Stand on God's Word

Matthew 4:1-11

As humans, we all face temptations every day.  This included our Lord Jesus Christ while on earth, for though He was fully God, He was also fully man.  Satan delights when we give in to temptation and sin, and he would have loved to have seen Jesus give in to temptation, for then He would not have been sinless and able to redeem us.  In our Scripture today we will look at one specific time in particular when Satan came against Jesus with several temptations.  Let’s see how Jesus responded, and came out victorious.

As our Scripture opens, Jesus had just been baptized, and publicly identified as the beloved Son of God, and had been anointed by the Holy Spirit for His earthly ministry.  He was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness.  This was not by accident.  Temptation, in itself, is not a sin.  It is only when we fail and give in does the sin come.  This would be a demonstration of Jesus’ perfect obedience to the Father.

Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, and was fasting and praying during that time (vs. 2).  By the end of that time He was naturally hungry, and Satan used that as an opportunity to attack.  Satan will often strike when we are physically or emotionally depleted.  He came to Jesus, tempting Him to change some of the stones into bread (vs. 3).  This temptation was to use divine power independently of the Father’s will.  Satan suggested a shortcut, to satisfy a legitimate need in an illegitimate way.

The Savior responded by coming against His adversary with Scripture (vs. 4).  He didn’t use His own power or wit.  Jesus confronted the devil with God’s Word, and only God’s Word.  He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3.  Obedience to God is more important than physical satisfaction.

Satan wasn’t going to give up, so he came at Jesus with another temptation (vs. 5-6).  Since Jesus had used the Bible, Satan tried to also use it in this temptation (Psalm 91:11-12).  He tempted Jesus to throw Himself from the Temple and command angels to catch Him.  However, he misused Scripture, trying to force God’s hand, demanding miraculous proof.  That is the sin of presumption, testing God rather than trusting Him.  Jesus responded again with Scripture, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16.  Scripture interprets Scripture.  One verse never contradicts another.

Satan often uses half-truths instead of outright lies.  He likes promoting just enough truth about God to appear Biblical, while denying the power of the Gospel to save and transform.  We see this frequently done by false teachers and preachers.  They like to twist Bible verses around and quoting it to suit their ungodly teachings, but never using the Scripture to teach salvation.  Faith does not manipulate God or His Word, but rather submits to Him.

The devil tried a third time with a temptation of offering the kingdoms of the world to Jesus (vs. 8-9).  Jesus will ultimately receive all the kingdoms of the earth, but Satan promised to give them to Him right then, without the cross, but only if He would worship him.  Again, Jesus responded with Scripture, quoting Deuteronomy 6:13 and 10:20.   This is the temptation of compromise: gain without suffering, glory without obedience.  The devil flashes newer, bigger, and seemingly better things of this world in front of us, trying to lure us into thinking we must have it, which leads to the worship of the god of this world, who is Satan (II Corinthians 4:4).  Worship belongs to God alone - no compromise, no negotiation.  Christ’s authority is absolute.  When Satan left, angels came to minister to Jesus (vs. 11).  God’s provision comes in God’s time.

Why was Jesus tempted?  By being tempted, He showed us that He was human, like us.  And by overcoming temptation, Jesus showed His ability to carry out His Father’s will.  Through His perfect obedience, Jesus will rescue us from the devil.  Jesus’ rejection of the devil’s temptations also provides us the perfect model for enduring temptations, which is using God’s Word against the devil.

Satan hates the Bible, which is why he tries so hard to destroy it.  He was repelled by the Word of God as he tempted Jesus.  It is our sword against him (Ephesians 6:17).  We can’t simply wave our Bible in the air, hoping to scare the devil away, and we can never defeat him in our own strength.  If we try he will surely give us a beat down.  To effectively defeat his lies, we need a good working knowledge of God’s Word, so that we can fight deception with truth, whatever the situation may be.  Stand firmly upon God’s written Word, as our Lord did when the devil tempted Him to yield to his deception.

