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Psalm 119:15 “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate your ways.” – Psalm 119:15 The human mind is comparable to a bottomless pit that generates a diversity of thoughts and concerns that forcefully subdue its attention. Though meditation and contemplation are a common practice, the object of our concentration varies and is continually shifting like the ocean’s tide. Our emotions, irregular circumstances, and personal preferences are all variables that contribute to that which captivates our thoughts; which in return determines how we view and respond to life. However, the psalmist discovered that stability of mind wasn’t found in the variables of everyday life; rather it was found in the unchanging absolutes of the inspired Word of God. Therefore, through this divine revelation, the man of God determined to fix his attention upon the unvarying words and works of God. He understood that it was through his meditation upon that which is constant and his contemplation of that which is sure, that he was able to view and respond to life with the matchless wisdom God. How valuable this perspective is to those who have heeded the motivating testimony of this man of God. Peace, joy, surety, and comfort are the promised treasures granted to individuals who have wisely chosen to live according to this Biblical principle. Those who through personal experience can confidently proclaim with the psalmist, “I will meditate on your precepts, and contemplate your ways!” Psalm 119:14 “I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.” The world and its system promote material wealth as the source from which human delight and satisfaction are obtained. Affluence in our culture is an ambition that captivates the hearts and minds of the multitudes. To fantasize about what their lives might be like if only they possessed more, is a pursuit that provokes men and women everywhere; all the while convinced that greater prosperity is the avenue through which their hopelessness and heaviness of heart is eased. Yet, all too often they forget, whether deliberately or ignorantly, how destructive the pursuit of wealth has become to those who possess this erroneous conviction. Instead of finding peace and contentment in their pursuits, this covetous attitude leads to a yoke of bondage that unmercifully enslaves their soul. Paul the Apostle testified to this fact when he penned, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.” Therefore it would be wise to closely consider this contrasting decree of the Psalmist. The pen that inscribed this statement was guided by a heart that had found joy and satisfaction from a heavenly source. He rightfully recognized that the accumulation of all riches couldn’t satisfy the deep longings of his heart the way God’s divine revelation did. Having discovered the incomparable worth of the Word of God, it became the joy and rejoicing of his heart. Oh, that the people of God would diligently endeavor to unearth the hidden wealth located in the Scriptures that they might sing in agreement with the man of God, “I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.” Psalm 119:13 “With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth.” On the wake of expressing a passionate plea to know the heart and mind of God more intimately, the psalmist, by way of personal confession, acknowledges the supernatural effect of sitting under the heavenly instruction of the “Blessed Lord”. Throughout the Scriptures we find that when a human heart is exposed to the veracity and wisdom of the Word of God through divine revelation, it inevitably results in a determined declaration of those truths that have graciously been revealed. In light of this contemplation, I can’t help but think of the bold profession of the man of God who wrote, “I believed, therefore I spoke.” There’s nothing more inspiring than being in the company of someone who has ears to hear what Father is speaking through the tutoring ministry of the Holy Spirit; for they, having partaken of divine instruction, can’t help but irresistibly and freely announce to others the righteous revelation that has been received from the mouth of Deity. Therefore, may our prayer be that God would grant us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation through the knowledge of Christ so that we might faithfully proclaim the matchless Word of God and confidently sing with the psalmist, “With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth.” Psalm 119:12 “Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes.” The psalmist, with an overflowing heart and a few choice words, appropriately ascribes a proclamation of praise to his faithful Creator in this opening statement. No doubt, these words of adoration were birthed in the deep recesses of his heart as he received greater spiritual illumination into the infinite glory of his exalted God and King. It is important to notice, however, that this man of God doesn’t conclude his thought with a proclamation of praise but, rather, he concludes with a personal petition: “Teach me your statutes!” It’s obvious from the progression of this verse that the writer’s adamant request was driven by a longing passion to sit under the instructive ministry of his blessed Lord. Having personally experienced the benevolent and gracious nature of God in his life, he craved to know His heart and mind more intimately. Thus, we can rightly conclude that the child of God will never sincerely utter this petition until they are first able to proclaim, “Blessed are You, O Lord!” Therefore, in light