Regardless of how appalling, atrocious, corrupt, criminal, depraved, difficult, distressing, dreadful, evil, grave, grim, immoral, lousy, nasty, terrible, unpleasant, or wicked (possibly a few more adjectives could be used here) that this world becomes, we are to stay true to the Lord and on His Word. The only way to acquire and gain real joy and happiness is by keeping our eyes focused on Christ and obeying His Word.
Today, we are looking at a small portion of the book of Psalms, which is the longest. It is also the longest chapter in the Bible. It is suggested that Ezra wrote it after rebuilding the Temple (Ezra 6:14-15). It is also suggested that it is composed as a continued contemplation on the excellence of the Word of God and how it assists us with remaining genuine, unadulterated, and mature in faith.
The chapter is broken down into separate sections, with each beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, totaling 22 sections, and each section contains eight verses. That makes the chapter 176 verses in length. Many people believe that numbers in the Bible are important. If we look at this, there are eight verses in each section. The number eight coincides with a new birth, a new creation, a new beginning, and a resurrection. Our Lord was dead on the seventh day (the sabbath) and rose from the dead on the eighth (the first day of the week).
Each section speaks of God’s Word in one way or another. This was a common practice in the Hebrew culture: repetition. There were no copies of the Scriptures to pass around like the Bible is today, so people needed to memorize God’s Word and pass it on to the next generation and others verbally.
How to Guard Your Heart Against the World’s Toxic Influences
No matter where we look, we see that something always lures people to live an impure life. You can see it on television shows, commercials, billboards, movies, the internet, and even in our educational systems. Perverse living is adamantly pushed not only to adults but to our children as well. How can people keep morally clean in an environment that is littered with filth, and can we do this by ourselves?
The verse asks a question and then answers. It speaks of a young man, but it applies to everyone, regardless of if male or female, old or young. So, we could say, “How shall we cleanse our way?” Cleanse is to make clean, to rid the body of toxic and unhealthy substances. Filth. The next part says, “by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” To take heed is to acknowledge, follow, hearken, listen to, obey, and pay attention to what? Thy Word, God’s Word.
How many of us take heed to the Word of God every day?
The psalmist states in this verse that he has sought the Lord with his whole heart. The word ‘sought’ is the past tense of seek, which means to search for something or attempt to find something. How many Christians today can honestly say that?
Then look at the next part of the verse, “O let me not wander from thy commandments.” To wander is to walk or move about aimlessly. That means having no direction. So where can we seek the Lord and His commandments? By reading and studying His Holy Word.
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart.” What has the psalmist put where? It is God’s Word that is stored within his heart. He has held onto it, and by doing so, it will be a deterrent from sinning. We cannot just read it, memorize it, and recall it, but we must also put it into action by doing what God’s Word says to do. God’s Word is the essential and fundamental guide to our daily lives. Without it, we would meander and get into all sorts of trouble.
How to Navigate Life’s Trials with God’s Word as Your Roadmap
How many of us get annoyed, impatient, or chafed at so many rules and regulations? We might think that rules keep us from doing what we want when we want. But rules are important. If we look at these verses in the Common English Version, it will go like this:
“You, Lord, are to be blessed! Teach me your statutes. I will declare out loud all the rules you have spoken. I rejoice in the content of your laws as if I were rejoicing over great wealth. I will think about your precepts and examine all your paths. I will delight in your statutes and not forget what you have said. Be good to your servant so I can go on living and keeping your word. Open my eyes so I can examine the wonders of your Instruction!”
Here, it seems as if the psalmist is happy and joyful for the rules the Lord has given. God’s Word is about what He wants us to be, not what we think we should be or what we want to be. The Word of God keeps us from doing things that would harm us or keep us from being what we are meant to be for the Lord. The laws of God direct us onto the path of righteousness, away from ruin and devastation.
Look at verse nineteen. Well, the psalmist says he is not spiritually speaking from this earth. He is just passing through. If he is passing through, he must need a map to show him how to reach his final destination. If you are a Christian, you are just passing through and need a map to guide you. The map every Christian will need is God’s Word, the Holy Bible, preferably the King James Version. Some of the other versions leave out Scripture or add something. But that is a different subject.
All Christians are just pilgrims, weary travelers in this world. This mortal realm is not our home; we are just passing through. So, as we travel through this pilgrim land, we need the Bible as our road map. It shows us the route we should take to keep us from danger. It points to the safe path and any obstacles that may block our path. We must study this map to avoid veering off the correct path and wandering through the wilderness.
Your Life Is the Most Important Bible Someone Will Ever Read
As we walk the path God has set before us, we should bear a few things in mind.
Dr. J. Vernon McGee once said, as a Christian, we should be active in:
- Prayer.
- Reading the Bible.
- Studying the Bible.
- Meditating on God’s Word.
- Reading what others have written.
- Obedience.
- Passing it on.
To prove that you are who you say that you are, you must:
- Know it in your head.
- Stow it in your heart.
- Show it in your life.
- Sow it in the world.
What is the “it” that is being talked about? The “it” is God’s Word.
Living God's Word Daily
Where and what does that imply about “grazing on many pastures?” We see that as not only our own study of the Bible, but also reading what other good God-fearing Christians have written. The second statement should be pretty obvious. If we continually maintain Bible study as a primary focus of our life, it will help us to deter sinful actions. If we do not, then sin will begin to find its way into our lives, and we will turn away from God’s Word.
As I stated earlier, my preference in the Bible is the 1611 King James Version. But many people find that version a bit archaic and unable to read it. So, they look to other more modern versions. There has also been debate as to what version of the Bible to study from. All I can say about that is, look at the other versions, if their verses do not match that of the KJV, then why? Are any verses missing?
But what is the best and most important version of the Bible for someone to see? That is a person’s life. If a person has been studying God’s Word, applying to their daily lives, and they are maintaining a close relationship with Christ, then that is a good translation of God’s Word. There is an old saying, “Practice what you preach.” Also, “walking what you are talking.” What we profess, people should see in our daily life.
One final thought. Take some time and read Psalm 119 in its entirety, 176 verses. Then notice how many times the writer mentions the following:
- Thy precepts
- Thy statutes
- Thy testimonies
- Thy commandments
- Thy judgments
- Thy word
A few others that are mentioned:
- The law of the Lord
- His testimonies
- His ways
- Thy mouth
- Thy law
- Thy fear
- Thy righteousness
- Thy name
- Thy servant
- Thy merciful kindness
- Thy lovingkindness
- Thine ordinances
- Thy salvation
- Thy mercy
What do all of these phrases point toward? God’s Word.
Do you think that God’s Word is important? It was to the writer.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Khaosai Wongnatthakan