One Brought Death, One Brought Life

Romans 5:12-21

If you look back on your life, can you see where one decision or one act of yours changed the whole trajectory of your life, maybe for good, or maybe for worse?  Perhaps that one thing you did also affected not only your life, but the life of someone else, or perhaps several people.  It might also have affected your family, maybe for several generations to come.  In our Scripture today we will see how one person’s single decision to do something affected not just himself, but everyone from that time forward.  Let’s look at what God’s Word can teach us from St. Paul’s letter to the church in Rome.

In this Scripture passage from Romans Paul explains why salvation must be by grace, and why the Lord Jesus’ work is fully sufficient.  We will see that Adam’s sin brought death, condemnation, and ruin to mankind, but Christ’s obedience brings righteousness, justification, and life.  His work does not merely undo Adam’s fall, it surpasses it.

As Paul begins, we learn that sin entered into the world through our first father, Adam, and death was the direct result of sin (vs. 12).  This death is both a physical and spiritual death.  Since each one of us is a descendant of Adam, not only will we each one day physically die, we have all inherited original sin, and are sinners ourselves.

Both sin and death reigned even when there was no written law to break (vs. 13-14).  People do not die just because they personally violate the Mosaic Law.  They die because they are from Adam’s race, and his guilt is imputed to them.  Adam was a type, or figure of Him who was to come, which is speaking of the Lord Jesus.  He is a type of Christ, not in character, but in function.  Both act as representative heads whose actions affect all who belong to them.

As we see, Adam’s offense brought death to all.  However, Jesus’ grace brings life (vs. 15).  Paul emphasizes here that Christ’s work is not merely equal to Adam’s fall.  It is much superior, as the apostle tells us that the Savior’s work was “much more”!  His obedience overwhelmed Adam’s disobedience.  We also read that God’s gift by His grace “abounded to many”.  I am thankful that the “many” includes me, and that God's love has transferred me into the territory of His marvelous, infinite, matchless grace! No matter what life may bring, nothing can remove us from the realm of God’s grace.

When we read the account of Adam’s sin in Genesis, we see that it took just one act of disobedience to bring sin and condemnation into the world (vs. 16).  Likewise, Jesus’ one act of obedience to God, specifically His death on the cross, brings justification.  Justification is not earned. It is a gift, based on His obedience, not ours.  Adam’s sin caused death to reign, but Jesus’ righteousness causes those who believe in Him to reign (vs. 17).  This includes victory over sin’s dominion, a restored relationship with God, and eternal life.

Paul repeats that it was just one man’s one offense that brought sin and judgment upon all mankind (vs. 18).  We might wonder why that is so.  When we look in nature we see examples - just one tiny microscopic spore of a fungus can multiply and grow to millions of times larger, infecting a much larger area.  One tiny speck of mold in a tiny corner of a loaf of bread, and very soon the whole loaf is moldy.  One speck on one orange in a bag of oranges, and soon the whole bag has gone bad.  One tiny growth of mold within the walls of a house, if left alone, very soon the whole house has mold.  One single act of disobedience by Adam and sin grew so all people are sinners and stand condemned before God.  However, the good news is that the one act of sinless Jesus provides eternal life to all who accept Him as Savior (vs. 19).

As we close this Scripture passage we see that grace is not threatened by sin (vs. 20-21).  It is not limited by sin.  Grace overflows beyond sin’s reach.  Sin reigned in death, but now grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life for those who come to Jesus in faith.  You don’t have to earn God’s favor.  It is Jesus’ obedience, not yours, that secures your salvation.  If you have accepted Him as Savior then sin is no longer your master, death is no longer your terror, and condemnation is no longer your destiny.  God’s grace is stronger than your failures.

