Psalm 119 God's Word on Display. Pt. 2
Let's look at verses Psalm 119:1-2.
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Psalm 119:1-8 1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. 4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. 5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! 6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. 7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. 8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
Psalms 119 references the word of God 168 times in 176 verses. It is reasonable to conclude that our potential to experience the blessing of God is closely correlated to the amount of delight in our souls for the Word of God.
Note the references to the scriptures in verses 1-8 of this Psalm. The introduction immediately elevates the holy scriptures of God into prominence. We can benefit by keeping the absolute authority of God’s word foremost in our minds and recognizing our need to understand and apply its truth to all of our activities.
Notice the use of many action words to convey God’s will for us concerning His revealed truth. He uses simple verbs like walk, keep, seek, do no, respect, praise and learned when speaking about the scripture.
Walking in the law leads to a pure life
Psalms 119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
It is plainly evident that our own
individual purity and happiness as a believer, is a result of choosing
to walk in the law of the Lord.
This verse unmistakably indicates that blessing comes to us from walking
in the law of the Lord.
Walking in His holy law leads us toward living a life
that is clean before God and man. The Psalmist describes this clean walk as
someone who is living an undefiled life. The word “undefiled” means to be whole, without spot or blemish or innocent.
We should give thought to this each day because a corrosive, corrupt
culture constantly presses down upon our souls. We will not receive edifying
input from the godless culture that we live in. If we fail to persistently pursue
the things of God then the things of this world will assume prominence over us
and influence over decision making.
Walking in the law of the Lord not only brings happiness to us, it helps
us to live “right” before God and man. We can learn the beauty of loving God
and loving our neighbor. Walking in His holy law leads our minds to a
preoccupation with this Holy God who desires communion with us. No wonder the
Psalmist has such unabated exuberance for the scriptures.
Pay attention to the "way" that we live
The word “way” is used
reminding us that we are merely pilgrims journeying through this life while awaiting
a future home in heaven. The “way”
that we travel through this life leaves behind a path marked out by our life
patterns. Other people can see the direction of the “way” we travel with
sobering clarity.
It is sobering because we are living in a manner that either encourages
or discourages other people with regard to their seeking the Lord.
Our daily choices mark out a way
that shows the value we place upon God’s word. One clear goal we ought to
diligently maintain is to walk in the law of the Lord each day so that as others
observe our lives, the “way” marked out
by our daily decisions demonstrates our willingness to follow God in humble
obedience.
Conformity to scripture yields peace of
mind
A believer who chooses to act in conformity to Holy Scripture can
experience peace of mind and spiritual happiness. It flows from choosing to
walk in the law of the Lord. This hints at the magnitude of how God uses His
holy word in order to transform our lives.
Our whole mind, heart and soul must be engaged
Psalms 119:2 2 Blessed are they that
keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
Keeping His testimonies and seeking
Him with the whole heart.
Two actions are set before us in this verse, the act of keeping and the act of seeking. Both actions can lead the
person whose soul is fully engaged in keeping and seeking, into the gracious
condition of receiving blessing from God.
"Keep" as a verb
The word translated “keep” is
a familiar verb that means to watch over something that we consider extremely valuable
in such a way that we are willing to commit the resources needed to ensure its
protection. It means to guard something from danger. It also means the act of
preserving something with the intent to obey.
"Keep" as a noun
The Oxford English Dictionary notes that the word “keep” has a special meaning as a noun in our language. As an
English noun a “keep” refers to the
strongest, central tower of a fortress that represents the primary place of
refuge, security and safety from the enemy’s advance.
Both definitions of the word “keep”
inform us how we ought to keep the word of God. We should view the scriptures
as a most precious object to be carefully guarded in the depths of the “keep” within
our hearts and souls.
The spiritual soil within the “keep” of our soul is where
the enemy seeks to undermine, weaken, attack and defeat us. This is precisely
where we need to “keep” God’s word.
Seeking God is necessary
Jehovah is the blessed object of our seeking and we must make a full and complete examination with our whole heart. Seeking with our whole heart leads to a passionate, persistent pursuit of God.
Points to Ponder....
- We must walk in God's law to enjoy a pure life.
- All of our choices make a life pattern or "Way" that others can see. Does it point people to Christ or does is show that we live for self?
- Conforming to scripture leads to a blessed life.
- Our whole heart must be engaged in seeking to understand and apply God's word.
Bob
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