Scripture Text – Psalm 119
The emphasis in this the longest psalm, and the basic theme, is on the vital ministry and practical use of the Word of God in the inner spiritual life of God’s children. It describes how the Word enables us to grow in holiness and handle the persecutions and pressures that always accompany an obedient walk of faith.
The Word of God performs many wonderful ministries in the life of the devoted believer. If we delight in His Word, learn it, treasure it within, and obey what it says, the Lord will work in us and through us to accomplish great things for His glory! Circumstances may change, but God and His Word remain the same.
Mem – Beyond Bible Study
Please read Psalm 119:97-104 for the background to this section.
Never have there been so many tools available for serious Bible study, and we are grateful for them. However, the Word of God is unlike any other book: we must be on good terms with the Author if we are to learn from what He has written. Our relationship to the Lord is determined by our relationship to His will, and that is determined by how we relate to His Word. Too many believers have only academic head knowledge of the Word, but they do not know how to put this knowledge into practice in the decisions of daily life. What we all need is a heart knowledge of the Word, and this means being taught by God. Here are the conditions we must meet.
We must love His Word and meditate on it. We enjoy thinking about people and activities that we love, and meditation means loving the Lord by pondering His Word and allowing its truths to penetrate our hearts (see Psalm 1:2). This does not mean that we abandon our daily responsibilities or that we constantly quote Bible verses to ourselves and ignore our work. Rather, it means that our minds and hearts are so yielded to the Spirit that He can remind us of the Word when we need it and give us fresh understanding in the new challenges we face.
There are many ways to learn truth. We can learn from our enemies in the encounters of life, from our teachers in the explanations of life from books and lessons, and from the older saints who have had the experiences of life and know the principles that work. Joshua learned from serving with Moses, from the battles that he fought, and from the experiences, good and bad, that came to his life. But the most important thing he did was to meditate on the Word (Joshua 1:1–9), because his meditation helped him to test what he had learned in the other three “classrooms” and to put it all together into one balanced whole. God shares His truth with babes (Luke 10:21) and those who are humble enough to receive it (1 Corinthians 1:18–2:8).
We must obey His Word. A true student of the Word is not a person with a big head, full of all sorts of knowledge, but one who has an obedient heart and loves to do God’s will. While God’s truth is food for our souls, it is not a “buffet” from which we select only the things we like. If the Bible tells us something is wrong, we stay off that path. If God tells us something is right, we do not abandon it. The theologian, F. W. Robertson has stated, “Obedience is the organ of spiritual knowledge.” (See also John 7:17).
We must enjoy His Word. Honey would be the sweetest thing the psalmist could taste. However, the Word contains both sweetness and bitterness, and we must learn to receive both (Psalms 19:10; 104:34; Proverbs 16:24; Ezekiel 2:9–3:15; Revelation 10). Samson got into trouble because of eating defiled honey from the carcass of a lion (Judges 14:1–18). He was a Nazarite and was never to touch a dead body (Numbers 6), so he defiled both himself and his parents, for Jewish people had to avoid dead animals (Numbers 5:2; 9:10). God’s Word is pure, not defiled, and gives us the sweetness and energy we need to obey His commands. The unsaved person finds the Bible boring, but the devoted child of God feeds on the Scriptures and enjoys the sweet taste of truth. This is what it means to go beyond Bible study.
To Be Continued