Have Mercy on Me

Psalm 51

We’ve all sinned, done some things that were against God’s commands, things that grieved Him.  Did you ever try to cover up a sin that you knew was terribly wrong, or pretend that it never happened?  Our psalm for this week was written about just such an event, and the repentance, cleansing, and restoration that followed.

The superscription for this psalm gives us the context, as King David wrote this after having been confronted by the prophet Nathan following having committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of David’s elite soldiers (I Samuel 11 - 12:15).  When they found out that she was pregnant, David ordered his general, Joab, to put Uriah in the thickest part of the battle, and then retreat, essentially ordering his execution.  So David committed two grave sins - adultery and murder.  Then David married Bathsheba, and acted for over a year as if nothing had happened.  However, God knew, and when David was not repenting on his own, He sent Nathan to confront him.

The king could have had Nathan killed for daring to confront his sin, but David knew he had done wickedly in the sight of God, and immediately repented and cried out to God for forgiveness (vs. 1-2).  He knew that he could not fix this, and he cried for God’s mercy, which is undeserved. Forgiveness is grounded in who God is, not who we are.

David made a full confession of his sins (vs. 3-4).  He didn’t try to hide it any longer, make excuses, or give a partial confession.  He was aware of the gravity of his sin, and took responsibility.  He also acknowledged that his offense was against God.  Whenever we sin, our sins are against God and His holiness.  This does not deny the harm done to others.  Rather, it recognizes that all sin is ultimately rebellion against God.

He confessed not only his acts of sin, but also that he, like all of us, had a sinful nature (vs. 5-6).  God desires that we are truthful to both Him and ourselves.  The Lord wants integrity, not outward religiosity.

Our psalm continues with a picture of sacrificial imagery (vs. 7).  Hyssop was a plant used to sprinkle water and the blood of sacrifice, which is an image of cleansing.  David was asking for cleansing through atonement. Even though I really dislike winter and snow, snow can be a picture of our forgiveness.  Jesus provided a way for us to be cleansed of our sins, and our hearts to be made whiter than snow.  Only He can cleanse the sinner, and He does so thoroughly.  There is only one way to deal with our sin problem, and that is the Precious Blood of Jesus.

In verse 10 David prayed that God would “Create in me a clean heart.”  The word “create” in Hebrew is “bara”, which is the same verb used in Genesis 1 when God created the heavens and the earth.  David was asking for a divine act of re-creation.  He wanted God to make him into a new man.  David prayed that God not cast him away, nor take His Holy Spirit from him (vs. 11).  This was not about losing his salvation, as we cannot lose our salvation.  This was about losing the empowering presence of God for service, such as what happened with the previous king, Saul.

David prayed that the joy of the Lord that he once felt would return (vs. 12).  Sometimes we struggle with self-forgiveness because we find it difficult to accept God’s forgiveness.  Guilt can be so strong that it overshadows God’s gift of forgiveness.  Often our personal disappointment prevents us from forgiving ourselves, especially when we see the results of our sin.  However, David knew that when God forgives, we are truly forgiven, and we can move on in our life by further service to Him (vs. 13).

Rituals alone cannot fix sin (vs. 16-17).  God wants heart-level repentance rather than just an outward show.  Repentance involves full confession, and a true confession will acknowledge our guilt.  It involves recognizing that the sin was against God, even though other people may be hurt, as well.  When we repent, we take full responsibility for our sin.  There can be no blaming others or making excuses with God.  It is not complete without full honesty.  Repentance means changing one's mind about sin.

It was at David’s lowest point that he had a revelation of God’s love and mercy.  God does not abandon us in our times of crisis, for He has promised to save us, even in our darkest time.  Psalm 51 is a gift to every believer who has ever failed, which is all of us.  It shows that no sin is too deep for God’s mercy, and no heart is too broken for God to restore.  David’s darkest moment became the occasion for one of Scripture’s brightest testimonies of grace.

