Psalm 119: Focus On God's Word Pt. 26 Hide the Word. Receive Salvation, Sanctification, Separation and Service.
Psalm 119:9-11 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10) With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11) Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
We should hide the scriptures in our hearts because this is connected to the work of God when we are converted to Jesus Christ.
Hide God's Word because it changes our heart!
Psalm 19:7,8 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8) The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Sometimes we may view the law of God in a negative light, as an impossibly high moral standard that no man can achieve. This is true, and yet one man did. Jesus Christ!
Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the son of man could point to His life and ask His enemies if any of them could find sin in Him. They could not and neither could Pontius Pilate.
This is the great, eternal provision of God for salvation for all sinners who exercise repentant faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
When we place our full faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus, then the righteousness Christ has from fulfilling the law of God, is imputed to each believer.
Thus, God did for us what we cannot do and yet He says to us "I want you to live by every word that I speak" (Matthew 4:4).
This is why the Psalmist declared that the law of God is perfect and it converts the soul to God through faith in Christ (Galatians 3:10-14; 23-24).
Parents, do you want your children to be born again and know the One, True, Living God? Then you must teach them God's law and help them hide it in their hearts.
Holy Truth that leads us to Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
This is why he exclaimed that the power of the Word of God is sure and it can make the most naïve sinner wise unto faith in Christ (2 Timothy 3:15). Scriptures are holy because they came from God and He put His own character into them.
This is why the Psalmist could say that God's righteous standard fills a believers heart with joy because we now have a true desire to live a holy life (1 Peter 1:15-16).
This is why the Psalmist points us to the sufficiency of scripture to meet all of our spiritual needs as we navigate our way through this life. His pure commandments light our path and show us how God wants us to live.
God does have imperatives for believers to learn and obey, in order to show us the length, breadth and height of our spiritual duties toward Him.
He both gives us salvation and requires a right response of repentance from us, to make us aware of our spiritual duties and obligations.
So, as I speak of spiritual duties, I hasten to point out that doing what God commands is never a burden to any believer. A heart that has been regenerated by the Spirit of God will desire to obey God's law because of our love for Him.
Learning and living by the revealed will of God brings us great joy, as we live out His truth by the choices we make and the habits we form. We will become blessed and filled with spiritual satisfaction, because we are in Christ.
Hiding scripture in our heart, is one way God puts His law into our minds.
Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
What does God promise to do? To put His law into our minds and to write His law on our hearts. In this manner, He will be our God and we shall be His people.
Our mind is compared to the stone tablets Moses received, that were "written with the finger of God." It is in our heart where we are to write His Word by hiding it there, and where God will also write it upon our mind. Thus our will becomes subject to His perfect will.
Hiding the Word of God in our hearts means we read it and heed it. We read it many times and memorize it as best we can. We think about it often during the course of each day.
Lay up God's Word in our heart to guide our steps through this life.
Proverbs 7:1-3 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 2) Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. 3) Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
King Solomon spoke directly to his son's need to keep His commands, but under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he is also telling us that we must write God's commandments upon the tablet of our heart. This is hiding God's Word in our heart.
On one hand, God says we must circumcise our heart (Deuteronomy 10:16) and yet He promises to circumcise our heart (Deuteronomy 30:6). Thus, we have His imperative for believers and His work for us, placed side by side.
Paul wrote to the Colossians, and in the chapter where he speaks of putting off the old man, he tells us about our spiritual duty, to mortify the members of our flesh (Colossians 3:5).
This action connects with having no confidence in our flesh because no good thing dwells in it.
Yet, Paul also wrote that if through the Spirit we mortify the members of our flesh, we will live (Romans 8:13).
All of this is connected with lifelong spiritual warfare where we battle our enemy the Devil, the world and its' depraved culture and our flesh, the old man who does not have anything to do with the things of God.
God does mighty work for us and He obligates us to seek Him each day. We must seek Him daily in order that we might receive ongoing sanctification from our Father, to complement the eternal sanctification we have in Christ.
Studying scripture helps us hide it in our heart.
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
This is why believers in Christ are commanded to study the holy scriptures. We must become workmen because it takes physical and mental energy to study the scriptures.
The workman in the New Testament was someone who was hired to do the hard tasks connected with animal husbandry and farming.
We live in one of the top agribusiness counties in the state of Ohio so the picture painted by a "workman" is vivid. There is physical work and mental effort involved with both pursuits.
Farming requires getting up early every day, because there are certain tasks like milking cows, that must be done at specified times. Then, they must be fed and watered and if the weather permits, they must be led out to pasture.
Stalls in the barn require cleaning out so that the cows do not become ill. Equipment must be maintained, supplies must be ordered, milk, livestock and produce must be transported for processing or sale.
Paul teaches us this is the kind of daily commitment believers must make in order to study the scriptures. Doing so means living a life that God approves of.
We learn to hear and heed what Hs says. We learn to trust and obey God. We learn to read and apply His clear instructions. We learn to allow the scriptures to set the moral parameters of our life.
Hiding God's Word in our heart prepares us for serving Christ.
2 Timothy 3:16,17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17) That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Paul tells of the doctrine of verbal inspiration and follows this teaching with the outcome God desires for each believer in Christ.
God wants each of us to live by the doctrines of scripture. He wants us to allow His truth to challenge us when we sin, and to show us the path to restoration.
Hiding God's truth in our heart builds into us instruction in righteousness, that will direct our way each day.
This is how God properly outfits believers to live a Godly life in the midst of an ungodly, unholy world.
This is so that we might be equipped to do the work of the ministry and complete whatever good works that God ordained for us to do (See Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:1-8).
Thoughts to Ponder...
I close this post by asking each of us to read the words from Psalm 19 once again. Notice the actions words that indicate what God does with His word as we hide it in our hearts.
Psalm 19:7-9 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8) The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9) The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Notice the response we should have toward His mighty Word. We should desire it because it far exceeds the value of any earthly treasure. It keeps us on the path of righteousness and rewards all who obey it.
Psalm 19:10,11 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11) Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Like Psalm 119:9, the Psalmist asks who can see the errors of his ways and how can he be cleansed? The answer is found in hiding God's Word in our heart, because doing so will restrain us from presumptuous sins and will set our affection upon the things of God.
Psalm 19:12,13 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13) Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
May the closing words of Psalm 19 be a prayer for all of us. Hiding the scriptures in our hearts is how our words and thoughts become acceptable to God. There is no other way.
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
May the Lord convict us where we stray and show us the way back to Himself. May the Spirit open our ears and eyes to these sublime truths that we might run to God, crying Abba, Father!
Bob
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