis to Revelation (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). The Bible is a reliable and authoritative revelation of the mind of God. It tells us all we need to know about creation, redemption, God’s plan for the world, for His Church, for Israel and for eternity. Without the Bible we are completely in the dark about God Himself, His Son, the salvation He has provided, about death and the hereafter.
According to Ephesians 3:14-15, God’s family is in two locations: it is on earth and it is in Heaven. All those in Heaven are our brothers and sisters – but what about those on earth who believe on our Lord Jesus Christ? They also are our brothers and sisters who have been born of His Spirit (John 3:5); justified by His grace (Romans 5:1); baptized into His Church (1 Corinthians 12:13); washed in His blood (1 John 1:7); made the possessors of eternal life (1 John 5:12). We differ from each other in many ways, but – look up the last eight words in Galatians 3:28 and the last seven words in Ephesians 4:25.
In Matthew 28:19 we have the record of Jesus’ last great commission. We have been entrusted with the gospel, which is for everybody, everywhere, making the whole world our mission field. This means that wherever the Lord has placed us to live for Him, just there we are to be His representatives, missionaries. Every Christian is in full-time service and the whole world is the area in which His servants are to witness the gospel to bring men and women to a saving knowledge of Christ.
John 14:1-3 is the Savior’s promise to His own. We are pilgrims while we are on earth; our home is not here but in Heaven. Soon our journey will be done and we shall go to that city described in Revelation 21:1-7. Praise the Lord with a thankful heart!