Psalm 119: Focus On God's Word Pt. 94 Stick Like Glue To God's Truth!

Psalm 119:25-30  DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word. 26)  I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes. 27)  Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works. 28)  My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word. 29)  Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. 30)  I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. 

Adhering to Jehovah's truth makes our faith resolute.

Psalm 119:31  I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.

There are other reasons why we must be stuck like glue to the scriptures. It fortifies us against troubles that may come from outside the church. 

The Apostles warned us about false teaching and false teachers several dozen times in their writings. Therefore, when some type of error creeps into the church, those who are stuck to the scriptures will not be swayed from standing on the rock of Christ. 

Those who are not stuck to the word are tossed around. 

Ephesians 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

The winds of error are always blowing and God will often use them to separate the chaff from the good grain. Winds of false doctrine are crafted in cunning ways by wicked men, who emulate their master, the Devil. 

Satan can make himself seem to be like an angel of light. Yet, his vile efforts are aimed at causing confusion in the minds of God's people just as he tempted Eve into doubting God's Word. 

"Carried about" means being led to doubts and hesitation between two competing opinions. "Wind" in this text refers to a strong tempest like wind that creates danger, doubt and uncertainty as to the outcome. 

Those who are not stuck to the Word vacillate between belief and unbelief. 

1 Kings 18:21  And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 

In the amazing account of God's prophet Elijah confronting 450 prophets of Baal, he rebuked Israel for vacillating between following Baal or following Jehovah. This is the same idea communicated by those who are caught up in the winds of false doctrines. 

Only those who are stuck to the scriptures by constantly reading, studying and memorizing them, will not be moved away from God when apostates do their evil work. 

Those who are not stuck to the Word are doubleminded. 

James 1:6-8  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7)  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8)  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 

Being stuck to the faithful testimonies of Jehovah helps us not to waver in our faith. We will not be like an ocean wave driven and tossed by angry winds. Falling between faith and doubt in a sea of uncertainty makes someone unstable. 

Adhering to the scriptures helps us avoid being a doubleminded man. The double minded person cannot focus on Christ alone for his attention is diverted from the truth and his allegiance to the Lord is divided. 

Those who are not stuck to the Word try to serve two masters. 

Matthew 6:24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

He often seeks to live for his own agenda and self interests, while claiming to have saving faith in Christ. We can only serve one Master, Jesus Christ. 

God is gracious to use the winds of error to sift out imposters and separate them from those whom He approves because they stuck to His testimonies. 

Those who are not stuck to the Word struggle with doubts.

Hebrews 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. 

Jewish believers had their share of faith struggles. All that they knew about God was centered around keeping the law, observing all the ceremonies and sacrifices that took place in the temple setting. 

They had to have minds renewed so that they could understand that no more sacrifices would ever be required because Jesus Christ was God's perfect Lamb. 

They had to learn that believers were living stones in a new, living temple that Christ named the "Church." They needed to be taught about the new heart and the new spirit and being a new man in Christ. 

All of these things combined were a major and radical change in their lives. This is why the Spirit of God caused the book of Hebrews to be written.

Notice what happened to those Jewish believers when they were not stuck to the scriptures, like the Psalmist wants us to be. They were carried around with doubt and hesitation between Christ and following their familiar rituals. 

Instead, they (and we too) must have their hearts established with the grace of God. The only manner that they could accomplish being firmly rooted in God's grace is by reading, understanding and believing the scriptures. They needed to be stuck to them. 

Those who are stuck to the Word are resting upon Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 

This is the same truth that Paul was always leading us to see. We must be rooted in our faith. The word "rooted" is an agricultural word referring to plants and trees that put down roots for water, nutrients and to keep them firmly in place during storms. 

To be "grounded" means to be resting on a solid, proper foundation. It means that the foundation upon which we are resting is immovable and permanent. Paul tells us that our foundation is Jesus Christ, the mighty Cornerstone of God (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

Thoughts to Ponder...

This is why we need to be stuck to the Word of God, so that we do not fall into error, or apostatize from faith in Christ. 

1 Timothy 1:6  From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

Some professing believers swerved which means they missed the mark of God's truth. They "turned aside" which is a medical terms for suffering a dislocated limb, most appropriate since each believer is a limb or member in the body of Christ. 

Instead of being stuck like glue to God's Word, they ran after foolish, empty speculations of wicked men's imaginations.    

1 Timothy 5:15  For some are already turned aside after Satan.

This text is even more sobering, Some professing believers turned aside to follow Satan and denied their faith in Jesus Christ. 

2 Timothy 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

At one point, Paul experienced many people in Asia turning away from him, such that he was left alone to carry on the ministry. 

2 Timothy 4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Some people allowed their minds to hear false teaching and were turned away from the truth of God in Jesus Christ. Instead, they pursued pagan mythologies and idolatry.

2 Timothy 4:10  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. 

A believer named Demas turned away from following Christ and from the apostolic teaching. Why? Because he loved the world more than he loved Christ. 

2 Timothy 4:14,15  Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: 15)  Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.

A man named Alexander did great evil against Paul's preaching by opposing the truth that was preached by Paul. 

Each of these apostolic warnings serve as a reminder to us that we do need to be stuck to the scriptures, as the Psalmist is teaching us to do. 

I pray that the Holy Spirit will grant us much needed discernment so that we readily assent to being stuck like glue to God's eternal truth.

I pray that He will transform our thinking by renewing our minds each time that we take up our Bible to read it. 

May Jesus Christ have His way in our hearts.

Bob