What Is Most Important After 31 Years? Psalm 119
In 31 years of life which isn’t long if there is one thing that I understand now that I wish I would have know a long time ago is how much of a gift Gods Word is. I wish I could say that my whole life has been filled with treasuring His Word and not being just a hearer of the Word but a doer as well. Below are my notes from what I studied this morning on the day of my 32nd birthday. This is a vow I want to take to always cherish, rely on and preach the Word of God for all my life.
PSALM 119
The longest
psalm, longest chapter in the Bible. The
Word of God and why we should study it. Nineteenth-century English literary
critic and economist John Ruskin was required by his mother to memorize one of
the Psalms every week. When he came to
Psalm 119, he said he resented having to memorize it because it seemed to say
the same thing over and over again. That is, that the Word of God is
great! But when he got older, he said it
was not dreadful but dynamic to learn this psalm because it stirred his mind
and called him daily to study the Word.
This psalm is an acrostic
psalm. Meaning that is begins with each
letter of the Hebrew alphabet. There are
22 sections of 8 verses each. Each
section is labeled with a symbol of the Hebrew alphabet. For instances section 1 is ALEPH which is the
first letter of the Hebrew alphabet,
like our A. Beth is the second letter,
Gimel is the third and so on down the line.
V1-6:
·
Blessed: Happy.
If you want to be happy, then walk in the Word of God. It will really be a delight to you. Unlike
sin that leaves you empty, your time in the Word of God will bring sustained
satisfaction to your soul.
V7-8:
·
I will praise you with uprightness of heart when I have learned
your judgments.
Maybe you feel limited in your ability to praise; you’re not expressive
or capable or flowing in praise—let me encourage you to do what the psalmist
says: As you read the psalms and read the word, use the language of the word
to teach you how to praise. Take the
psalms and make them your prayer. Pray
them, personalize them, offer them back up to the Lord. Psalms will become a beautiful part of your
devotional life. Learn the language of praise by repeating the phrases in the
psalms, and personalize them.
·
You want to be a worshiper? Read
the psalms, pray the psalms, practice the psalms and suddenly as you pray these
things, you’ll become fluent in the language of worship. Nobody is born that
way—it’s developed.
·
When I have learned the word, I
will praise you.
V9-11:
·
How do I get rid of these tendencies
of my flesh: By taking heed to the
Word. This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book. Let the Word of God that is like water flood
your soul and cleanse you, constantly.
·
Your word I have treasured in my
heart that I might not sin against you.
Meditating, memorizing the word is so powerful. To treasure the word in your heart. Your word I have HID or TUCKED away that I
might not sin.
V12-16:
·
If we meditate on his precepts
we’ll have respect for his ways.
V17-24:
·
Your testimonies are my delight, and my counselor. The Spirit of God speaking through the Word
of God. God , the happy are those who do not seek counsel from men but who
seek counsel from YOU! I all to often
seek counsel from others first and then seek you when that fails... it is so
backwards...
·
People will spend tons of money
on counseling... not saying counseling is bad but we have the best counselor of
all at free of charge if we will just do what He says...
V25-32:
·
Are your words trite and empty?
Do you just speak meaninglessness? If you understand his ways and spend time in
his word, you’ll talk of his works.
Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” What
comes out of your mouth is indicative of what’s going into your heart.
·
If we spend time in the Word of
God, His Word will naturally flow out of our mouths.
V33-40:
·
God help me pursue to follow Your
Word and not seek after selfish and worthless things...
V41-42:
·
Charles Hadden Spurgeon was asked
“How do you defend the Bible?” and he answered... How do you defend a lion? Let it out of its cage and it’ll defend
itself. You’ll be able to have an answer
for anyone who debates with you, just use the scriptures. You have to know the
scriptures…
·
If you memorize a scripture and commit yourself to it, within a
week you’ll be able to use that verse with somebody.
V43-48:
·
True freedom is found in walking
on the path of the Word.
·
My hands go up when the word goes in.
·
I lift up my hands to your commandments, which I love; and I will
meditate on your statutes.
V49-56:
·
God your Word has been a
soundtrack to my life as I try to follow you.
Your Word has been my song.
·
Has the Word ever become so real
to you that you found yourself singing spiritual songs?
V57-64:
·
Your Word is everything to
me. Even in the night I throw up lavish
praises to You because of Your Word!
V65-72:
·
When do we learn the word? So often, when we’re going through
affliction. When things are good we tend
to cruise; when things are going down we get into the Word. Psalmist
says, It’s good that I was afflicted.
V73-80:
·
The key to popularity. There are certain people that I love to see,
because they always have something to share from the Word. They that fear the Lord will be glad when
they see you coming because you have hoped in your word. Learn the word and you’ll be liked by those
that fear the Lord.
V81-88:
·
I’m fainting, looking for your
return, for your kingdom to be established, but in the meantime I hope in your
word.
V89-96:
·
God Your Word rings true and will
remain alive and true for EVER! It is
established in the heavens and will be faithful for all times.
V97-103:
·
Your commandments are ever with
me, and they make me wiser than my enemies.
V104:
·
I hate every false way. The way to recognize the phony is to have a
firm grasp on the actual.
·
Often times bank tellers are
taught how to spot counterfeit money by handling so many real bills that when a
fake is slipped in the teller and can see and feel the difference. This is the
same way with cults... if we know the word of God well enough we will be able
to spot out the counterfeit.
V105-112:
·
A lamp to my feet and a light to
my path.
V113-120:
·
You don’t have to be brilliant;
but he gives us understanding. Mark
Twain said it’s not what I don’t understand that bothers me; it’s what I
do! It’ll take a lifetime to scratch the
surface of the riches of this book. But
if you wait on the Lord, he’ll speak directly to you.
V121-128:
·
Lord since I am Your servant help
me understand Your Word completely and fully...
·
I cherish Your Word above gold
and not just gold but the finest of all the gold! It is that precious to me.
V129-136:
·
The Bible was not written
esoterically (intended for or likely to be understood by only a small numbers
of people with a specialized knowledge or interest) so that a person has to be
an intellectual giant to understand. The
Bible was written on a third grade reading level! Don’t worry about what you don’t
understand! Just act on what you do!
·
Compassion! My
eyes shed streams of water because of those who don’t keep your law. 2 Tim.3, Paul speaks of those who ignore God
and oppose themselves. People
suffering. If they just knew your Word,
Lord! If they just knew how much you
care, what you could do! The more we
read the Word, the more compassion we should feel for everyone missing out.
V137-144:
·
God help me as your servant LOVE
YOUR WORD! It is so precious! We play a small role in your amazing story...
help us understand your Word.
V145-152:
·
God when I am feeling overwhelmed
Your Word answers me with Your comfort!
Thank You that Your Word is alive and speaks truth to my life!
V153-160:
·
Look on my affliction and deliver
me for I do not forget your word. Jesus said let the word abide in you and ask
whatever you want (John 15:7)! James 4:2-3
says we have not because we ask not. We
ask amiss and our prayers are never answered.
Pray the Word of God and our prayers will be aligned with Him!
V161-168:
·
God I rejoice because of Your
Word! We should rejoice because the Lord
has given us His amazing love letter to us!
We take it for granted... The Psalmist here stops 7 times a day just to
praise God because of the gift of His Word!
·
Gods Word gives us peace!
V169-176:
·
Lord I feel far from you but seek
me and draw me. I have not forgotten the
words You’ve given to me. It’s a
treasure-house of truth. God use your
Word to draw near to me when I have gotten off track... Your Word reminds me
how truly amazing and powerful and life giving it is!
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