My reason for Living

 Read Psalm 119:17-24.

Gimel
What is my reason for living?  Why am I here? 

The answer to those questions determines one's true success or failure in life.  We can live to please ourselves, but all the pleasure, power and possessions on earth will not fill the emptiness inside.  We can live for others and serve in great humanitarian efforts, but at the end we will have only made a few improvements on things that one day will all pass away.  When one lives to fulfill God's design for them, they discover personal satisfaction, life-changing service to others, and eternal benefits that can never be taken away.

Where does one begin to discover God's purpose for their lives?  See the psalmist's perspective here in stanza three of this song.

1. His Requests (vv.17-18)
He prayed for God's blessings on his life.  But notice why he wanted to be blessed "bountifully."  It was so he could live in alignment with God's Word.  Next, he prayed that God would help him to have spiritual insight into what he was reading.

2. His Needs (vv.19-20)
This world is not our home.  Our existence here will only be for a number of years.  Eternity is ahead.  Life on this planet then becomes a proving ground and preparation for what is ahead.  A pilgrim in a strange land needs a map, direction, and guidance along the journey.  The psalmist's desire was that God would reveal such direction from His Word and rule in his life's decisions accordingly.

3. His Story (vv.21-23)
He understood from God's Word and from observation that those who stray from God's purposes for their lives suffer the consequences.  But his prayer was that God would remove from him any temptation to stray.  His desire was to be faithful.  Even if respected authorities came against him, he determined in advance to turn to God's Word for counsel and to guide his thoughts.