A hymn, In Times Like These, from my childhood rose into my mind after reading Daniel 4. If you will remember, king Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. It came to pass the moment he exalted himself. His kingdom was taken from him. He was driven out into the fields to eat grass like a beast. 

Here are his words. Daniel 4:34, “And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever.”

Verse 35 is eternal truth that rings loud and clear in our times. It says, “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or says to Him, What have You done?”

Saul of Tarsus was so radically converted that folks didn’t recognize him. He immediately preached Christ. Acts 9:21 says, “Then all who heard were amazed, and said, Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”

How much does God’s word bring change into your life? I’ve read Psalm 119 many times. I even tried to memorize it when I broke my foot in 2013. However, meditating through it recently has brought course correction several times.

Peter recounted the transfiguration. 2 Peter 1:19 says, “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” God’s word is light that illuminates the unconverted parts of our hearts.

Psalm 119:72 says, “The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver.” As I started meditating on this verse, a song came to mind. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Chorus: More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold…”

Renewing our mind with Scripture converts our soul: mind, will, emotions. Ephesians 4:23 Amplified says, “And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude).”

Romans 12:2 J. B. Phillips says, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within…” The Amplified says, “…be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude)…” Spiritual metamorphosis ~ inner transformation.

Psalm 119:71 says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.” How futile it is to go through a trial and not learn from it. Our trials are divinely equipped with sufficient grace to endure. They also contain wisdom to help us navigate through, so that we will bear much fruit which glorifies the Lord.

Afflicted in the Hebrew means: be bruised with, oppress, humble, be bowed down, be downcast. Luke 4:18 Amplified says that Jesus came to, “…send forth as delivered those who are oppressed (who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity).”

As the Lord was with the three Hebrew men in the fiery furnace, so He is with us every moment of our hard trials. He is Present to teach us more about Himself, so that we can be partakers of His very nature. We need to daily ask the Lord, “What do You want me to learn today from this trial?”

The Waodani used to be called Aucas. They were savage killers, who grew up hating and killing. They speared to death five missionaries in 1956. Afterwards, Nate Saint’s sister, Rachel, went to live with them. They heard about God’s carvings for the first time and began following God’s trail. You can read about it in End Of The Spear by Steve Saint.

Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Astray ~ leaving the path of righteousness laid out for us through God’s word.

Psalm 119:67 says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.”  We intentionally keep His word in our heart by resisting any thoughts of doubt, fear, or unbelief. Those fiery darts are strategically aimed at our faith to derail us.

The word ‘keep’ in Hebrews means to observe, heed, and guard. Joshua 1:8 says to observe to do. James 1:22-25 encourages us to be hearers and doers. I checked Psalm 119 to see how many times ‘to keep’ His word was used. 21. Seven is the number of completion times three.

Psalm 119:4 says, “You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently.” All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God according to 2 Timothy 3:16 ~ God-breathed truths. It is only as we observe to do that His truth becomes our experience.

Proverbs 4:23 says to keep our heart with all diligence. Our ‘keeping’ is only successful when we hide His word in our heart and put it into practice. Experiential truth inculcates throughout our thought processes. 1 John 2:6 says, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” Living word inside affects the outside.

Years ago the Holy Spirit led me to read the book of Haggai every day for 30 days. It is only two chapters long. The resounding call from chapter one is to consider your ways. For several days I have been meditating on Psalm 119:59-60.

It says, “I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments.” In Haggai they did not keep God’s commandment to rebuild the Lord’s house, and there were dire consequences.

Have you thought about your ways lately? I did when I first started to meditate on verse 59. What am I doing that the Lord has not called me to do? The psalmist did an immediate course correction. Made haste and did not delay displays a character of diligence ~ being proactive and intentional.

Israel asked for a king. The Lord granted their request. He sent thunder and rain to destroy their wheat harvest, so that they would perceive their wickedness. In 1 Samuel 12:20 Samuel said, “…Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.”

Verse 21 says, “And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.” We get derailed when we look to man. Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly…”

Jeremiah 17:7 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.” Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, will help us walk in a straight path. Fixed means that no outside distractions can pull us off course.

Psalm 119:49-50 says, “Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.” Hope is the anchor of our soul. Hebrews 6:19.

It seems strange that the psalmist was asking the Lord to remember. The Lord knows all things. As I have been meditating on these two verses, I’m using ‘I remember’ to make it personal. 

I have a heart-book of memories of when the Lord stepped into seemingly impossible situations and gave me hope through His word ~ verses that still anchor me. Here is one that I love in Psalm 119:147. It says, “I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word.”

Trusting hope is in the Lord alone. Psalm 62:5 says, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.” Don’t let your hope get derailed through misplacement.

There is a warning for us in Galatians 5:13. It says, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Years ago there was a “grace” doctrine that destroyed those who bit satan’s bait. It said that grace allowed you to do anything you desired. That is not what Romans 6:14 said. It has to be read and applied in context.

Verse 15 says, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” 

The path of obedience is strewn with grace. We are never freer than when we are in the center of God’s will. Jesus set us free for eternity. John 4:34. Luke 22:42. John 6:38-40.