Continuing the Thought......

Two thoughts to close out the week.   First, continuing the theme from yesterday of making my life count, let me share with you a portion of yesterday's reading in My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.  He writes, "We must run our belief about God into practical issues......give our utmost for His highest, and this can only be done continually.....the test is sixty seconds of every minute, and sixty minutes of every hour, not just during times of public prayer and devotional activity."  And there's the challenge, isn't it?  To live a life of faith, to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 11 and 12), to walk in the way of God's commandments, to incline our hearts toward Him all day, everyday!  I don't know about you, but sometimes my "want to", my desire to be my utmost for His highest, falls flat when it comes to everyday real life.  But that's something I'm working on, something I'm committing myself to and praying about, something I'm getting better at little by little, moment by moment......And that's what it all boils down to isn't it?  Making our visible lives, the part others see and interact with, match up with what our heart knows to be true, what we've learned from Scripture and made commitments to God about.  It's a process, one we will be participating in as long as we are on this earth!

Finally this week, let's look at a verse that has tugged at my heart since I first really became aware of it some years ago....."Establish your Word to your servant as that which produces reverence for You."  As we begin to examine the verse, let's look at two words from the verse and their definitions.  (And remember, you don't need to blindly accept my findings......do some word study on your own!  As I mentioned to you early on, there a numerous FREE resources on line if you don't have your own library of word study resources.)

The word "establish" is the Hebrew word qum which means to arise, to stand, to stand up.  The basic meaning is the physical action of rising up.  Many figurative meanings have developed, including here used meaning "to be strengthened."

The word "reverence" is the Hebrew word yirah meaning fear, which usually refers to the fear of God and is viewed as a positive quality.  This fear/reverence is produced by God's Word and makes a person receptive to wisdom and knowledge.  (See also Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 2:5).

Putting all that together, we have the psalmist's prayer to be strengthened by the Word of God in order to gain a greater reverence for God and be receptive to His wisdom.  How do you suppose that would be accomplished in his life?  In your life and mine?  I think we are back to the issue of time.  Time spent in the Word is the key!  And more of us in the Word leads to more of the Word in us!

So here's a question for you......why don't more people have a hunger for God's Word, or a greater desire to study His Word?  Is it lack of desire?  Or is it something else?   Perhaps WMDs (see yesterday's post), or are our appetites being sated with "junk food" instead of the food of the Word of God?  Is it a matter of priorities?

Another question to think about.....what characterizes a person who has reverence for God?  What does that "look like" in life?  What are the benefits of a life of reverence toward God?

As we finish up the he stanza, looking back not only on this stanza but on all the 40 verses we have studied so far, what has been the biggest challenge to you in your daily walk?  What are you going to do about it?

A Life That Counts

Here's what I'm pondering today.......How do I make my life count?  With that question in mind, let's focus today on Psalm 119:37 - "Turn my eyes away from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways."  In this verse the psalmist is praying that God will turn his eyes away from looking at vanity, which can be defined as anything that is empty or worthless. This can be the things in our lives that are not necessarily "bad" but which really add no value to us or to others. Why does this matter to the psalmist?  Why should it matter to us?  How can turning away from vanity help us align more with God's Word?  Let's dig into those questions today.

As we consider the culture in which we live, I'm sure we can agree that there are many things that fit this definition of vanity......not bad in and of themselves, but yet adding no value to our lives.  Is there an "antidote" to focusing on/looking at/chasing after vanity?  Consider Philippians 4:8.  What should we be focusing our thoughts on?

