Psalm 119 God's Word Proclaimed

Days are getting shorter, and the heat, while still affecting everyone including the garden, is coming on later and cooling off quicker in the evening.  It is a welcoming change.

Still not able to get much done without having to stop and visit the restroom, getting anything done outside is impossible for me, so it has fallen squarely on Carla.  She works hard, but the garden is large and difficult to maintain – along with other chores.  Hopefully I can get this resolved shortly, although if an operation is necessary it will have to wait until later in October – I don’t want to risk being laid up and unable to can some chicken we have ordered, along with vegetables and fruit.  While it is cumbersome and frustrating, now, at least I can do some things in the house – and I am close to the restroom.

Not much else going on here. 

2 Timothy 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Psalm 119:4-5  Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
⁵ O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

Vs 11-12 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

¹² Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes

Vs 18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Vs 26-27  I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.
²⁷ Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

Vs 58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.

Law of the Lord, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, righteous judgments, Thy Word, Thy Law - all words in the 119^th Psalm as synonyms for God’s Word – our Bible.

As I read this chapter the theme of knowledge of the Word of God is the paramount thing the writer – many believe David – imparts; the importance of the Word of God.  The importance of studying and applying His Word is expressed in one way or another continually.  The writer says this well over 150 times, almost every verse deals with the significance of the Word of God.

The writer talks about knowing the scriptures, obeying God’s commandments, but he also, unashamedly, asks for God to teach him even more.  Why?

Vs 174  I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord ; and thy law is my delight.

Prior to Christ the way of salvation was to obey all the laws, and while it would not immediately get them to heaven, it did save them from Hell.  But to obey the laws they had to know them.  But knowing was not enough, there was more to it, the Jews could rely on the promises of God and knew they could be directed by God through His Word.  While listening to teachers and Rabbi’s was important, it was insufficient; they also must meditate on the Word and apply it to themselves.  In knowing and applying the scriptures they came to a better understanding of who God is and what they must do to serve Him.

It is no different today, with the exception that we have the promise of Salvation through Jesus Christ.  The Jews of the Old Testament waited thousands of years for His coming to fulfill many of God’s promises, we have Him right now.  But to truly know Him and to be able to serve Him, we must also know the scriptures and how they apply to Him and to our life in Him.

When we accept Christ our emotions are involved.  We realize we have sinned, we realize how terrible those sins are and how they have been a wall between us and God.  We confess those sins to God with deep regrets, ashamed of our sins against Him.  When we realize that He has forgiven us through His Son, Jesus Christ, most of us had great tears – first of the bitterness of our sins, then the confession of them and then, lastly the relief and great Joy of our salvation.  There was a cleansing in our hearts and minds, we had an emotional release and uplifting that we cannot fully explain, it can only be experienced.

There are those that play to those emotions, they want conversions, and knowing what makes the emotion streams flow they play to them.  And, all too frequently, it ends there – the numbers are more important than the training of the sinner.  Everything is superficial and numbers are there because of programs and a feel good philosophy, not the full truth of God’s Word.  People walk out of the service, feeling good, but not coming to grips with the reality of serving God.

Billy Graham, as many of the older Preachers and Evangelists, knew it was important to base salvation on the Word and not emotions.  They preached the Word, they discipled those that were saved – teaching them the Word and helping them to apply it to their lives.  They challenged them to live for Christ and they did not mince words or try to minimize the sacrifices that had to be made to serve Christ. 

Back in the late 1950’s Billy Graham was conducting a series of services in England.  His altar call was accompanied by the Hymn, “Just as I am,” a great Hymn, loaded with emotional appeal.  It was his signature altar Hymn.  Early in the campaign a reporter attended, he wrote that the hymn stirred the emotions of the people and that is why they went down to the altar – no one could resist that emotional song.

Billy Graham knew differently.  The next day Graham ordered that there be no music played after he gave the altar call.  He wanted to prove that God was working on the hearts of men through His Holy Spirit; it wasn’t just emotion that drove them to Jesus.

Graham gave the altar call.  Then silence.  For about 15 seconds there was silence.  Then, quietly, chairs started scraping the floor and people started coming down to the altar.  That night over 1000 souls were saved as they came down the aisle, with no music playing, and accepted Christ.  Graham continued in that manner for weeks, no altar music; those coming forward for salvation, continued in the 1000’s.  Finally the paper cried out, give us the hymn, the silence is too stressful.

It is important that we give into our emotions when we accept Christ, when we worship and praise God, when we come to Him in our time of need or when we have strayed from Him and want to ask His forgiveness.  (And of course that doesn’t mean that everyone must have the same emotions, we are different and we deal with our emotions differently – it is only to say that when we have these experiences it does affect our emotions and there is nothing wrong with that.)  But we cannot serve God with emotions alone, our life in Him, MUST be based on His Word.

We must listen to His Word, read His Word, meditate on His Word, question His Word and allow Him to show us the truth, we must apply His Word to our lives, we must live as the Psalmist writes:  Vs 174  I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord ; and thy law is my delight.

We, all too frequently, have not valued our salvation as we proceed in life.  We place it as just one more experience we have as we go about daily living.   Ours is not a new affliction, the early Christians also had difficulty:  Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

If we have been neglecting that Joy, let us pray as the Psalmist proclaimed:  Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Later, Art :-)