Five Resolutions For a Blessed New Year: A Re-Introduction to Psalm 119 (Psalms 119)

1:54Before we go there, I want to take you back to an event really 350 years ago, a horrific event. Happened in 1666. The place was London. Well, what happened, I want to back up one year more, back into 1665, to set the stage for what happened in 1666 and its significance. Well, in 1665, this was the year that the Black Death came to visit the city of London. It had already run its course in Europe in the 14th century, and now it is in London, wreaking havoc there. The word Black Death speaks about the color of the tumors or the lumps that showed up on the presence of the victim's body, and the word death is the inevitable result, the black death. And the plague, now that we understand today, was carried by the fleas that were the parasites on the rats. It was the fleas. Fleas on the rats that spread the plague through London. But the year 1665 began as any ordinary year for the city. But then, early on, a sudden rise in the death rate started occurring in the poorer sections of London. The authorities pretty much ignored it. But then, as spring turned into one of the hottest summers in history, the number of deaths per week just skyrocketed and panic set in. The rich fled. King Charles himself fled, left the city. The nobility left the city. The merchants left the city. The lawyers left the city. Many clergy left the city. Many pastors left their flocks. Even the College of Surgeons left the country. The court moved.

4:00It was a time of economic devastation for London. You can imagine the prayers that were being offered. The death rate in July reached 1,000 per week. And so the Lord Mayor thought something needed to be done quickly. And so you know what he did? He had the cats and the dogs killed. 40,000 dogs or so. 200,000 cats, something to that effect, numbers. But what happened was the natural predators to the rats were removed. And so instead of curbing the spread, it actually escalated it. And so very quickly the death rate went from 1,000 a week to 6,000 deaths per week. And just to give you an idea of just what it was like, when one person in a house caught the plague, the house was sealed until after 40 days, whether either the victim recovered or whether he died. But usually death was the case. But they would quarantine people in the house and they would post guards so that people wouldn't get out.

5:21And it was not uncommon for people to break out of their home, dig holes in the walls to escape. And even on more than one occasion, a noose was secretly lowered out the window and draped around the guard's neck and hung so that people could get. That's how desperate things got in London. Well, in February 1666, King Charles returned to the city, and then not long after that, the unthinkable happened. The unthinkable happened. And we're going to return to that in just a little while. But I want to reintroduce you to Psalm 119. And I want to give you five New Year's resolutions that will guarantee that you will have a blessed 2016. Number one, purpose to keep your way pure. Purpose to keep your way pure. This was the purpose that drove the psalmist. Look at verse 9 of Psalm 119. How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word. That was what drove him. I want to be pure in the sight of God, and I do that by keeping it according to your word. With all of my heart I sought you. Do not let me wander from your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against you.

7:00He wanted to walk according to God's word. That is the standard of purity. How does one keep his way pure? By keeping it according to the precepts, to the principles, the commandments, the statutes of God's word. If you turn to Daniel 1, you start to begin to see this pattern of conformity. You remember these Jews were taken into captivity and They took some of the youth, some of the ones that showed the most promise. Nebuchadnezzar wanted them trained in the way of the Babylonians so that they would then serve him and serve in the capacity of helping him manage the Jewish situation there.

7:52And so he brought him into this elaborate school of conformity through the education of the Chaldeans, through the language of the Chaldeans, he gave them new names, and through all the allurements, the entertainment, the power, the promise of prestige, and the promise of wealth, he sought to get these young men to conform their ways to the Babylonian ways, to forsake their God and conform. But in verse 8, but Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank. So he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. That's the opposite of purifying yourself, is to defile yourself.

8:44He learned the language. He took the name. But the reason he wouldn't eat the food is because God's word had drawn a line there. And so, as this young man wanted to keep his way pure, he said, I'm going to obey your word. You see, in 2016, you and I are going to face temptations to conform to the pattern of this world. The education system, the entertainment system, the allurements offered of our age of power, prestige, and wealth are not much different than those in ancient Babylon. Humanity hasn't changed much.

