Led By The Spirit of God – Psalm 143

I lifted my Bible from my desk in my office and I silently asked Jehovah Elyon, Adonai, Almighty God to open His Word to what I needed this night before I retire.

I always pray and ask the Holy Spirit to lead me to what I need from the fruit of the Living Word of God when I read the Bible. Even if reading over the Scripture we’re studying in Bible study in the community of believers I am with, or at any time I pick up my Bible to read it — but every so often, it does not happen with great frequency, when I ask the Holy Spirit to lead me to what I need and open the Bible what is opened before me pierces my heart in a special manner. The portion of Scripture I happen to open to is exactly what I need at that time out of everything the Bible holds.

That is what happened to me that winter’s night a little over 4 years ago when my life was forever changed and my spirit and mind were renewed in the twinkling of an eye, and I became a “new man” casting aside the “old man” and became a disciple of Yeshua’s, a disciple of Jesus the Lord, Saviour, and Messiah and told God I would lead my life to be pleasing and acceptable unto Him and Jesus, and when I opened a Bible on that dark winter’s night, and the light finally came into my life after wandering in the wilderness for over 35 years, and not picking up a Bible in over 20 years, the Bible that night opened to Luke 15 and my eyes were directed to verse 11 and I began to read. My life has never been the same.

Since then the times are certainly not as dramatic as that, since that was the night of my conversion and coming from the darkness into the Light — but there are times when I pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide me in what I need, and the Bible opens up, and  the Scripture revealed to me shakes me and moves me unlike other study and readings. Tonight was such a night.

The enemy is not only those causing us distress. The enemy can be many things — lusts, desires, being lax in our faith which is all only sub-sets and branches of the enemy of us all; the Adversary — the devil himself. And lest anyone is of the mind the Psalms, or the Older Testament holds nothing for them every word in every book of God’s Living Word holds something for all of us. It is all there for a reason — to reveal the will of God to us, to lead us, to instruct us, to hold us and keep us, to teach us His ways.

Tonight my Bible opened to:

Psalm 143 – King James Version

A Psalm of David

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

7 Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

9 Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

11 Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

Psalm 143 – Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)