Doing the Do’s

by: Carole L. Haines

With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth.
¹⁴ I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.
¹⁵ I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways.
¹⁶ I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.
Psalm 119:13-16 NASB
Ordinances, testimonies, precepts and ways; so many different paths for our mind to ponder in the Word of God. We are used to people giving testimonies, but here, in Psalm 119, it speaks of God’s testimonies, His ways, His precepts, His Word are all lifted up in this Psalm. We are called to tell of them, rejoice in them, meditate on them. delight in them, not forget them. I coined a phrase for myself many years ago, “If you spend your time doing the do’s, you won’t have time to do the don’ts”

Lately I have been under some fierce opposition and discouragement from the Enemy. I allowed fears to overtake me and stop me in the good work I believe God has been calling me to. God brought me to this Psalm in my quiet time this morning and I was reminded of the phrase I used to live by. “Spend your time doing the do’s…” Crazy things have been happening. My cat flipped over my computer and the book I was 3/4 done writing and editing was lost.
I was blinded to the fact that it could be an enemy affront and instead took it to mean I was not supposed to finish that book. Wow!, it doesn’t take long for me to get off-track when I am not praising God, rejoicing in His ways, meditating on His Word and seeking to never forget His promises. Please pray for me dear friends, and I will pray for His leading in all I do and write. I felt He wanted me to share this with you today, to encourage you if the enemy has sidetracked any of the work God is doing through you by discouragement. Let me close with this exhortation.

Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3 NASB)
King Jesus, I wasn’t watching where I was going, I became tangled in the work instead of simply walking with You. King Jesus, please guide all of us to fix our eyes on You, the author and perfecter of our faith. Help us to do the “do’s” of Your calling, in the strength of Your Spirit and Your might, not our own. Amen!