Psalm 119 The Power of the Word (1)
I have been meditating in the Book of Psalms for the last few weeks, and you will have noted I have written some blogs from various verses that have blessed me.
We now come to the GIANT of the Psalms (119) which develops the statement in Ps. 1:2 But his DELIGHT in the law of the Lord. David then expresses it in Ps. 19:7 The law of the Lord is PERFECT, CONVERTING the soul, the testimony of the Lord is SURE, making WISE the simple. Over the next period of time we will pick up these exciting truths.
It has been said that Psalm 119 is like a ring of bells, with eight synonyms for Scripture, and the 22 stanzas will ring the changes on them. These 8 bells are:
- Law
- Testimonies
- Precepts
- Statutes
- Commandments
- Ordinances
- Word
- Promise.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SCRIPTURE ?
LIBERATION
LIGHT
LIFE
STABILITY.
So many of God’s people need a revelation of the power of the Word of God, many have been told they MUST read the Word, but not really told why, many read it out of duty, many just read it for information, but few see it as God’s banqueting House, where we can feed on the very finest, where the written Word, can become the quickened (Rhema) Word, that is life changing, and faith ptoducing (Rom.8:17). I trust these blogs will help you to fall in love with the Word of God, and produce such a hunger in your spirit, that the Bible becomes the most important book in your life. You will of course fall in love with the author more as well.
May I remind you to prepare your heart first before you open your Bible, remember God is not listening if we have sin in our hearts Ps. 66:18, and until our heart is ready and our spiritual ears are clear and open we will not clearly hear what God wants to say to us through the Word.
v.1 Blessed, happy, to be envied and spiritually prosperous as you walk steadily on the road called the law of the Lord. To be able to walk on this road, we must know what the Word says, we need to systematically, regularly spend time in the Word, letting the Holy Spirit write it in our hearts, if we do this we are guaranteed God’s blessing but we must KEEP obeying His Word v.2, and we do this by SEEKING God with the WHOLE HEART. This takes discipline and determination, as Paul says we must beet our body (2 Cor. 9) David danced before the Lord with all his might, 2 Sam) David praised with all his heart (Ps. 9.1 ) David sought the Lord with all his heart Ps. 27:8). I am challenging my own heart as I write this, do I seek, and praise, and meditate on the Word WITH ALL MY HEART? Sadly no, but with God’s help and grace I want too.
V.3&11 tells us if we do this, “we do no iniquity” the Psalmist or I are not preaching sinless perfection, but the more we spend time in the Word the desire for sin diminishes.
In v.4 David acknowledges that we are COMMANDED to walk in obedience to God’s Word, he wants his ways and life and lifestyle to line up with the Word of God, he doesn’t want any regrets, he says it is a learning process, and with God’s help he will keep God’s statutes, so asks the Lord to keep walking with him v.8.
We come to the second stanza, and David asks the question “How can a young man live a clean life”. We live in a anti God, sex crazed world, and young men are at the peak of their physical and sexual strength. The answer is, it is impossible in the 21st century, UNLESS, a young man, reads and studies the MAP of God’s Word, v.10 again says only if we seek God with our whole heart and be single minded about it can we be clean and stay clean. The Psalmist is so aware that it is easy to wander away into uncleanness, unless he hides God’s Word in his heart, I like the Message Bible that says, I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart, so I won’t sin myself bankrupt”.
In verse 9, the Psalmist is saying, that the Word of God has a cleansing power (Eph.5:26) but we can so hide God’s word in our heart and NOT sin against God. In my youth I was encouraged to memorise Scriptures, and 60 years later they are still in my memory bank, can I encourager you to memorise Scripture, it can and will change your life..
We will conclude with v.11 for this first blog, please read and re-read this blog, let the Holy Spirit make the Power of the Word become a revelation to you. I guarantee you will move to a new level of victory, of purity, of holiness and power. God bless you.