9:25But look how God blessed Daniel. God blessed Daniel's purpose to keep himself pure. In chapter 1 of Daniel in verse 9, God blessed him by giving him favor. Verse 9. Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander. God granted Daniel favor. God's blessing is also seen in verse 17. As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge, wisdom, understanding. God's blessing manifested itself in favor and in a skill of living. God granted Daniel an ability to live skillfully in the world. Third, he gave Daniel a place of service. Look at verse 18. Then, at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and out of them, not out of them, All, not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king's personal service. Not only did God give them favor and skill in living, but he also gave them a place of service, which in reality was not just the king's personal service, but the interests of the Jewish nation. God was doing something in the life of these young men that would serve the interests of the Jewish nation and make God's name known. So God blessed him with favor and skill in living and a place of service. Then he also blessed him with an enduring ministry. In verse 20, as for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all of his realm. And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king. Decades, half century, an enduring ministry. God blessed Daniel's desire to keep his way pure. And God will bless your desire to keep your way pure before him.

11:51And so the first resolution for a new year is to purpose to keep your way pure. Keep your way pure. According to the purity defined by God's Word. Second resolution: treasure your inheritance. Treasure your inheritance. The psalmist knew that he was a foreigner in a strange land, and that the inheritance that he had been given was God's word. And when you think about it, that's what we have. We have God's Word. That is what is ours, that is what we possess. He has given it to us. In Psalm 119, verse 54, the psalmist says, Your statutes are my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. O Lord, remember, I remember your name in the night and keep your law. This has become mine that I observe your precepts. You know, God's precepts are our inheritance, his instructions, his commandments, his word to us.

13:05We are like this psalmist in a land of pilgrimage. This world is not our home. We are not permanent residents here. But what we do possess here that we will possess in eternity is God's word. Treasure it. Treasure. It. The psalmist could say in verse 14, I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies as in all riches. And in verse 72, he said, The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. And you know, gold and silver is not our inheritance. That will come and that will go. That is not a permanent inheritance. But what is God's word?

13:57Well, Daniel obviously in chapter 1 treasured God's word above wealth. In verse 5 of chapter 1, the king had appointed Daniel a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank. And then Nebuchadnezzar offered him advancement, place of honor, wealth. In the reign of Belshazzar, Daniel is given again means and the ability to have great wealth. In Darius, the reign, Daniel had the ability. Few people in the history of the earth have had as much wealth at their disposal as Daniel. But as you survey Daniel's life, always God's word, always God's word was more precious to him. Let that be us. Treasure the inheritance. That God has given to us and given to you. You are going to face temptations in 2016. If not today, if not tomorrow, you will face it. You will face temptations to undervalue God's Word. The very opposite of treasuring God's Word is to undervalue it, is to put a small price tag on it. It's like a person who sells something that's of great value and puts a very small price tag on it. Many of the great artifacts in history have been purchased very cheaply by people who didn't know the value of what they had. Let's not let that be us.

15:50Do not fail to treasure what God has given you on the pages of your Bible. It is your inheritance. And we put too small or we undervalue the scripture by giving it a low priority in our daily routine. We give it a low value by failing to follow its advice, by turning to worldly wisdom instead of the principles that it gives us for daily life. If you do not treasure God's word, you're going to neglect. It in your daily routine. You'll grow tired of it in your conversation. You will become a practical atheist. That sounds awful. But what is an atheist? Someone who goes through life living as if there were no God. And those who fail to treasure God's Word do exactly the same. They go through life as if there were no God. Let that not be you. Treasure your inheritance. This is the sin of omission, I would say, that leads to so many more ailments in Christian life. Is that we fail to give our time treasuring that which is most important.

