God loves us. God speaks to us. How do we listen?
“People cannot live by bread alone, but by every word from God‘s mouth.” – Matthew 4:4 Deuteronomy 8:3
“O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised. Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your decrees. Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right. Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments. O Lord, I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight. Let me live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me. I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.” – Psalms 119:169-176
Intorduction to Psalm 119:
God loves humanity. God gives life. God is creative. God has design and desire. God has spoken to us. We should be searching out the guidance of God. We can choose to listen and learn from what God has said. We will then benefit from God’s Word and love it. Psalm 119 is focused on this relationship with God’s Word. This is a Hebrew acrostic poem of 22 stanzas, one for each successive letter of their alphabet. Each of the 8 verses within each stanza begins with the Hebrew letter named in its heading. This is one way that you can think through what you are learning about God’s love and then summarize it in a meaningful way. God’s love is available and beneficial.
This Psalm is quite a journey! It goes all over.
Life is a journey. The Scripture is God’s Guiding Truth for us!
God’s Word – Scripture: books recognized as inspired by God, guiding truth for all people
Canon – straight rod, measuring ruler, standard for testing straightness
Perfect in its revelation of God’s provision and redemption through Jesus Christ our Savior King.
God loves us. God speaks to us. How do we listen?
Acts 15 we read about the church gathering to ensure that they agreed on the essential teaching of Jesus, the truth of God. It was called the Council of Jerusalem. The International Congress on World Evangelization worked in that vein and in 1974 released the Lausanne Covenant. John Stott led a team that studied the Scripture and organized the input from believers living in 150 nations.
“We affirm the divine inspiration, truthfulness and authority of both Old and New Testament Scriptures in their entirety as the only written word of God, without error in all that it affirms, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice. We also affirm the power of God’s word to accomplish his purpose of salvation. The message of the Bible is addressed to all men and women. For God’s revelation in Christ and in Scripture is unchangeable. Through it the Holy Spirit still speaks today. He illumines the minds of God’s people in every culture to perceive its truth freshly through their own eyes, and thus discloses to the whole Church ever more of the many-coloured wisdom of God. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; John 10:35; Isaiah 55:11; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Romans 1:16, Matthew 5:17,18; Jude 3; Ephesians 1:17,18; 3:10,18” – Lausanne Covenant
LOVE what God has said. LOVE what God is saying. LOVE God. LOVE God’s Word. Grow in that love.
We can all take the next steps following Jesus by learning, obeying, valuing, and enjoying God’s word.
L. Learn
O. Obey
V. Value
E. Enjoy
L. Learn
Pursuit of/for a lifetime. It never runs out.
God, I don’t want to break the relationship with you by making mistakes. So, I hide your word in my heart. teach me.
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I praise you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us.” – Psalms 119:11-13
“Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.” – Psalms 119:18
”I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love and teach me your decrees. Give discernment to me, your servant; then I will understand your laws.” – Psalms 119:124-125
“Teach me your decrees, O Lord; I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart.” – Psalms 119:33-34
“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.” – Psalms 119:15-16
What kind of learning? Delightful, fulfilling, with God’s help. Video game degree of difficulty.
“Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long.” – Psalms 119:97
“I will meditate continually on your decrees.” – Psalms 119:117
Read Memorize Think Meditate Reflect Ask God for Help
O. Obey
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.” – Psalms 119:105-106
A light with GPS guidance to where you were going.
Alignment – submission a place of blessing
“We are the clay, and You are the potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand.” – Isaiah 64:8 Jeremiah 18:6 Romans 9:21
“Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments.” – Psalms 119:173
“I will keep on obeying your instructions forever and ever. I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.” – Psalms 119:44-45
“Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart.” – Psalms 119:2 ESV
“Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.” – Psalms 119:2 NLT
Keep/Obey: observe, preserve, and guard faithfully
“I will keep your statutes.” – Psalms 119:8 ESV “I will obey your decrees.” – Psalms 119:8 NLT
“Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word.” – Psalms 119:17
Pain has a way of affecting our ability to accurately understand our reality, accept it, respond to it, and live our lives with peace….being honest with ourselves.
“Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations. I cling to your laws. Lord, don’t let me be put to shame! I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding.” – Psalms 119:29-32
God is best qualified to help us understand reality and how to find fulfillment in it, here and now.
“Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. I long for your rescue, Lord, so I have obeyed your commands. I have obeyed your laws, for I love them very much. Yes, I obey your commandments and laws because you know everything I do.” – Psalms 119:165-168
Alignment – submission a place of blessing
“We are the clay, and You are the potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand.” – Isaiah 64:8 Jeremiah 18:6 Romans 9:21
Trust and Obey
V. Value
“I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your decrees.” – Psalms 119:48
“You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.” – Psalms 119:114
“Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver.” – Psalms 119:72
“Truly, I love your commands more than gold, even the finest gold. Each of your commandments is right.” – Psalms 119:127-128
“I am firmly anchored to your instructions.” – Psalms 119:61
“Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.” – Psalms 119:36-37
“All your commands are trustworthy.” – Psalms 119:86
“Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.” – Psalms 119:98
“Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight. I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end.” – Psalms 119:98
“I stand in awe of your regulations.” – Psalms 119:120
“O Lord, you are righteous, and your regulations are fair. Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy.” – Psalms 119:137-138
“Your justice is eternal, and your instructions are perfectly true.” – Psalms 119:142
Priortize God’s Word above all else. Is it more valuable to you than anything else you’re listening to? Is “What God Says” (The Bible) more valuable to you than anything else you are listening to (streaming, youtube, podcasts, shows, other people) or reading?
Watch out for our enemy who is about distraction, deception, and destruction. “Has God really said?”
E. Enjoy
“Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.” – Psalms 119:35
“I will speak to kings about your laws, and I will not be ashamed. How I delight in your commands! How I love them! I honor and love your commands. I meditate on your decrees.” – Psalms 119:46-48
“I meditate on your age-old regulations; O Lord, they comfort me. Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived.” – Psalms 119:52, 54
“How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.” – Psalms 119:103
“I love your instructions.” – Psalms 119:113
“Your laws are wonderful. No wonder I obey them!” – Psalms 119:129
“As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live.” – Psalms 119:143-144
“Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!” – Psalms 119:1-8
Give yourself the best possible opportunities to enjoy God’s Word.
Share the journey. Talk about it with others. Listen to it. Read it. ….in various versions.
God loves us. God speaks to us. How do we listen?
We can all take the next steps following Jesus by learning, obeying, valuing, and enjoying God’s word.