The Worst Decision

Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7

You put a child in a room with lots of nice toys which you tell him that he can play with, but you instruct him that he is not to play with this one thing which is off to the side.  You tell him to leave that one alone.  There is a good chance that the child will eventually make his way over to that one thing that he was told to leave alone and will check it out.  Why, when he has a room of nice toys, does he want to play with the one he’s told to leave alone?  Why is it when we are told not to do something, that we get an overwhelming desire to do that one thing?  That has been the case since our first parents, Adam and Eve.  In today’s Old Testament Scripture we will take a look at the tragic day when they could not leave alone the one thing they were told to not eat.

As we begin, we read that God placed the man that He had created, Adam, into the Garden of Eden, which he was to tend and take care of (vs. 15-17).  The Lord then instructed Adam that he could eat from every tree in the garden except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  He was warned that if he did eat from that he would die. The command was simple, clear, and rooted in God’s goodness.  He gave abundant freedom, but one prohibition, and the consequence was certain.

We then jump over to the beginning verses of chapter 3 of Genesis where we first meet the serpent (vs. 1).  The serpent was used as Satan’s instrument in tempting Eve.  In the last book of the Bible, the serpent is specifically identified as Satan (Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:2).  Eve’s first mistake was that she wandered near the Tree of Knowledge.  God hadn’t prohibited getting near it, but when He forbids something, it is best to stay far away to avoid temptation.  However, Eve had ventured near.  The serpent’s first tactic in tempting was to sow doubt, so he asks her if God really said what He said.  The serpent wanted to raise doubts about God’s good intentions.  Satan always attacks God’s Word, having people question its accuracy before he leads them to deny it.  The doubt that Satan plants are the seedbed of disobedience.  Every temptation begins with a challenge to God’s authority, His goodness, or His clarity.

As soon as the serpent began to talk with Eve, she would have been wise to turn and run the other way, but instead she stayed and talked with him, listening to him try to cast doubt on God’s Word (vs. 2-3).  Eve answered his question, however her answer was only partially accurate.  She repeated God’s command, but she added “nor shall you touch it”, which actually the Lord had not said.  She also omitted the word “surely” when speaking of dying.  It is wrong to either add to or subtract from God’s Word.

Satan next went for direct denial of God’s Word and deception (vs. 4-5).  He boldly told her the lie that she would not die, calling God a liar.  Instead, Satan promised her that her eyes would be opened, and she would be like God.  He implied that God was withholding something good from them.  His temptation appealed to their pride, autonomy, and self-exaltation.  This is the essence of sin - the desire to be independent of God, and to define good and evil or oneself.

Next followed the most devastating act in human history - when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit (vs. 6).  This temptation was threefold.  She saw that the fruit was good for food, which is lust of the flesh.  She saw that it was pleasant to the eyes, which is lust of the eyes.  And that it would make one wise, which is the pride of life (I John 2:16).  Eve ate and then Adam followed after her.  She was deceived, but Adam was not deceived.  He sinned willfully (I Timothy 2:14).  His sin is the one through which death entered the world, plunging the human race into sin (Romans 5:12).  Their act of disobedience stemmed directly from the temptation to mistrust God’s loving relationship.

Then followed immediate consequences (vs. 7).  Their eyes were indeed opened, but not as promised.  They gained experiential knowledge of evil, but not divine wisdom.  Though physical death wasn’t immediate, it began its process.  However, spiritual death was immediate, which leads to eternal death, apart from salvation through the Lord Jesus.  Their innocence was lost and shame entered. The two made a feeble attempt to cover themselves with fig leaves, which symbolizes human attempts to deal with sin.  However it was insufficient, temporary, and inadequate.  God would later replace their coverings with animal skins, which is a foreshadowing of the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ.

We have to wonder why Adam and Eve would trust the serpent who they didn’t know, and not trust the Lord God who they did know.  The Lord would meet with them and walk with them every evening, yet they took the word of that serpent, Satan, who they had just encountered.  Man had every reason to trust and obey his loving Father, yet he sinned at the first opportunity and disobeyed, breaking the one rule.  However, God showed His love, as He immediately began to redeem mankind from sin.

