Psalms 119:1-8

Overview:
You are blessed if you seek to be perfectly obedient to God and. You are also blessed it you seek to know God with every fiber of your being, and who rather than sin, do what He says. I desire to be one of those who continually are obedient to Your Word. Then my walk would be without shame because my eyes would be totally focused on Your Word. As I learn what Your Word says, I will praise you with a heart that is devoted to You. I will keep your Word, so don't leave me!
Application:
The writer wants to be one of those who keeps God's Word perfectly, who always does what is right and doesn't sin. But he knows better. He knows he is sinful. But he has set an awesome goal to do all that God says and to be a student of the Word.
Like David, I want to know God fully and to do all that He says, but I fall far short of that goal all the time. So what do I do? Give up? Say that I'm only "human," as though that is some excuse for sinning? God forbid that I should stay in that rut! Set the highest of goals before me, and strive with everything in my being to achieve it. I know I won't reach perfection this side of heaven, but that doesn't give me an excuse to live as I please and do as I wish. May my desires, be Your desires. May my heart abandon the things of this world, and be totally sold out to You!

Galatians 2:20

Overview:
"I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." 
Application:
The old man, the old me, died when I accepted Christ as Savior. Or...it should have died! Unfortunately, it all too often gets resurrected. If I have died and it is Christ who is alive in me, then it should look like I am possessed (in a good way) by Christ. I have no control over my own desires - I totally yield to His power. He is my Master and I do His bidding. That's how it should be - but I fall way short of the that ideal.
I must put on the full armor of God. Each piece's purpose is to help me make it through the day.. As F.B. Meyer so eloquently said: "Let us therefore day by day say: "Lord Jesus, wrap Thyself around me, that I may go forth, adequately attired to meet life's demands."

Joshua 1:9

Overview:
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Application:
Candy, stop being fearful! God has commanded you to be strong and courageous. Don't be overwhelmed, discouraged and stressed out (dismayed)! Why? Because the LORD (Yahweh, Jehovah, the proper name for God), is always with me wherever I go. This promise was made to Joshua, but is relevant for me today. Just as Yahweh had marching orders for Joshua upon entering the Promised Land, I have marching orders too. They are: (1) I must meditate on God's Word continually and be talking of it continually. There is no substitute for being in the Word. No such thing as ministry apart from the Word. Can't be too busy doing "ministry" to be in the Word - can't have one w/o the other. Ministry done w/o the empowerment of the Holy Spirit will be deflated; it will quickly run out of gas since I've not put fuel (God's Word) into it. God promises to bless His Word - not bless all my vain attempts to look good in His eyes and the eyes of others. (2) I must be strong even when obedience seems impossible, and when outside influences are trying to side-track me from that obedience. As I take that step of faith forward in obedience to Him, I will find that the opposition/problems I dreaded will fall away, as the Holy Spirit gives me the faith needed to be obedient. So....what am I worried about??!!