17:13And then that failing to treasure God's word leads to so many problems in other areas. It's one of our biggest problems in the church today. We don't treasure God's Word like we should. We don't occupy our time treasuring it, and so we occupy our time in things that are not profitable. So treasure your inheritance. Treasure it because it is most valuable. The word is the most valuable. It's most valuable, number one, because it endures. In 1 Peter 1:24, you've heard this. All flesh is like grass, and all of its glory, like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls. Falls off. That's us, isn't it? Speaking about us. This is humanity. But the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word which was preached to you. The word endures.

18:16That's why it's a good inheritance. But the word also connects us to God. Treasure it because it connects us to God. What connects us to God is his word. He is a spirit who speaks, and that word comes forth from him. And it is that as we hear, as we take it in, we commune with him. That is what walking with God, that is the word coming to us. Of course, we're going to see as we venture into John in the months ahead that the word became flesh. The begotten. His word comes forth, and it's through that that we commune with him. I mean, the psalmist treasured God's word for many reasons. And just real quickly, I'll give you seven.

19:12Right out of Psalm 119, God's words were cause for rejoicing. Psalm 14, in verse 14, I have rejoiced in all of your testimonies. They had a reviving effect. Number two, the psalmist treasured God's word because it had a reviving effect on. His soul. In verse 25, his soul cleaves to the dust. Revive me according to your word. And then in verse 32, he says, I shall run. That's the picture of revival, going from flat on your face in the dust to running in the way. Number three, the psalmist could rejoice or treasure his inheritance because God's words are good. In verse 39, he says, Your ordinances are good. Talk about power of positive thinking. We're to think about and meditate on that which is good. Let these things occupy your mind. Here's a whole source of goodness.

20:13The psalmist treasured it because, number four, they give you freedom. The word gave him freedom, gave him a freedom of conscience, gave him a freedom of pursuit, gave him a freedom of speech. In verse 44, he said, I will keep your law continually, not bound by man's law, but I am bound by your law. I am free to obey that. Verse 45, I will walk at liberty. I will walk because your word gives freedom. Number five, the psalmist treasured God's word because his word comforted him. In verse 50, this is my comfort in my affliction, that your word has revived me. Your word is comforting to me.

21:01Your word is good. It causes rejoicing. It has a reviving effect. It gives me freedom and liberty. It comforts me. And six, he says, His word gives me wisdom. Your commandments in verse 98: your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. Treasure your inheritance. They will give you wisdom and insight. Number seven, Psalmist treasured his inheritance because God's words are a delight to take in. What he says in 103: How sweet are your words to my taste? Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth. How palatable are your words? They go down easy. So treasure your inheritance. Treasure your inheritance. So five resolutions. First, purpose to keep your way pure. Second, treasure your inheritance. And third, be unashamed to speak God's word. The psalmist was not ashamed of God's word. In verse 46, I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be ashamed. I don't care who I am before, I am going to speak your testimonies because I am not ashamed. You can see in Daniel chapter 4 and chapter 5. Just a vivid illustration of this. Before Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 4, Daniel in verse 19 is interpreting a dream to Nebuchadnezzar.

22:44Now, that'd be a time to maybe tell the king what he wanted to hear, but this is what Daniel tells him: he says, You know what, seven periods of time are going to pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever he wishes. You don't recognize this, Nebuchadnezzar, and you are going to recognize this, he says. And he says, O king, verse 27, break away now from your sins by doing what is right. That's pretty bold, but it doesn't stop there. In chapter 5, here he is before Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar's son. He says, He's interpreting the writing on the wall. And he says to Belshazzar, You have not humbled your heart, but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven, the God in whose hand are your life, breath, and your ways, you have not glorified. Therefore, in verse 26, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. You have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. Your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Prophets. This was not somebody who was afraid to speak God's words. And why should we? If it gives you more wisdom than your enemies and more insight than your teachers, it should not be something to be ashamed of. Well, I think you're going to face some temptations this year. In 2016, you're going to be tempted to not speak when you should speak, or you'll be ashamed of adhering to godly standards when others despise them. In fact, Psalm 119, in verse 22, the psalmist says, Take away reproach and contempt from me, for I observe your testimonies. And in verse 51, the arrogant utterly deride me, yet I do not turn aside from your law. The idea is that it's the cause, the law, God's word, and his adherence to that is what is causing the reproach and contempt.