Let's go a step further.  Read Hebrews 11:1-12:3.  What did all these people have in common?  What characterized their lives?  Were they "looking at vanity"?  Once you have read the passage, consider the following questions:

• What were the people in Hebrews 11 looking for?
• Based on their example, according to Hebrews 12 where are we to be looking?
• What difference would it make in our lives to be focused, to have our eyes "fixed" in the right direction?
• What encumbrances do we need to throw off?  When considering this question, keep in mind that the passage tells us to lay aside, to throw off encumbrances and sin.  The word "encumbrances" could be referring to those things which are not necessarily bad in and of themselves, but which weigh us down or make us ineffective.  In his sermon last Sunday, our pastor referred to WMDs - Weapons of Mass Distraction.  Are you dealing with any WMDs?  I know I am!

Finally today, review the benefits we have discovered so far in Psalm 119 that God's Word provides, the claims the Word makes about itself.  How would our lives look different today if we committed to at least one of those benefits?  Something to think about.......

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Teach Me, O Lord

"Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I shall observe it to the end."  (Psalm 119:33)

This begins the next segment of Psalm 119, the he stanza.  Before we jump into that, here's a quick question for you......did you realize that you are learning the Hebrew alphabet as we go along?  So far, we've learned the first five letters:  aleph, beth, gimel, daleth, he.  You could spring that on your friends next time you're out to lunch and see what their reaction is!  OK, now it's time to get serious!

Read through verses 33 through 40, and once again note repeated words and phrases.  If you have time today, you might go back and read all 40 verses that we have covered so far.  This will help you have the overall context and will enable you to see the full progression of thought.  Once you have carefully read these verses, answer the following questons:

• What do you learn about the Word in this stanza?
• Are there any repeated concepts?  If so, what are they?  Are any new concepts introduced here?
• What does the psalmist pray for?
• Do you relate to any of these requests? In what way?
• Verses 34 and 35 refer to keeping God's law (v. 34) and delighting in God's commandments (v. 35).  Is there a difference between "keeping" and "delighting"?  If so, what is the difference?
• What does it mean to"delight" in the "path of Your commandments"?  What does that "look like" in real life?
• To what extent do you delight in God's commandments?

We have already noted that this stanza begins with the phrase "teach me."  This is a repeated phrase throughout the Psalm, so be watching for the phrase and what the psalmist wants to be taught.  We also see a repeated use of the phrase "revive me", which first occurred in the previous stanza.  Be alert for repetitions of that phrase as well.  The Hebrew word is hayah (translated "quicken me" in the KJV), which means to be alive, to live, to keep alive.  The Word Study Dictionary - Old Testament says "Psalm 119 employs this word to say that God's Word preserves life."  That's an interesting point, don't you think?  Where would we be without the Word of God?  Something to think about......

Heart is another repeated word in this stanza, as well as throughout the Psalm.  We have seen seven references to "heart" in these first five stanzas!  The psalmist aspires to keep God's law with all his heart and asks God to incline his heart. He is not just talking about external obedience by rote. 

As you wind up your study time today, turn to Deuteronomy 6:5-9.  As you read those verses, think about what the psalmist has prayed for and how it relates to this passage in Deuteronomy.  It's a good time for us to pause and consider our own hearts. 

"Give me understandng, that I may observe Your law and keep it with all my heart."  (Ps. 119:34)
"Incline my heart to Your testimonies..." (Ps. 119:36)

"And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."  (Deut. 6:5)

The word "all" is an interesting word.  I looked it up in the Lexical Aids and guess what it means?  "Each, every, all, everything, the whole, entire".  How interesting!  All means all!  So, the question for us today is....are we keeping God's law with ALL our hearts, or are our hearts divided?  Something to think about....

The False Way/The Faithful Way

As we continue our journey through Psalm 119 and the daleth  stanza, today we are looking more closely at the word "way".  This word (in Hebrew, the word is derek) occurs 13 times in the Psalm, and 5 of those occurrences are in this stanza!  The Word Study Dictionary -Old Testament defines the word this way:  a noun meaning path, journey, way, derived from the Hebrew verb darak meaning to walk or to tread, from which the basic idea of the word comes: the path that is traveled.