What is Truly Important

Philippians 3:7-14

Have you gotten a trophy or two in your lifetime, perhaps for some sport,  or maybe a blue ribbon for some achievement?  Maybe hanging on your wall are diplomas, showing your academic achievements.  They may not be an Academy Award, a Nobel prize, or an Olympic medal, but we’re still proud of our achievements.  What would you think of someone who would throw all of their awards away?  That would be a shock!  The world would look at them as odd, to say the least.  In our Scripture today we look at someone who had achieved a lot in his past, but now considered it all trash.  There was now only one thing important in his life, and he was pursuing that with a zeal that outmatched any from his past.  Let’s take a look.

As you might have guessed, the person we are looking at today is the Apostle Paul.  In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul wanted to stress to the new believers what is really important in their Christian walk.  As Paul traveled around Greece and Asia Minor winning souls to Christ and establishing churches, there were others who would come shortly after, telling the new converts that they needed to fully follow the Old Testament Mosaic Law in order to be accepted by God.  In various verses in his epistles, Paul stressed how that was not true.  One did not need to keep the Law to be accepted by God.  Immediately prior to today’s passage, Paul listed his impressive religious credentials.  If anyone could claim righteousness by the Law, it was him.  However, Paul learned, and now taught, that works do not save us.  True righteousness is found only in Jesus, and that the Christian life is a forward-pressing pursuit of knowing Him more deeply.

As Paul shared, everything that he once trusted in - his Jewish heritage, meticulous law-keeping, his reputation, they were now worthless compared to Christ (vs. 7-8).  This was a complete reorientation of what matters for salvation.  Salvation requires abandoning confidence in our self-righteousness.  We can be a member of our church since birth, been tithing since our first paycheck, be a deacon, teach Sunday School, etc., but none of these can save us.  Salvation requires abandoning confidence in any works.  Even good things become “loss” if they keep us from Jesus.

Scripture teaches us that the righteousness that will save us is not earned, not inherited, and not achieved, but it is imputed by God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 9).  This is the heart of justification.  Our assurance rests not in performance, but in Christ’s finished work.  What is important is knowing Jesus Christ, having a deepening relationship with Him, and knowing the power of His resurrection (vs. 10), which is the same power that enables holy living.  Also the fellowship of His sufferings, which will draw us closer to Him.  Paul said that his greatest desire was for the final resurrection (vs. 11), which should also be our ultimate hope and destination.

As the Apostle continued, he knew that he was still growing as a believer (vs. 12).  Christians are a work in progress.  We should be growing in Christ, seeking to draw closer to Jesus, and be more and more obedient to His commands, even though sometimes we fall short.  No one, even the most brilliant of saints, ever gets to a point of spiritual perfection.  Paul knew, though, that he was safe and secure, just like a child in their parent’s hand, because Jesus had a hold of him.

Paul made the conscious decision that he would refuse to be controlled by the past (vs. 13).  He refused to rest on past achievements or be paralyzed by past failures.  With God’s forgiveness, we can leave our past mistakes behind, and live for today.  If He doesn’t remember our forgiven sin, then why should we? (Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 1:18).  Yesterday’s victories do not guarantee today’s faithfulness, nor does yesterday’s failures disqualify today’s obedience.

The Christian life is not static.  Jesus has taken hold of us, and now we run, not to earn His love, but because we already have it.  The finish line is ahead, and the prize is Jesus, Himself.  Paul made it a point to press forward, to strain with all of his effort, to make it to the finish line and receive his eternal reward (vs. 13-14).  We need to follow the path that Jesus laid out for us, and not get side-tracked.  We should have a single aim - to complete the course, whatever challenges it presents.  As Hebrews 12:1-2 says, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, as He guides us to the finish line.