24:57You're going to be tempted to be ashamed of adhering to godly standards. And some of this is going to come from within those who profess Christianity. Some of your toughest critics will be those who call you a legalist. You are judgmental. You are over the top because of your standards. No, I don't think that it's the standards that are the problem. I think when there are those who go through life and they learn to put away childish things, and some who are still worldly-minded can't appreciate it for that. And so they will scorn you or even deride you for maintaining godly standards. But being ashamed of God's word is a natural consequence to not treasuring it. The two are connected. If you treasure your inheritance, you will be unashamed to speak about it. You will be unashamed of it. But do not be ashamed to speak God's words, because those around need to know it. And they're not going to hear it unless it comes from you. They're not going to understand the wisdom and insight it gives unless you adhere to the standard of God's words.

26:27God's words give you the ability to impart insight and wisdom to others. In fact, in Romans 10:14, we have this statement by Paul. How then will they call, or this question, how then will they call on him who they have not believed? The answer is they won't. How will they believe in him who they have not heard? The answer is they can't, they won't. And how will they hear without a preacher? And something about a preacher in the Bible: a preacher is first and foremost someone who is unashamed to live according to the world. According to God's Word, and to speak according to God's Word. That is what a preacher is. That is what someone whose life proclaims the God of Scripture.

27:17So, purpose to keep your way pure. Treasure your inheritance. Three, be unashamed of God's Word. And fourth, trust God even in difficult times. 2016 is going to have its share of difficulties, for sure. And this is really the major theme running through, or one of the major themes running through Psalm 119. The psalmist is going through some difficult times, and the difficult times are brought on by persecution, those who want to bring him down. And yet he trusts God throughout this. In verse 23, he says, Even though princes sit and talk against me, that is, they're conspiring against him. He says, yet I trust. Your servant meditates on your statutes. The arrogant in verse 51 utterly deride me. Boy, that's strong. Yet I do not turn aside from your law. Verse 69, the arrogant have forged a lie against me, but with all my heart I will observe. Your precepts.

28:32Verse 85: The arrogant have dug pits for me. That is, they're now trying to trap me. They have persecuted me with a lie. Their traps are based upon lies to bring me down. In verse 87, they almost destroyed me. They got to the inch of my life and they would have taken it, but even at that moment, when it looked like my life was going to be destroyed, but as for me, I did not forsake your precepts. Now that's trusting God even in difficult times. Verse 96: the wicked wait to destroy me. Verse 110, the wicked have laid a snare for me. Verse 161, princes persecute me without cause.

