Some say we teach the word, yet ignore certain areas to keep from offending people. Some say the word consists of my entire Christian life, yet they spend more time reading Christian books, watching Christian movies, and holding on to every word their pastor preaches rather than spending time alone with His word.
God / Jesus IS the Word (John 1:1, John 1:14-18)…if the Word is “secondary” to our Christian life and things like church service, attendance, devotionals, a Pastor’s preaching, and Christian music and movies comes first before His word, then unfortunately everything we are doing in His Name is in vain. For if His word is “secondary” to everything else, we are basically placing Jesus in the back seat. Plainly said, the Word and Jesus Christ Himself may not be as important to us as we may think it is…”Religion” may have a significance in our lives, but not Jesus.
The Psalmist knew the significance of God’s Word, look how he emphasized the importance of it throughout the entirety of Psalm 119:
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“How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the LAW of the LORD. How blessed are those who observe His TESTIMONIES…” (v.1,2)
“Oh that my ways may be established To keep Your STATUTES! Then I shall not be ashamed When I look upon all Your COMMANDMENTS. I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, When I LEARN Your righteous JUDGMENTS. I shall keep Your STATUTES.” (v.5-8)
“How can a young man keep his way pure? BY KEEPING IT ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD. With all my heart I have sought You; DO NOT LET ME WANDER FROM YOUR COMMANDMENTS. YOUR WORD I have TREASURED in my heart, That I may not SIN against You. Blessed are You, O LORD ; TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. With my lips I have told of “ALL” the ORDINANCES OF YOUR MOUTH. I have rejoiced in the way of YOUR TESTIMONIES, As much as in all riches. I will MEDITATE on Your PRECEPTS And regard Your WAYS. I shall DELIGHT in Your STATUTES ; I shall NOT FORGET YOUR WORD.” (v.9-16)
“Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may LIVE and KEEP YOUR WORD. Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from YOUR LAW. I am a stranger in the earth ; Do not hide Your COMMANDMENTS from me. My soul is crushed with LONGING AFTER YOUR ORDINANCES AT ALL TIMES. You “REBUKE” the arrogant, the cursed, Who WANDER FROM YOUR COMMANDMENTS. Take away reproach and contempt from me, For I OBSERVE Your TESTIMONIES. Even though princes sit and talk against me, Your servant MEDITATES ON YOUR STATUTES. Your TESTIMONIES also are my delight ; They are my “COUNSELORS.” ” (v.17-24)
“REVIVE me according to Your WORD.” (v.25)
“TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. Make me UNDERSTAND the WAY of Your PRECEPTS, So I will MEDITATE on Your WONDERS.” (v.26-27)
“…STRENGTHEN me according to Your WORD. Remove the “FALSE AWAY FROM ME”, And graciously grant me Your LAW.” (v.28-29)
“I CLING to Your TESTIMONIES; O LORD, do not put me to shame! I shall run the way of Your COMMANDMENTS.” (v.31-32)
“Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your STATUTES, And I shall OBSERVE it to the END. Give me UNDERSTANDING, that I may OBSERVE Your LAW And KEEP IT with all my heart. Make me walk in the path of Your COMMANDMENTS, For I DELIGHT in it. Incline my heart to Your TESTIMONIES And not to “DISHONEST GAIN.” TURN AWAY MY EYES FROM LOOKING AT VANITY, And REVIVE me in Your WAYS. Establish Your WORD to Your servant, As that which “PRODUCES REVERENCE FOR YOU.” Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ORDINANCES are good. Behold, I LONG for Your PRECEPTS ; REVIVE me through Your RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (v.33-40)
“May Your loving-kindnesses also come to me, O LORD, Your salvation ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD; So I will have an ANSWER for him who reproaches me, For I TRUST IN YOUR WORD. And DO NOT TAKE THE WORD OF “TRUTH” UTTERLY OUT OF MY MOUTH, For I wait for Your ORDINANCES. So I will KEEP Your LAW CONTINUALLY, FOREVER AND EVER. And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your PRECEPTS. I will also SPEAK of Your TESTIMONIES before kings And shall not be ASHAMED. I shall delight in Your COMMANDMENTS, WHICH I “LOVE.” And I shall lift up my hands to Your COMMANDMENTS, Which I love ; And I will meditate on Your STATUTES.” (v.41-48)
“Remember the WORD to Your servant, In which You have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your WORD has revived me. The arrogant utterly deride me, Yet I DO NOT TURN ASIDE FROM YOUR LAW. I have remembered Your ORDINANCES from of old, O LORD, And comfort myself. Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked, Who forsake Your law. Your STATUTES are my songs In the house of my pilgrimage. O LORD, I remember Your name in the night, And KEEP YOUR LAW. This has become mine, That I OBSERVE Your PRECEPTS.” (v.49-56)
“The LORD is my portion ; I have PROMISED TO KEEP YOUR WORDS. I sought Your favor with all my heart ; Be gracious to me ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD. I considered my ways And turned my feet to Your TESTIMONIES. I hastened and did not delay To KEEP Your COMMANDMENTS. The cords of the wicked have encircled me, But I have NOT FORGOTTEN YOUR LAW.” (v.57-61)
“…I am a companion of all those who FEAR YOU, And of those who KEEP Your PRECEPTS.” (v.63)
