“God is in control, and therefore in EVERYTHING I can give thanks – not because of the situation but because of the One who directs and rules over it.” –Kay Arthur

Just reading through Psalm 119:1-8, I wonder if you will find things to be thankful for? While doing the SELAH method for studying the Bible, the acronym ACTS is a pattern in which you can pray the portion of Scripture. ACTS stands for A=Adoration, C=Confession, T=Thanksgiving, and S=Supplication.

Let’s look at the definition of T=Thanksgiving.

[thangks-giv-ing] noun

1. the act of giving thanks; grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors, especially to God.

Selah gives you a pathway to pause and look at a portion of scripture for five days and begin to notice multiple reasons to be thankful!

 

Read Psalm 119:1-8:

1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,

who walk in the law of the LORD!

2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,

who seek him with their whole heart,

3 who also do no wrong,

but walk in his ways!

4 You have commanded your precepts

to be kept diligently.

5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast

in keeping your statutes!

6 Then I shall not be put to shame,

having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

7 I will praise you with an upright heart

when I learn your righteous rules.

8 I will keep your statutes;

do not utterly forsake me!

 

Questions to ask yourself:

Do I walk blamelessly in the way of the Lord? Nope.

Have I sought His testimonies with my whole heart? Sometimes.

Am I steadfast in that pursuit? Nuh-uh.

Have I kept my eyes focused intently on following all the commandments? Never.

Do I praise you with an upright heart? Hmmm.

 

Well, that didn’t turn out so well, did it? And there is a good reason! The reason God gave us the perfect standard of His Law was to protect us and point to our desperate need for Christ.  Galatians 3:24 “So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.”

Here is how I can thank God for using Psalm 119:1-8!

Thanksgiving

I thank God that a Way was made for me through Jesus! On my own, I cannot be righteous, but Jesus is my righteousness. It is not upon my own will, might or good intentions that I can stand before a Holy God…but upon the finished work of Christ alone. He is the only One who obeyed and fulfilled the law faultlessly.  Because of Jesus, I am clothed in His righteousness and bear no more of my shame.  I have no fear of being forsaken by the One who loved me so much He died for me. 

 

We have so much to be thankful for my friend!  Now, join me as we go boldly to the throne of grace to make our requests in the next blog post of Praying the Scripture with Selah Supplication.

If you are curious about the 22 week Selah Bible study on Psalm 119 for you as an individual, small Bible study or Women’s Ministry at church, email me here!