of this searching revelation, it should be the supreme pursuit of every child of God to approach the Scriptures with a desire to commune with the Teacher of the Word before solely approaching the Scriptures to hear the teaching of the Word. To that end, our hearts might sing in agreement, “Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes.” Psalm 119:11 “Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You.” The human heart, in its fallen condition, is an unending abyss of moral darkness and corruption which, in return, motivates a lifestyle that is directly opposed to the righteous standard of God. Jesus affirmed this Biblical revelation when He asserted, “What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. All these things come from within and defile a man.” According to the eternal Son of God, the immoral behavior of humanity is merely a reflection of the immoral condition of the human heart, which consequently, is the basis of humanity’s separation from God. Human behavior, which has often been the primary focus of reformation, is incidental in contrast to the deeper crisis of the condition of the depraved human heart. Yet the psalmist, through Spirit-inspired revelation, discloses the remedy to the inescapable plague that has formed an eternal chasm between God and man – the quickening power of the Word of God. He had personally experienced that the Word of God, being living and powerful, possessed the capability to renovate and restrain the sinful tendencies of the human heart, thereby restoring fellowship between a holy God and unholy man. For those who have come to know this truth and, in return, enjoy a heavenly intimacy with their Savior by grace through faith, there is nothing more frightening than the thought of that intimacy being interrupted due to unrestrained transgression. Therefore, being aware of the consequences of their choices, they, like the psalmist, have purposed to hide the Word of God in their heart that they might not sin against God. Psalm 119:10 “With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!” It’s apparent from this confession that the psalmist, having experienced a personal encounter with the living God, responded with a passionate determination to fervently pursue his Creator with all of his heart. Yet, in the same breath, he discloses the unrelenting dilemma that plagues even the most devout seeker of God – the natural tendencies of the human heart to wander from the heavenly instruction that ensures uninterrupted communion with a holy God. The desperation that resounds through this inspired proclamation reveals that the man of God had come to discover that his continuance upon the path of obedience wasn’t determined by means of human perseverance and passion but, rather, it depended upon God’s gracious provision of heavenly protection. What we learn from this text is that man’s greatest and most resilient efforts to maintain a life that corresponds with the lofty expectations found in God’s written word will always result in failure if those efforts are not founded upon the strengthening and protective assistance of divine grace. Although it is true that a pure expression of godliness begins with a heavenly-inspired passion for holiness, the continuance and completion of that passion will only be actualized in the life of the child of God if they live with a constant awareness that, without the continual provision of God’s sustaining grace, they can do absolutely nothing! Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man cleanse his ways? … By taking heed according to Your word.” Many young men, due to a lack of wisdom, find themselves frequenting the highly-travelled path of immorality that inevitably leads to their future destruction. Their youthful lusts and self-serving pursuits in many ways exemplify the wickedness of the human condition while also affirming the scriptural truth that all men are born into this world with a sin-stricken nature that results in a lifestyle that adamantly rejects God’s righteous standard. Therefore, to discover a remedy that would successfully harness the excessive rebellion that is so apparent in the lives of young men would, consequently, result in a resolution that could be applied to the entirety of fallen humanity. Thus, the psalmist, in a simple and concise statement, provides the solution to a problem that has plagued humanity throughout the ages — obedience to God’s Word. How clearly this proclamation echoes within the hearts of those who have experienced the purifying and protecting effect of walking in the way of divine counsel — those who have personally discovered the reliability of this undeniable proclamation. No wonder that elsewhere this same worshipper of God would announce, “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Having personally experienced the harmful consequences of walking according to his own sinful ways, he had now found safety in the preserving care of God’s unpolluted guidance. Praise the Lord that we, as children of God, are also guaranteed a salvation and security from the contaminated paths of this world when we choose to walk in accordance with the pure ways of the Lord! Psalm 119:8 “I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!” In this brief statement the reader is given an intimate glimpse into the deepest recesses of a heart that had been conquered by and was now subservient to the kingdom of heaven. The psalmist, having tasted and seen that the Lord was good, begins his thought by confidently asserting his undivided loyalty to the righteous standard of God. Yet in the same breath we