“TEACH ME GOOD DISCERNMENT and KNOWLEDGE, For I BELIEVE in Your COMMANDMENTS. Before I was afflicted I went astray, But NOW I KEEP YOUR WORD. You are good and do good ; TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. The arrogant have forged a lie against me; With all my heart I will OBSERVE YOUR PRECEPTS. Their heart is covered with fat, But I delight in Your LAW. It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your STATUTES. The LAW OF YOUR MOUTH is BETTER TO ME THAN THOUSANDS OF GOLD AND SILVER PIECES.” (v.66-72)
“Give me understanding, that I may LEARN YOUR COMMANDMENTS. May those who fear You see me and be glad, Because I WAIT FOR YOUR WORD.” (v.73-74)
“May Your compassion come to me that I may live, For YOUR LAW is my DELIGHT. May the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me with a lie ; But I shall MEDITATE ON YOUR PRECEPTS.” (v.77-78)
“My soul languishes for Your salvation ; I WAIT FOR YOUR WORD.” (v.81)
“Revive me according to Your loving-kindness, So that I may KEEP THE TESTIMONY OF YOUR MOUTH.” (v.88)
“Forever, O LORD, Your WORD is SETTLED IN HEAVEN.” (v.89)
“O how I LOVE YOUR LAW! It is my meditation all the day. Your COMMANDMENTS make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your TESTIMONIES are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, Because I have OBSERVED Your PRECEPTS. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may KEEP YOUR WORD. I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For YOU YOURSELF HAVE TAUGHT ME. How sweet are YOUR WORDS to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! From Your PRECEPTS I get UNDERSTANDING; Therefore I HATE EVERY FALSE WAY” (v.97-104)
“YOUR WORD is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. I have SWORN and I WILL CONFIRM IT, That I will KEEP YOUR RIGHTEOUS ORDINANCES.” (v.105-106)
“I HATE those who are double-minded, But I LOVE YOUR LAW. You are my hiding place and my shield ; I WAIT FOR YOUR WORD. Depart from me, evildoers, That I may OBSERVE THE COMMANDMENTS of my God. SUSTAIN ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD, that I may LIVE; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Uphold me that I may be safe, That I may have REGARD for YOUR STATUTES CONTINUALLY. You have rejected all those who wander from Your statutes, For their deceitfulness is useless. You have removed all the wicked of the earth like dross ; Therefore I LOVE YOUR TESTIMONIES. MY FLESH TREMBLES FOR FEAR OF YOU, And I am AFRAID of YOUR JUDGMENTS.” (v.113-120)
“…TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. I am Your servant ; give me UNDERSTANDING, That I may KNOW YOUR TESTIMONIES. (v.124-125)
“…I LOVE YOUR COMMANDMENTS Above gold, yes, above fine gold. Therefore I ESTEEM right all Your PRECEPTS concerning everything, I HATE VERY FALSE WAY” (v.127-128)
“Your TESTIMONIES are wonderful ; Therefore my soul observes them. The unfolding of YOUR WORDS GIVE LIGHT; It GIVES UNDERSTANDING to the simple. I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for YOUR COMMANDMENTS.” (v.129-131)
“Establish my footsteps in YOUR WORD, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me. Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may KEEP YOUR PRECEPTS. Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And TEACH ME YOUR STATUTES. My eyes shed streams of water, Because they DO NOT keep Your law. ” (v.133-136)
“Righteous are You, O LORD, And upright are Your JUDGMENTS” (v.137)
“Your WORD is very pure, Therefore Your servant LOVES IT. I am small and despised, Yet I do not forget Your precepts. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And YOUR LAW IS TRUTH. Trouble and anguish have come upon me, Yet Your COMMANDMENTS are my DELIGHT. Your TESTIMONIES ARE RIGHTEOUS FOREVER ; Give me UNDERSTANDING THAT I MAY LIVE.” (v.140-144)
“…The sum of YOUR WORD IS TRUTH, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting” (v.160)
“I REJOICE at YOUR WORD, As one who finds great spoil. I HATE and DESPISE FALSEHOOD, But I LOVE YOUR LAW.” (v.162-163)
“Those who LOVE YOUR LAW have GREAT PEACE, And nothing causes them to stumble. I hope for Your salvation, O LORD, And do Your COMMANDMENTS. My soul keeps Your TESTIMONIES, And I LOVE THEM EXCEEDINGLY. I KEEP YOUR PRECEPTS and YOUR TESTIMONIES, For all my ways are before You.” (v.165-168)
“Let my cry come before You, O LORD ; Give me UNDERSTANDING ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD. Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD. Let my lips utter PRAISE, For You TEACH me YOUR STATUTES. Let my tongue SING OF YOUR WORD, For all Your COMMANDMENTS are righteousness. Let Your hand be ready to help me, For I have chosen Your precepts. I long for Your salvation, O LORD, And YOUR LAW is my DELIGHT. Let my soul live that it may praise You, And let Your ORDINANCES help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep ; seek Your servant, For I do not FORGET YOUR COMMANDMENTS.” (v.169-176)
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There are three things that are guaranteed to happen whenever we place God’s Word first and foremost in our lives:
1) Our relationship with Christ will flourish; 2) We will long and yearn for His Word daily; and 3) We will HATE and DESPISE ALL Sin and Falsehood, and love DISCERNMENT, KNOWLEDGE, and above all TRUTH!
We pray His Words become a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths, not in just hallow sayings, and vain service and worship, but in “action”…so those who hear us will be astonished by God’s glory and moved to repentance and ever-lasting life!
Amen!
1 Thess. 5:21 