Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

I still get offended. Does that mean I don’t love your law? I think I do, but my peace cannot be a great peace if I lose it for any reason. This verse says nothing shall offend. So what is wrong here?

Last week I had a dream where I felt like I was at risk. The circumstances of the dream are important, the take away was being at risk. I consulted my accountability partner. He doesn’t put much weight in dreams. OK, I respect that. If there is something there God will speak to my situation again, He is a patient God.

Yesterday I justified sin because I was choosing to do what I thought was right for another person. You cannot justify sin for anyone. That is a “God I love your law” opportunity which I failed.

That night I saw a brother in the Lord doing exactly what I have been practicing to avoid. I tried to move him off point and was shut down for it. In this I was offended. Now I have to deal with my anger at this offense. But who is at fault here? Me first, I knew I did wrong and did not heed God’s warning of being at risk.

Matthew 7:3-5 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

If I love the Word, then I must love all the Word, and do what it says.

Authority comes from obedience not knowledge.

Psalm 1116:1-2 I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

My very first instinct upon reading this verse was, “Man is this guy ever shallow.” Talk about the me, me, me syndrome. How selfish can you get? Then the Lord reminded me of my very first supplication to Him.

“Save me from what I am!”

That was back in 1964 and I can tell you it wasn’t long before I forgot what I had asked. Life happens and more important issue arise before our eyes that need attention. Issues that are settled seem to fade into memory. It isn’t that we have failing memories, as is my case now. We are for the most part momentary people. We deal with this moment, this problem, this need, and yes this desire.

Worst of all I sit in judgment of a man who expresses my exact history. I just forgot what it was like back then. I forgot how it felt to be desperate. I forgot how it felt to be “out of control”. I forgot how it felt to want to be anybody but myself.

Romans 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

I see it, my hope. That which I had hoped for was made real. Granted there are things which I hope to see in the future based on God’s promises, but that which has been given is mine and I no longer hope for it. Hope looks forward, not to the past.

Lord change my heart that I will not be so quick to judge another’s words. Amen