find the confidence of the first proclamation suddenly ruptured as the psalmist quickly acknowledges his personal inability to perform this lofty vow apart from divine assistance. This man of God understood that his most resilient efforts to obey God’s statutes would undoubtedly end in failure if it weren’t for the enabling grace of his heavenly King. It is this inspired fact that reminds the children of God that without the aid of sovereign grace, their soul stirring ambitions will never become an observable reality. A true manifestation of obedience will only flow from a life that has learned to solely rely upon the strengthening power of divine providence. Oh, that our heart cry would echo the plea of the psalmist as our vow of loyalty to God would be tempered by the realization that apart from the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we can do nothing. Psalm 119:7 “I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments.” Anyone who is conscience of the present condition of man’s heart will read the opening assertion of this verse and immediately discern the difficulty of this bold decree. The reason that this confident declaration of the psalmist may even be interpreted by the reader as arrogant, is due to the diagnosing statement found in the book of Jeremiah which seems to contradict this claim. Under the inspiration of the Spirit the prophet of God penned, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” The question that begs to be answered is, “How is it possible for someone with an unclean heart able to stand before God with a clear conscience and pronounce, “I will praise You with an uprightness of heart?” Well, the hesitant heart can rest assured because the answer to this perplexing inquiry is found at the conclusion of our meditation. The psalmist graciously completes his thought by disclosing that the prerequisite for a purity of praise flows from a heart that has been instructed in the righteous judgments of God. How insightful this statement becomes when it’s understood in its entirety. First, we can rightfully conclude that an uprightness of heart is the result of it being tutored in the righteous judgments of God. This wonderful imagery portrays that the contamination found in the human heart is purged when it is subjected to the sanitizing treatment of the Word of truth. In addition, when we choose to hide the Word of God in our hearts it not only ensures the purification of our hearts, but it also guarantees its protection from pollution reentering once it’s been removed. Second, we can conclude that the result of this purification process will always be expressed in a sincere praise of God. Comparable to an expression of gratitude that is offered by an ill patient after experiencing the healing care of a physician, so also the child of God can’t help but offer praise to the One who has provided the sure remedy to the terminal illness of a sin-stricken heart. With this in mind, may we purposefully seek the instruction of the righteous judgments of God, to the end that we may be able to echo the bold proclamation of the psalmist, “I will praise You with uprightness of heart!” Psalm 119:5-6 “Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments.” The desperate plea of the psalmist was the reaction of understanding the tendencies of his own wandering heart and how it had the ability to misguide him in His quest for obedience. This man of God was fully aware that no matter how vigilant he was in his pursuit of righteousness, he was still absolutely dependant upon the sovereign grace of God to preserve his life from the intrusion and corruption of his own sinful desires. True wisdom, as is observed in this text, foresees the shameful consequences of disobeying the Word of God and therefore fervently petitions God for divine assistance when it comes to observing His statues. Just as the captain of a ship relies upon the certain aid of his compass to ensure a safe arrival at his pre-determined destination, so also the child of God must fully rely upon the certain aid of divine counsel to ensure their safe arrival into the heavenly harbor of eternal life. To pursue this destination without the assistance of heavenly direction will always result in the unnecessary calamity of a shipwrecked life. Having received this admonition, our prayers should echo the heart’s cry of the psalmist, “Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments.” Psalm 119:4 “You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently. “ As a loving father establishes careful boundaries for his children, so also, our heavenly Father has given His children the divine parameters in which they are to conduct their lives. The wise child recognizes that the instruction of the Lord has been carefully conveyed to ensure that they are safely guided upon the path of life while avoiding the pitfalls that lead to certain destruction. They live with the ever awareness that their obedience to the commandments of the Lord guarantees a sheltered passage and a safe arrival before the presence of the Lord in eternal glory. God in His inexhaustible wisdom understands the expediency of the observance and adherence to His divine precepts. It’s the loving-kindness of our eternal Father that motivates His deep concern for the welfare of His people and therefore He adamantly exhorts them to exercise vigilance when it comes to the obeying of His Word. It isn’t until we become acquainted with the nature of the One who has given this command that our hearts willfully surrender themselves to passionately pursue the precepts of the Lord above all