What we see here is a contrast between two ways, or two paths.....the faithful way (verse 30) and the false way (verse 29).  The contrast is betwen a life lived God's way, according to God's precepts, God's Word, and the false way, which is the opposite.  In many ways, this summarizes everything the psalmist has said up to this point and confirms his choice to follow the faithful way.

The psalmist began by affirming the blessings to those whose way is blameless, who walk in the way of the Lord, who choose the way of God.  He moved on to tell us how to live that kind of life.....by keeping it according to God's Word.  His commitment (verse 15) was to "meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways".  The gimel stanza focused attention on finding true delight and counsel in God's Word.  In verses 29, the psalmist's prayer is "remove the false way from me......I have chosen the faithful way."  Wouldn't you agree that the psalmist's prayer is a good prayer for us as well?  As we face the challenges of life in the 21st century in a culture that is turning its back on God and His ways, we would do well to make this our daily prayer......remove the false way from me.

How do we live in this culture, surrounded as we are by the "false way" and still live the "faithful way"?  I believe the answer is found for us in verse 31....."I cling to your testimonies, O LORD."

The word translated "testimonies" is the Hebrew word edah which means witness.  The psalmist is saying that he clings to words that bear witness of God.....words which testify or bear witness to His character and His ways.  For us, these would be the words of Scripture, the whole counsel of the Word of God.  For us to live life the "faithful way" requires of us that we spend time in, that we "cling to" the Scriptures!

One final thought as we wrap up our time in the daleth stanza.  Note the psalmist's prayers and his commitments.  His requests are:  revive me, teach me, strengthen me.  His commitments are:  I will meditate on Your wonders; I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Your ordinances before me; I shall run the way of Your commandments.

What does all this have to do with you and me?  Perhaps we should ask ourselves a few questions.....

• what am I clinging to today?
• what practical steps can I take today to choose God's way and cling to His testimonies?
• how can I model this to my childen, my grandchildren, my neighbors, my community?

"I have chosen the faithful way; Ihave placed Your ordinances before me.  I cling to your testimonies."  (Psalm 119:30-31a)

I Cling to Your Testimonies

Today we resume our study of Psalm 119, beginning our observation of the daleth stanaz, verses 25-32.  Due to some computer problems, I had to take a little break from posting our studies, but I hope all that is fixed now and we can move ahead.  This brief break may have given you some time to catch up!!

As you prayerfully read and observe these verses, be looking again for the words that refer to God's Word.  Make note of those and what you learn from them......we're continuing to look for the benefits that are ours from God's Word.  Also make note of any words or phrases that you see repeated that you think are key to understanding this portion of the Psalm.  This is a good time to get out those colored pencils and mark those words or phrases.  Remember that there is nothing sacred about the marking and that there is no right or wrong way to mark the words.  The point of using the colored pencils and marking the words is to help you spot them quickly; it is a tool to help you identify key concepts and to aid in your learning.

As you are reading these verses,  what do you think is the "mood" of this stanza?  How does that compare with previous stanzas?  What do you learn from these verses about the general situation of the psalmist's life?

Other questions to consider:

• What actions does the psalmist ask God to take? 
• Where do we see these requests?
• What commitments is the psalmist making?
• Where do we see these commitments?
• How do these requests and commitments relate to your life?

And finally today, here's something to think about......Can you think of anyone (whether yourself or someone you know) who fully clings to God?  (see verse 31)  What does that look like to an outside observer?

Give that some thought today, and I'll be back tomorrow!  Remember that if you want to share any questions, comments or observations about the Scripture we are studying, just leave a comment!  You'll be a blessing and encouragement to all of us who are on this journey!

Open My Eyes

Today we are looking deeper into the gimel stanza which contains the verse which might be considered a "theme" for this study....."Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from Thy law."

Again I would ask you to note the synonyms for God's Word and their location.....once again we find a synonym for God's Word used at least once in each stanza!

