57 Thou art my portion, O Lord:
I have said that I would keep thy words.
58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart:
be merciful unto me according to thy word.
59 I thought on my ways,
and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.
60 I made haste, and delayed not
to keep thy commandments.
61 The bands of the wicked have robbed me:
but I have not forgotten thy law.
62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee
because of thy righteous judgments.
63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee,
and of them that keep thy precepts.
64 The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy:
teach me thy statutes.
Comments by Joan Boney
The ways of God are very different from the ways of man. Man is often influenced by his own flesh or by other men. The Holy Spirit is given to us in the New Covenant so that we can know the ways of God in the issue at hand and so we can choose HIS way shown us by the Spirit of God and the Holy Scriptures.
57 Thou art my portion, O Lord:
59 I thought on my ways,
and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.
The only thing that matters is that we go in the way of God in the troubles of this present life. If we seek HIM (HIS will) in the problem we can know HIS way by that which HE shows us by HIS Spirit.
One of my neighbor's became offended and misunderstood something and blamed me. I considered sending her a note explaining. But first I prayed, asking God what HE wanted me to do. And the Holy Spirit reminded me of the following scripture.
Mt. 15 ... Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone:they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
By this, I knew God was showing me what to do in the case of this neighbor ... "Let her alone ..." I tore up the note of explanation and said nothing to her.
One of the things the Holy Spirit does is to remind us of everything Jesus has said, scriptures, dreams, words ... Jn. 14:26 ... By that we can know the will of God in the specific issues of this life.
But also we must try the spirit behind the "remembrance" for even the devil can quote scripture, we saw that when the devil came to Jesus.
Mt. 4 ... 1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Jesus quoted scripture to the devil ... Then in the next temptation the devil started by quoting scripture to Jesus. Jesus countered with scripture.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down:for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan:for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
We have to try the spirit behind the thought that comes into our mind.
I Jn. 4 ... 1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God:and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
When I have a thought that instructs me, I have to consider: Is that thought from the Spirit of God or another spirit?
Sometimes it is very clear it is another spirit for it would cause us to do harm to another.
That spirit not of God wants to destroy us so it might bring a "noble" idea which seems godly but is far beyond our natural means and to try to do it would cause great suffering to ourselves and those around us.
We can try the spirit by praying, by asking God about the idea and by waiting until God proves the idea for us one way or another. Often scriptures themselves prove the idea. If the idea would cause us to operate aside from truth, in hypocrisy, then that idea is not from God.
James 3 ... 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Also, I can try that spirit by saying to the spirit: Do you confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh?
After I ask that question there will be a "yes" or a "no" sent to my mind.
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After my mother died, my cousin wanted me to move to the city where she lives. But God had given me a dream showing me I could not go out through my cousin's house. So I knew it would be unwise to move to my cousin's town. I moved to a town 350 miles from that cousin. It has worked out very well for me though I knew only one person in this town at the time I moved here. God has helped me in every way.
My cousin had said to me her two sons and husband would be very helpful. (Ten years later, the husband was dead and one son was committing fornication.) My cousin was in bad health and 83 by this time. She couldn't drive and was considering moving in with one of the sons. But she hates this son's wife. She hates the 4 children he adopted who are living at home. She hates her sister-in-law who lives in this same town where the son lives. I had suggested she might enjoy an assisted living but she is proud her son asked her to move in with him and all these people she hates.
But my help comes from God who directs me and provides for all my needs and keeps me from from those who would hinder me.
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Romans 8 ... 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
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64 The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy:
Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.