else. As we meditate upon these scriptural truths today, I pray that our diligence in obeying God’s word would be a natural reflection of the intimate communion that we enjoy with the One who has been revealed as the Author and Finisher of our faith. Psalm 119:2 “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.” The blessed life is reserved for those who have heard the testimonies of God and determined that there is an immeasurable advantage in obeying them. It is in the realm of obedience that joy, peace, and confidence become the anchor to the ever drifting soul and the tempestuous consequences of sin finds no casualties. It is apparent that the personal experiences of the psalmist, having reaped the benefits of being a doer of the Word, was the origin of this life-giving testimony. No longer being tossed to and fro by every passing deception, he had discovered the Words of God and they became the joy and the rejoicing of his heart. Consider the disciples of Jesus; having also experienced this reality. When asked if they would follow the unbelieving multitudes, they humbly responded by saying, “Where else can we go, You alone have the Words of eternal life.” To taste and see that the testimonies of the Lord are good is to know with all of your heart that there is no equivalent. And though, in the frailty of our humanity we may falter and stumble, there will never be a point when we are satisfied with anything less. In light of this revolutionary promise, may we heed the exhortation of the psalmist to keep the testimonies of the Lord, while seeking after Him with all of our hearts. Praise His Name “Let them praise the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the heaven and earth!” – Psalm 148:13 The utterance of creation is continually singing of and revealing the unfathomable genius and power of its Creator. Day unto day and night unto night, the cosmos extol the matchless glory of the infinite God who spoke all that is seen and even that which is unseen into existence. Even when man, who was the crown of God’s creation, attempts to mimic the creative power of the eternal God, their most profound efforts are quickly eclipsed by the unrivalled brilliance of divinity. To gaze into the intricacy and beauty of this handcrafted universe is to experience your heart flutter with amazement; yet the Word of God declares that the universe in its entirety is only a faint expression of God’s ways. Our minds, in all of their capacity, can only begin to touch the surface of the depth of this statement before the imagination is promptly humbled by the reality of its own finiteness. Nevertheless the same transcendent God, who created and maintains this universe by the Word of His power, has chosen to intimately reveal Himself by stepping into His own creation, and providing a way to live with Him eternally. God’s infinite grace was clearly demonstrated when the most valuable commodity in heaven and in earth was offered as the ransom for the souls of men. Peter amazed by this truth penned, “For we have not been redeemed with corruptible things such a silver and gold but by the precious blood of the Lamb.” No wonder the psalmist in deep humiliation asked the question, “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him?” This question that flowed from an utterly broken heart has been repeated throughout the centuries by men and women who have come to know the immeasurable grace of the eternal God who created the heavens and the earth. Today, if you are a partaker of the grace of God through Jesus Christ then rejoice and take great comfort knowing that your soul rests in the providence and protection of the King of the universe. For, it is this God, who sent His Son as the payment price for the redemption of your soul. Psalm 119:1 – The Blessed Life For generations multitudes of men and women have personally experienced the truthfulness of this statement as it relates to their lives. Having chosen to yield themselves to the eternal and immutable counsel of the “Most High God,” they discover that it’s upon the path of the Law of the Lord where the fountain of joy and satisfaction is enjoyed, and divine contentment is apprehended. When a child of God, by the grace of God, chooses to walk in harmony with divine instruction they quickly discover their choice is accompanied by a life of abundance and freedom. Whereas the one who chooses to walk upon the broad path, soon discovers that their choice to walk in accordance with the claims of contradicting counsel, inevitably leads to a pit of hopelessness and bondage. Praise God that He has graciously provided, through the counsel of His Word, the protective measures that are necessary to escape the pitfalls of this world and the assurance that preserves us unto eternal life. In light of these wonderful guarantees I would encourage you, by faith, to submit yourself under the authority of God’s spoken Word that you might enjoy the “blessed life” that is offered by God, through Christ. For the Glory of God It is this promise spoken from the mouth of the Lord, which rejoices the heart of the one who is plagued by the infirmities and ailments of this fallen world. The elect of God are a peculiar people who boast in the reality that they are under the watchful and tender care of the Great Physician. But the mystery of this promise doesn’t rest in the question how (For we know with Him all things are possible), but rather in the question why? Why would the God of heaven and earth extend this gracious and helping hand to a undeserving people like you or me? This question can be settled at the disclosure of