Prayer and Fasting

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

We are now beginning the season of Lent, a period of forty days before Easter where Christians take part in solemn observances of prayer, fasting, abstinence, and often adding special acts of service or other religious practices.  As I am writing this on Ash Wednesday, I swapped our usual Gospel reading from later in the week to today, as it focuses on giving alms, prayer, and fasting, two common practices during Lent. In today’s Scripture Jesus contrasts true righteousness with the empty religiosity of the Pharisees, and calls His followers to sincere, God-centered righteousness.

In Jesus’ day, many of the Pharisees liked to perform their acts of spiritual observance, such as giving alms, praying, and fasting, out in the open.  They would often do this with great show, so that others would see.  They hoped that others would notice and be impressed with how religious and godly they seemed to be.  Unfortunately we still see this today with people in church congregations who try to impress others with their “godly” practices.  Jesus warns His disciples about this subtle spiritual trap (vs. 1).  He isn’t telling us that we should never do any good works publicly, however we should not be doing them for the public’s applause.  We should be doing them for the right reasons - so that others will glorify God.  If our goal is human praise, human praise is all we will get.

Scripture shows that the people who seek out public applause for their spiritual acts are hypocrites, as they are pretending to be something they are not.  God values quiet, humble generosity with our alms giving (vs. 2-4).  We should be giving in ways that only God needs to know about.  Jesus wants us to give from a heart that seeks only His approval, not those around us.  The less attention we draw to ourselves, the more glory goes to God.

Jesus continues by speaking about our prayer life (vs. 5-6).  Generally, most of our prayer should be done in private.  That is not to say that there is anything wrong with praying with our Christian brothers and sisters.  Corporate prayer with family and in church is good.  However, again, Jesus is speaking against making our prayers a performance in order to be admired.  Our prayers should not be man-centered, but instead be God-centered.  Our private prayer life reveals our true walk with God.

Next we jump down to verses 16-18 where Jesus talks about fasting.  The Pharisees were frequent fasters, and they would let everyone know they were doing that by their appearance and actions.  Jesus told His followers that was the wrong way.  We should not be making ourselves look miserable so others will admire our devotion.  Instead Jesus said that we should look and act our normal way when fasting.  It should be between ourselves and God, so we don’t need to be telling others that we’re fasting, either.  Spiritual disciplines are not props for public admiration.

Fasting does not serve to change God’s mind.  Nor should it be a way to try to manipulate His will, or think that it will speed up His answer.  Instead, fasting helps us focus our attention on God alone, so that we listen and worship wholeheartedly.  When fasting, we are better able to fix our eyes on Jesus, and hear Him clearly.  Also, fasting can be carried out in several ways.  Frequently it is going without food or certain types of food.  We can also fast by eliminating some activities, or giving up that extra hour of sleep, in order to seek the Lord during that time.  The intent of any fast is to pray without disturbance so we can focus fully on the Lord.

Jesus finishes this lesson with teaching us where our true treasures should be (vs. 19-21).  There are two kinds of treasure.  One is earthly treasure, which is temporary, vulnerable, and corruptible.  Then there is heavenly treasure, which is eternal, secure, and incorruptible.  Our heart will follow where we have made our investments.  Heavenly treasures can include our acts of obedience, our sacrificial giving, the God-honoring service we do, and especially the souls that we have won for Jesus.

Remember, God is always watching.  Whether our work is on a public stage or done in the quietness of our homes, God sees it.  And when we do things with a heart to serve Him, He rewards us with His pleasure.  However, when we work with impure motives, or just to gain other’s approval, that will be our only reward.  We secure God’s approval in the secret places, when no one else knows what we have done.  One word of approval from God is worth more than a million from the world.