Let's also look at who is mentioned in this stanza.  There is the psalmist (see verses 17, 19, 20, 22).  God is mentioned (the psalmist is speaking to God).  We also have reference to the "arrogant, cursed, wanderers" in verse 21 and the "princes who talk against me" in verse 23.  What do you learn about each of these, and what insights can you gain into the psalmist's life from looking at these verses?

Look also at verse 24..."Thy testimonies are also my delight, they are my counselors."  There are two observations I would like us to consider from this verse.

This is the second time we have seen the word "delight".  (See also verse 16 in the previous stanza - "I shall delight in Thy statutes.")  A different Hebrew word is used here in verse 24 than was used in verse 16, so let's look at those words and see what they tell us.

In verse 16, delight is translated from the Hebrew word saa, meaning to take delight in, referring to taking joy or enjoyment from something, especially God's Word.  (This definition comes from The Complete Word Study Dictionary - Old Testatment).  In verse 24, the Hebrew word translated as delight is the word suiym, a plural noun meaning delight, often describing the delight given to one who follows God's teachings, laws and testimonies.  Webster's Dictionary defines "delight" as "to give great joy or pleasure, to be highly pleased."

You may be wondering why I continue to press this point, why these definitions matter so much.  One reason is that if we are going to apply what the Word says and what learn about it, we need to have an accurate understanding of what it says.  Just to read through and pick out a verse or phrase that sounds good to us or makes us feel good is not sufficient unless we really understand what it means!  So, with these definitions, we are back to the personal application question.......do I take great joy in God's Word, does God's Word bring me great pleasure and joy?  If I have answered "yes" to those questions, then how is that evident in my life?  Just to say that I "delight in God's Word" is insufficient.....there must be an evidence beyond my words!

Finally, focus on the last phrase of verse 24....."(Thy testimonies) are my counselors."  When you need counsel, where do you turn?  Who are your counselors?  Where do we get our advice?

Something to think about......

Treasuring and Delighting

Today I would like us to take one last look at the beth stanza before we move on to gimel.  I mentioned to you as we began that studying inductively involves three main aspects:  observation, interpretation, application.  Today our focus in on applying the beth stanza.  As I was seeking application to my own life, I walked verse by verse through the stanza and asked myself some questions.....similar to the 5Ws and H that we use for observation, using that same technique as I lined my own life up against what the Scripture says in these eight verses.  That may work for you.  Here are the questions I have been asking myself:

• verse 9 - How can I keep my way pure?  The answer in this verse is "by keeping it according to Thy Word."  Again, the question is "how"?  How do I accomplish that in my daily life?
• verse 10 - With all my heart I have sought You.  Have I/do I really seek God with ALL my heart?  Or is my heart/my attention divided?  Does God get my primary attention or does He get the leftovers...does He get my attention "when I have time"?
• verse 11 - Do I treasure God's Word.....or do I take it for granted or treat it lightly or just give attention to the "easy" parts/the parts I like?  Am I treasuring it by memorizing it?
• verse 12 - Is this my prayer ("teach me Your statutes")?  Am I consistently "putting feet to my prayers" by purposely setting aside time/ carving out time in my day for God's Word?
• verse 13 - Am I consistently "telling of all the ordinances of Your mouth"?
• verse 14 -  Am I "rejoicing" in God's way?  (See again the comments for verse 11).
• verse 15  - Have I made a commitment ("I will")  to meditate on God's principles?  Again, am I devoting time to this pursuit?
• verse 16 - Do I delight in God's statutes?  How is this evident in my life?

When examined this way, slowly and verse by verse, I find it to be a very convicting, very humbling portion of Scripture.  What about you?  Any insights you want to share?  If so, please leave a comment.

Why not close your study time today by meditating again on this portion of Psalm 119 and making whatever commitments and resolutions you need to make about how you are applying what you've learned.

If time allows, go ahead and read the gimel stanza and begin thinking about that one as well.  That will be our focus tomorrow.