one simple statement, “That the knowledge of the glory of God would fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.” God’s gracious dealings toward His chosen are promised and fulfilled that His eternal benevolence and infinite mercy be recognized and ultimately that He would be glorified. As beneficiaries of these promises, by grace through faith, it is only fitting that we continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Generating Life The prophet Hosea offers the reader timeless insight that exposes the origin of a decadent society when he wrote, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Although this statement paints a hopeless and dreary picture, the prophet a few verses later presents the reader with the remedy that would reverse the crisis that they were facing when he penned this message. Having diagnosed the problem he declares, “Therefore let us know; let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord!” The prophet’s answer to the problem may seem simple but the implications are vast. His charge reveals that the renewing and healing of a decaying society can only take place when the individuals who make up that society seek to understand the Lord by pursuing the knowledge of the Lord. As examples and stewards over the next generation, we must live with an awareness that our pursuits will either lend to the destruction of the current culture or they will lend to the preservation of it. As those who are responsible to pass on an inheritance to the next generation, we must soberly consider the importance of pursuing the knowledge of the Lord so that together we can offer the only knowledge that will generate life and hope in a dying and desperate world. Experience Requires Obedience June 19th, 2009 Jesus relieved the pressing uneasiness of His disciples when He promised, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Jesus, the Good Shepherd, discloses the importance of prioritizing in a believer’s life by affirming a guarantee that follows those who obey His instruction. Our confidence that translates into a peace that surpasses understanding is rooted in our adherence to this divine principle uttered by divinity Himself. The Lord who cannot lie has clearly affirmed that those who uphold the pursuit of God as supreme in their lives can rest in the promise that they will never experience a lack even when faced with seasons of famine. As the psalmist confessed from his own personal witness, “I have been young and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor His descendants begging bread.” Our doubts and anxieties will be exchanged for an unwavering confidence as we heed the gentle instruction and glorious promise of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Perfection for Imperfection When this glorious truth is awakened within the heart of a child of God, it subdues every unwarranted anxiety and redirects the soul of that child to fully yield to Him who has been revealed as the Author and Finisher of their faith. This divine delicacy has the ability to satiate even the most unsatisfied soul while leaving it longing to gain a fuller comprehension of its immeasurable sweetness. What kind of love is this? How can an infinite mercy such as this ever be comprehended? The child of God can live with an unshakable confidence, knowing that perfection has chosen to bare the shame of imperfection so that imperfection might partake of perfection. No wonder, the Apostle, enraptured by this truth humbly declared, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we might be called children of God. May we with one heart and one voice offer up to our Father the sacrifice of thanksgiving, as we’re reminded of His infinite kindness toward us in Jesus Christ. A Christians Existence In one brief sentence the Apostle gives the reader a synopsis of the Christians existence when he penned, “And they glorified God in me.” Never fall victim to the unbiblical notion that our redemption was accomplished unto the end that man might receive glory from men. On the contrary our salvation was purposed in eternity and executed in history that God in His infinite wisdom might be glorified as the Author and Finisher of our faith. Just as a canvas could never boast of its own genius once the artist concludes His masterpiece; neither can the child of God boast in himself that which is accomplished by the hand of the Master craftsman. Anything praiseworthy or virtuous in our lives must, without question, be attributed to the One who has pledged that it is He who is working in us to will and to do for His good pleasure. In light of this simple yet profound revelation, let us entreat our Great God and Savior together as we cry out, “Lord, may the world glorify God in me!” Exchanging Our Personal Weakness for His Divine Strength In the midst of Paul’s personal weakness the Lord comforted the Apostle with this divine promise, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” It was this heavenly utterance that reminded Paul that God in His infinite wisdom has chosen weakness as a platform to display His unfailing strength. During seasons of personal weaknesses, it’s the realization and confession of our human frailties that seizes the attention of our heavenly Father, and paves the way for the child of God to experience the strengthening power of divine grace. Are you weak today? Do you feel as if you’re sinking into the pit of hopelessness and despair? Then look to the Lord and let Him strengthen your heart with the same promise that He spoke to the Apostle, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” |