The psalmist ponts out three important aspects of the Word of God in these 16 verses:
The Word is to be *Treasured *Lived *Studied! He is a good example for us to follow, for he had an intense hunger for holiness and a passionate desire to understand God's Word in a deeper way. This is basically a combination of worship, prayer, praise and admonition. It emphasizes love and obedience from the heart! The basic theme is the practical use of the Word of God in the life of the believer.
The psalmist had only the Old Testament. He rejoiced in IT and considered God's Word his food, his greatest wealth. His love for the Word puts us to shame. With his limited knowledge and resources, he could live a Godly and victorious life feeding on the OT - how much more ought we today to live for the Lord...we have the entire Bible and 2 millennia of church history behind us.
Many of us stand buildty of ignoring the OT and are ignorant of what God's law teaches. The psalmist found freedom through the law, to be his light and it brought him new life when he was down in the dust, he testified that law and grace worked together in his life. Law and grace are not enemies, for the law sets the standard and grace enables us to meet it. (Rom.8:1-3)
He delight in God's law and his joy is echoed by Paul (Rom.7:22). Paul did not annul Goid's law and set it aside; rather, he said that the law was (Rom. 7:12-14). Though we are carnal, there is a lawful use of the the law in our inner person. The law of God is spiritual and can be used by the Spirit to minister to our spirit. To be sure, nobody is saved or sanctified by striving to obey the law. But for the dedicated Christian believer, there is a deeper meaning to the law, a writing of the Word upon our hearts, because of the new covenant in Jesus Christ.
To the unsaved sinner - the law is AN ENEMY because it announces their condemnation and cannot save them. To legalistic believers - the law is a MASTER that robs them of their freedom. TO THE SPIRITUALLY MINDED BELIEVER - the law is a SERVANT that helps them see the character of God and the work of Christ.
The way we treat the Word of God is the way we treat the God of the Word!
Jesus told Peter more than once: "FEED My SHEEP!" As we are nourished on the Word of God, we are equipped to feed His sheep - we become nourishment for others!!! They will feed on us. What kind of nourishment are you supplying to others? Are you feeding your own spirit with proper nourishment of the Word?
Seeking God means much more than reading the Bible and even studying the Bible. It means hearing God's voice in His Word, loving Him more, and wanting to delight His heart and please Him. It means wholehearted surrender to Him and an unwillingness to permit any rival love to enter.
The psalmist uses a dozen synonyms for the God's Word. A few: LAW - TO BE OBEYED; testimony - TO BE SHARED; way - TO BE FOLLOWED; PRECEPT - to be kept; STATUTE - to be observed; COMMAND - that carries responsibility; JUDGEMENT - taht rules between right and wrong; WORD - that God has authoratively spoken; PROMISE - that carries with it reward.
Just as the chapter of Psalm 119 seems to go on and on forever, so our praise and love for God's matchless Word should be our eternal pre-occupation.
Unless the truth we hear moves from the head and the notebook into the heart, written there by the Spirit and then to the will, we have not really learned the Word or been blessed by it. The blessing comes, not in hearing the Word, but in doing it. We should also speak with others about the Word and seek to enrich them with spiritual treasure.
LIVE the Word: NOT FOR READING only, but to give you exercise in walking - as you translate its eternal truths into daily disciplies of life. Meditating upon what the Lord has spoken to you through the printed Word. It is "our Living Word living out His Written Word through us!"
STUDY the Word: "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed!"
TREASURE the Word: As you would hide away your treasures for a "rainy day", you store the Word in your heart that He might use it in time or need! (WHICH is how often every day and moment we breathe!?)
1 comment:
Dear Wes and Bernadine,
I enjoyed the teaching last week. It's is God word that makes us whole through the grace of Christ and quicking of the holy spirit. Jesus, is the fullfulment of the Law his red letter words in Matthew are as follows. Mt 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Mt 5:18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Mt 5:19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. I agree we are to treasure God's word in it's entirety both Old and New testment and live out what he writes on our hearts. God Bless you Wes and Bernadine.
Your friend in Jesus Christ,
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