29:25The leadership, the rulers, persecute me without cause. And he says this, but my heart stands in awe of your words. Well, Daniel chapter 6 is a very vivid illustration of what this psalmist went through. Daniel went through some of these very exact things. Daniel chapter 6, you know this story. Daniel in the lion's den. Probably heard it. It's in. You were young, if you've been in the church. But in Daniel chapter 6, verse 1, I'll just start picking up the narrative and reading it. It seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom. And over them, three commissioners, of whom Daniel was one, that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer loss. Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and the satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. Three commissioners, 120 satraps, and now Daniel has distinguished himself among the three commissioners, and he's going to be put over all the kingdom. So you've got 122 nobility, princes, and high-ranking officials that then formed this conspiracy to bring Daniel down. Verse 4, then the commissioners, two of them, and the satraps, 120, so you got 120 to began trying to find a ground of accusations against Daniel in regard to government affairs, but they could find none or evidence of corruption in so much as he was faithful and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said, We will not find any ground of accusation against Daniel. This Daniel, unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God. So they sought to persecute him without cause. They were jealous. They didn't want him over them. And so they sought and conspired to bring them down. So in verse 6, then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: King Darius, live forever. And he says this: all the commissioners of the kingdom. All the commissioners? There's only three, right? I think there was one that was missing, right? So there's a lie right out the bat. No, there's only two of the commissioners, only 66% of your commissioners of the kingdom. The prefects and the satraps and the high officials and the governors have consulted together, conspired together, would be a good word, that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any God or man beside you, O king, for 30 days shall be cast into the lion's den. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so it may not be changed according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked. Therefore, the king Darius signed the document, that is the injunction. So the trap is set. And now the waiting game. Ah, now we know what Daniel's going to do. He's going to go and pray. And sure enough, what happens in verse 10 when Daniel knew that the document was signed. He entered the house, went up, opened the doors, opened the windows to Jerusalem, kneeled, and went ahead praying and giving thanks before his God as he had done previously. Now, can you imagine? Think for a moment. Put yourself in Daniel's situation. Can you imagine the anguish of soul that is going on at that moment? They have persecuted me without cause, they have set a trap for me, they lie against me, they want to destroy me from the earth. Yet I am not and have not going to turn away from your precepts. You know the story. He goes, he gets cast into the den of lions. And in verse 16, then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought and cast into the lions. But the king stayed up all night, was thinking about Daniel, is sympathetic to Daniel, but he was forced, his hand was forced. And in verse 20, when the king had come near the den the next morning, he cried out with a troubled voice. You can almost hear it, a very troubled voice, like, Daniel, Daniel, servant of the living king, the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions? And then Daniel spoke to the king. You can imagine the king's expression. O king. Live forever. My God has sent his angel and shut the lion's mouth, and they have not harmed me insomuch as I was found innocent before him and also toward you, O king. I have committed no crime. See, they almost destroyed him. And in verse 23, then the king was very pleased. You could almost see a grin just come across Darius' face. And he gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him because he had trusted in his God. And then the king gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children, and their wives into the lion's den. And they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. Wow, you talk about cleaning the slate of Daniel's adversaries. You talk about giving him a little more political power than before. Boy, God wiped slate clean. But then this is what's fascinating. In verse 25, then Darius, the king, wrote to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language who were living in all the land, May your peace abound. I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom, men are to Fear and tremble before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God and enduring forever. And his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, and his dominion will be forever. He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. So, this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius, in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. It's interesting when you put it all together. God was doing something through the affliction of Daniel. And God was doing something through Daniel's difficult circumstances. And you know what he was doing? He was protecting the Jewish nation, among other things. But he was protecting them in captivity, as he said he would do in Isaiah 43. He said, For your sake, I send you down to Babylon, so that you will know that I am the Lord and that there is no Savior besides me. It's interesting when we read in Esther chapter 6, you know, that remarkable event where Mordecai or Haman is trying to bring Mordecai down, and the tables turn dramatically against Haman. So Haman runs home and he talks to his wife in chapter 6, and his wife says this: If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin, You will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him. You see, when Darius is making a proclamation, Daniel's God is God, a certain fear came about upon the land to not speak against these people. God was being faithful. And Daniel, though he is going through the crucible, God was doing something. He was doing something. He was protecting his people. He was making himself known among the nations. It wasn't just about the Jews, it was about all of humanity that they would come to know who God really is. And God was doing this through the difficult circumstances that he put Daniel through. Not just for Daniel's benefit, but for the nation and for the world's sake. You know, you and I are going to be tempted to distrust God in 2016 when difficult times come upon us. But understand, God is doing something in your difficult circumstances. Listen, only the believer has this guarantee in life. Let me read these words to you. Romans 8:28. And we know that God causes all things. How many things? All things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Only you, as believers, have this promise. God is doing things even in the midst of your difficult circumstances. And this is what the psalmist came to understand.

39:14And though he was tempted maybe to distrust God, yet he made a decision. I am going to trust what your word says, and there I'm going to resign myself. In verse 71 of Psalm 119, the psalmist said, It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. In verse 75, he says, I know, O Lord, that your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. And in verse 91, he said, All things are your servants.