A Life Ordered by God's Word

Psalm 119:1-16

Our psalm selection for this week comes from a rather special and unique psalm.  Psalm 119 holds a special position in the Bible, as it is both the longest psalm in the Book of Psalms, and is also the longest chapter in the Bible, containing 176 verses.  In all but about five or six of these verses there is a synonym for God’s law, using words such as: law, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, judgments, ordinances, word, and ways. Psalm 119 is one of nine acrostic psalms.  The psalm is divided into segments of eight verses, each one beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Let’s take a look at the first two segments of this beautiful psalm which praises God’s Word.

The first segment of eight verses speak of how one is blessed by God when they order their life by God’s Word.  To be blessed is to be highly favored by God (vs. 1).  To be “undefiled in the way” refers to their manner of life.  They don’t have sinless perfection, as none but the Lord Jesus led such a life, but they try to live their life with integrity.  God’s Word governs their whole pattern of life.  Such a person is truly blessed by God.

Our unknown psalmist continues by declaring that God’s blessing is upon the one that not only keeps God’s testimonies, but also seeks Him with their whole heart (vs. 2).  They guard their life and heart, holding fast onto His Word.  They seek after God, having no divided loyalties between Him and the world.  The psalmist repeats that such a person will not commit iniquity or sin, but follow God’s ways (vs. 3).  Again, this is not referring to sinless perfection, but a consistent pattern of seeking to live a righteous life by following God’s ways, revealed in Scripture.  His Word should be what shapes our behavior, not our personal preferences.

God’s commands in His Word are binding, clear, and authoritative (vs. 4).  They are not an option, nor are we to pick and choose what we want to obey or not obey.  A faithful believer will diligently, carefully, and intentionally seek to follow them.  He will cry out to God, seeking His help to obey His Word (vs. 5).  We all know that even when we desire to faithfully follow God, we will occasionally fall, so we pray for His help. On the other hand, when we become lax in our obedience to the Lord, we should be filled with shame (vs. 6).  This includes just partial obedience.  Partial obedience is in truth, disobedience.  The psalmist continues to praise the Lord and resolve to obey Him (vs. 7-8).

The second segment of eight verses highlight the cleansing and transforming power of God’s Word and Law.  It begins with a question that every young person must answer, and that is how to keep oneself clean from the stain of sin in their life (vs. 9).  The psalmist answers this question for us.  Becoming clean from the stain of sin does not happen by self-help, but by taking heed, by careful obedience to God’s Word.  The Bible is sufficient for our moral purity.

The psalmist recognized his own tendency to drift away from committed devotion, so he prayed to seek Him with his whole heart (vs. 10). We need to spend time reading and meditating on Scripture, and most importantly, obeying it.  Spiritual vigilance is necessary to live a life pleasing to God.

One way to keep ourselves close to the Lord is by hiding His Word in our heart (vs. 11).  To do that we need to be reading, meditating, and even memorizing Scripture each day.  Memorization is an important weapon against sin.  When we memorize God’s Word, it is planted into our hearts. That way we can be prepared for temptation, as it becomes our spiritual sword. Even if we stray from Him, those words will play over and over in our mind.  His Word will not return void (Isaiah 55:10-11).  Also, there may come a time when we cannot have a Bible with us.  However, if we have Scripture passages memorized, those verses will always be with us.

As we jump down to verse 14, we see that our psalmist values his Bible more than material wealth.  Given a choice between his Bible or great riches, he would choose his Bible.  Would you?  Many people dream of getting rich.  That is why places like Las Vegas exist.  What if we were more excited about following the Lord’s Word than about winning millions of dollars?  True riches belong to those who walk with Jesus.  True joy is found in God’s Word, not in material prosperity.

The psalmist closes by saying that his delight is God’s Word, and promises not to forget it (vs. 16).  To avoid forgetting something one needs to keep it forefront in one’s mind.  To not forget certain Bible verses, we need to keep repeating them over and over again.

Do you want to be blessed in your life?  I’m sure we all do.  God’s blessing is tied to obeying His Word.  Let’s follow this psalmist’s example with wholehearted devotion and submission to Scripture, and by meditation and memorization so that we can live a life of blessing, peace, and joy.