A Devotional Commentary in Psalm 119
Nonfiction / Religion / Spiritual / Devotional
Date Published: September 19, 2023
Publisher: Lucid Books
Do you desire the delight and joy described in the Bible, but find it elusive? Do you find yourself struggling to move from obligation to heartfelt desire? Do you desire more than information, but deep transformation? If so, this book is for you. Psalm 119 is a prayer to God for all of these things, and a personal answer from the Lord Himself. The infinitely perfect God of the universe draws near to perfect those who walk in His law, observe His testimonies, and seek Him with all their heart. How does He do this? He provides the knowledge, understanding, desire, ability, and delight; He initiates, sustains, and completes it all. This devotional commentary is a companion and a tour guide to help you toward a growing realization of the incalculable treasure that God in His mercy has placed before you in His word. You will be blessed beyond measure as you experience God’s presence as He speaks personally and powerfully to you by His perfect Word.
INTERVIEW
Can you tell us a little about the process of getting
this book published? How did you come up with the idea and how did you start?
This book came about through my daily meditation and study
of the Bible, which has been my lifeline since I came to faith in Christ as a
child. Jesus said, ‘Man shall not live
on bread alone, but on every word that that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’
(Matthew 4:4). Job said, ‘I have
treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.’ (Job
23:12). While convinced of this need for
my soul, I found myself struggling to experience the delight in God’s word that
was described in it. Enter Psalm
119. The experience of the Psalmist here
captivated my attention, and I desired this for myself. I began a habit of reading a section of Psalm
119 each day as part of my meditations, and as I wrote in the book, this sharpens
my mind and enflames my affections. It
reminds me of the treasure that lies before me daily in the written word of
God. It was out of this habit and
journaling and studying I compiled my notes to be a reminder to myself and
encouragement to my family. My wife
Betty encouraged me to consider getting it published. I remember meeting the founder of Lucid
Books, Casey Cease, at a conference a number of years earlier, so that led to
me reaching out to Lucid to submit my manuscript for consideration to publish.
What surprised you most about getting your book
published?
Having journaled extensively and taught the Bible
consistently in church settings for many years with very positive feedback, I
was comfortable with writing, and had always done well writing in an academic
setting, but I had no idea how the quality of my writing would stand up to the
scrutiny of a publisher. I was surprised
to get very positive feedback from the publisher, that the manuscript was very
well developed. I thought the process of
editing would be much more extensive, but was pleased to find only relatively
minor edits were necessary.
Tell us a little about what you do when you aren’t
writing.
I’m not a full time writer! Vocationally I am a project management
consultant, which keeps me plenty busy.
This vocation I can see really enhances my writing, since project
management is primarily about communicating in a way that is helpful and useful
to others, and those skills influence my writing. I have a heart to be clear and motivational
to positive action. Personally I have
been married to Betty for 34 years and we have 6 children and 4 grandchildren; so
much of our focus is on time with them and pouring into the next
generation. Beyond that I have a heart
for discipleship and mentoring and that expresses itself in my church community
and several mentoring and community outreach organizations. I am an avid NFL football fan and enjoy that
as well as hiking and bike riding in beautiful central New Jersey.
As a published author, what would you say was the most
pivotal point of your writing life?
There were really two.
First was my wife Betty encouraging me to publish. This was both scary and exciting since it was
new territory for me and would require a new level of focus and effort. The second was my initial interaction with
Lucid Books as they gave me feedback on the manuscript. I was surprised at how positive the feedback
was and the clarity of the path toward publishing.
Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think
that is?
My best ideas come primarily from two sources. First is the Bible. Psalm 119:130 says, ‘The unfolding of your
words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.’ I can’t know everything, but through God’s
word I can know the One who knows everything.
I am continually amazed at how relevant the Bible is and what insight it
gives to all areas of life. Second is
conversations and interactions with people.
I am intrigued at what motivates people and the reality that we act out
the things we love, the things that captivate our affections. I am continually learning from these
interactions, learning what has been truly transformative in peoples’ lives.
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
Since I am a new author I have not yet received a lot of feedback,
but the one consistent piece of feedback so far has been that I try to fit too
much content – not so much words as thoughts – in my writing. I have a very active mind and am learning to
be more patient in unfolding those thoughts into my writing in a way that is
helpful and appealing.
What has been your best accomplishment as a writer?
So far having God and His Word published! This has motivated me to write more, and has challenged
me to grow in learning how to promote my writing.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Currently I have 2, with 1 of those far more developed
than the other. I look forward to
completing another manuscript in the next year and pursuing having that
published.
About the Author
Mark Daniel Twombly is fueled by the desire to know Christ, proclaim Him, and ‘present every man complete in Christ’ (Colossians 1:28-29) as God’s transcendent purpose for him. Having come to faith in Christ as a child, God has built into him a love for His word as the foundation for all of life. He lives in central New Jersey as a husband to Betty, father of 6, and grandfather to 4. He has been blessed to serve in local church ministry in formal leadership for most of his adult life and continues to be active in teaching, leading, and discipleship. A graduate of Rutgers College, vocationally he is a Senior Manager of Program Management in the Telecommunications industry. He has written for Well Thought magazine and is author of the blog ‘In His Grip’ (http://mdtwombly.blogspot.com/).
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