39:50Now, that's a mature mind that has gone through affliction and understands that God sometimes brings about his greatest advances through difficult circumstances. So, what do you do when trials come to you in 2016? You trust. You trust. And if God should give you the strength, rejoice. Rejoice. Let me take you back to London, 1666, after the plague had ravaged the place and was still going on. King Charles returned. To what he thought was a cursed London. And then the unthinkable happened. The Great Fire of 1666 broke out. It began in the bake shop of one of the bakers to King Charles II. And at that time, most of the construction in London was wood and pitch, which made it very flammable. The little fire grew. There was a strong wind that blew the night it started, and it lit the town on fire.

41:06Devastating lost. 80% of the structures were gone. And in a very short time, in fact, King Charles himself jumped out and helped fight the fire. That's how intense it was, devastated the place. The magnitude of property loss was staggering. Thousands of citizens were homeless. The city was financially ruined. What a curse was upon London. But then, all of a sudden, they realized something: the plague had ceased. The plague that had ravished it ceased. And this great fire killed most of the rats that were spreading the disease. And a new London emerged.

42:01Changed the face of London forever. In fact, to this day, there is a monument on Monument Street, a monument to the Great Fire of 1666. You see, we have a plague in us, sin, a proneness to wander away from God. And sometimes it is only through the fires of affliction that we learn his ways, as the psalmist said. And as Daniel, as in Daniel's life, God was doing something. He was lovingly discipling or disciplining Daniel, but he was also making himself known among the nations.

42:52And that's what he does today. One final thought. Five resolutions for a blessed new year. First, purpose to keep your way pure. Second, treasure your inheritance. Third, be unashamed of God's word. Fourth, trust God even in difficult times. And number five, be quick to admit when you are wrong. Be quick to admit when you are wrong. Verse 58 or 57, Psalms says this, The Lord is my portion. I have promised. I have resolved. Just much like we do, making resolutions. I have promised to keep your words. I sought your favor with all my heart. Be gracious to me according to your word. I considered my ways and turned my feet to your testimonies. I hastened and did not delay to keep your commandments. You see, as you go through 2016, you're going to meet with times of failure. No matter how great your resolutions are, you'll experience times when you have failed to keep your way pure, when you fail to treasure your inheritance as you should, or when you fail to be unashamed of God's word, or when you fail to trust God in the difficult circumstances that he may bring. But when you bring, when you realize such failures, consider your ways. Verse 59, consider your ways and turn your feet to his testimonies, and hasten and do not delay.

44:37Repentance and restitution. Quick repentance and great restitution breaks the power of sin, breaks the pattern. And it's what you can do to destroy the power of sin in your life. Repentance with restitution. When you are wrong, or when you have wronged somebody, or when you have failed to live up. To God's standards, repent quickly. Turn your feet quickly. Make restitution in abundance and move on. Well, purity begins here. Purity begins with the work of Christ upon the cross. This isn't a pull yourself up and go get them message. This is recognizing the purity that is given to us in Christ Jesus and the grace that he gives us. I am certain that if you will make these resolutions and that you will call upon God's grace, you will have a blessed 2016.

45:41Let's pray. Heavenly Father, indeed, we do call upon you. We want to walk in your ways. We want to treasure the inheritance that you've given us. We want to be unashamed of your word in life and in deed and in words of our mouth. We want to trust you even in the most difficult circumstances. And Father, we recognize our proneness to do just the opposite, to defile ourselves, to neglect our inheritance, to be ashamed of your word and to even get angry at you and things that we don't understand.

46:21But Father, we do ask that your great grace will be upon us and that you will enable us to. Live up to these resolutions, and when we fall, pick us up. Father, we turn our lives over to you and ask you to do whatever you need to do to make our lives like that of this psalmist, like that of Daniel, and like that of all saints of old, and especially like your son. For it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.