January 3, 2019 ● 19-01
Rom. 12:1-2: Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
In April 1997, the aircraft carrier USS JOHN F KENNEDY (CV 67) deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of its normal operating cycle; I was a crewmember on the KENNEDY at the time. Shortly after we departed our homeport of Mayport, FL, God put Rom. 12:1-2 on my heart in a very strong way. I began to study those two verses of Scripture over the next few months. I became friends with the command chaplain on-board and was able to use some of the Scripture resources he had. Romans 12:1-2 became the first sermon I ever preached, I was allowed to preach at one of our on-board chapel services while deployed. These two verses of Scripture became transformational in my own life and still are today.
God’s Word has a way of shaping our lives, sometimes through sermons we hear and other times through specific verses that God lays on our hearts. Recently while journaling through the Psalms I was impressed by one particular verse,
Psalms 119:125: I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies.
Psalms 119:125 is a realization: I am Your servant. By faith in Jesus Christ we are all God’s servants; the apostle Paul wrote this same truth in 1 Cor. 6:19-20.
Psalms 119:125 is a request: give me understanding. The Holy Spirit of God gives us the ability to understand God’s Word. The understanding of God’s Word is what leads us to the proper application of His Word.
Psalms 119:125 is also a reason: that I may know Your testimonies. One Hebrew lexicon defines the word ‘testimonies’ as, “unequivocal facts about God.”
When you begin to pray through and study Psalms 119.125 you will discover how transformational this one verse really is. I want to invite you in this new year to allow God’s Word to equip you with verses that will shape your life for God’s glory.