Psalm 119, My Relationship To God’s Word
1. I Govern My Actions And Direction By God’s Word (v105-106)
2. I Endure Afflictions Because Of God’s Promises (v107)
3. I Willingly Worship God And Study His Word (v108)
4. I Value God’s Word More Than My Own Safety (v109-110)
5. I Position Myself To Obey God’s Word To The End (v111-112)
As we look at our passage here in Psalm 119 this evening, I've titled the Message My relationship to God's Word, my relationship to God's Word now Psalm 1.
119 is one of those psalms that is just really impactful, not just because it's long and there's a.
Lot of verses but.
Man, there's so much depth to consider in each of these passages in each of these verses, as the psalmist goes on.
And on and on and on.
About the word of the Lord.
The whole song.
Is really devoted to the Scriptures, and so you know there's a few unique things about Psalm 119 that really make it stand out compared to the other songs. And there's many things, of course.
But here's a few examples. So one thing to note about Psalm 119 is that it's the longest chapter in the Bible.
Both by verse count and by word count.
It is really substantial in its length, and that's interesting to consider the longest chapter, the most words grouped together in that way is devoted to the testimonies of God.
The word of God, the statutes of God, in almost every verse of this.
Chapter the Word of God is mentioned somehow, and so it's referred to in a variety of ways.
It's referred to as the word as the law.
As testimonies, statutes, ordinances, commands, precepts and judgments.
And depending on how you count all of these and and work them out, there's about 171 references to the scriptures, some counted differently and say actually no, it's 176 and they actually kind of try to fit, you know, a reference to the word in every verse so that there's you know in every verses.
Not one missing, others say yeah, there's only one verse that doesn't have it. That's verse 122 and you know there's a lot of scholarly debate over all of those things, but.
You know, I don't think we have to worry about those particular so much, because 176 verses, and if all but two or three of them are referencing the word of God, there's no mystery or question about what this Psalm is about, right?
Like we know and understand clearly this is all about the word of God and and it really highlights for us the importance of the word of God.
In our lives and for our life.
Now, another really interesting thing about this song is it's an acrostic poem and what that means is that it's not just a bunch of random words or sayings kind of groups together in different groups, but but that there is like some real precise poetic strategy.
And work that has been put into this Psalm to create it for us.
And So what it means to be an acrostic.
There's other passages, passages of Scripture that are acrostic as.
Well, and what that means is that it would break apart according to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. So the Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters, and each of these verses that are grouped into groups of eight, and they have a heading of.
One of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and so if we were doing this in English, the 1st 8 verses would be grouped under the letter A and you would have Grover come out and tell.
You the letter.
You know I can't do Grover voice.
But you know, like that's the kind of idea so that the letter A or Alice would be the Hebrew version and and so all of these verses are grouped under that heading, and then, Beth, you know or B and then C and then D.
And so there's this organization to this that is substantial, but but it's more than that.
It's not just grouped under this heading of.
The different Hebrew letters.
In every verse.
The the verse begins with the letter that it is grouped under.
And so you know, we don't see this clearly in the English, but in the Hebrew this is really clear because it would be like if you looked at these verses and every verse started with the letter A, you would begin to pick up on that pretty quickly, right?
And then the next section every verse started with the letter B.
Then you would quickly pick up on that right in Hebrew.
These start out with the the Hebrew alphabet and work their way through.
So each group of eight has each verse starting with the Hebrew letter that corresponds with the group that it's in.
So here's a quick look at the first date versus blessid blessid you know those that's verses one and two, so that's a repeated word.
It's not a surprise.
It starts with the same letter, but then they also would.
Be the word.
That starts in the Hebrew.
It doesn't always translate, you know where the first word in English is.
The first word in Hebrew.
But in this case it is.
So you have commanded us, oh, that my ways then I would not.
I will praise you.
I will keep your statues.
All of these.
Words that begin in the Hebrew version begin with the letter Alef or a for us, and so you can see now in Hebrew.
As I show the characters here remember.
That Hebrew is.
Right to left, backwards of, not backwards.
I guess that's four words and word backwards, but so that the character on the far right is actually the beginning of the word, and so you can see that.
And as you work your way through, you can find that.
Each verse throughout this song is organized in that way, so starting with a then they all start with a, then B.
Then they all start with B and then C and and so it demonstrates really this, not just haphazard, not just random sayings or not.
Just you know a bunch of wise and pithy things like the proverbs but.
But there's like.
Great care and intense.
Really attention went into this Psalm to set for us this incredible understanding and importance of the value of God's word in our lives, and so really a lot of powerful truth that we can find here in Psalm 119. I I liked what Spurgeon had to see with that.
We'll start, we'll share this and then we'll get into the points that God has for us.
But here's what Spurgeon says.
He says this wonderful song.
From its great lengths helps us to wonder at the immensity of script.
From its keeping to one subject, it helps us to adore the unity of Scripture, for it is, but what?
Yet from the mini turns it gives to the same thought.
It helps you to see the variety of Scripture and I really.
Find this to be important and impactful.
He references the immensity of Scripture, the unity of Scripture, and the variety of scripture.
That the word of God is not a flat 1 dimensional.
You know boring textbook.
There is an immensity.
To it there.
Is so much.
In the word of God, and so that's illustrated by the longest chapter in the Bible being this Psalm devoted to the word of God, it really illustrates and speaks to the immensity and the.
Depth that is found in the word of God, not just in this chapter, but all throughout the pages of scripture, that the word manifold comes to mind where there's many different folds and you keep going back to different passages and and there's immense depth to it.
And and there's more and more that got uncovers as you spend time and go back to.
And revisit the scriptures over and over and over again.
There's an immensity.
Do it.
But then at the same time, there's a unity.
Now you can go to the library and find it and immensity of texts right?
But there's not a unity of the text. You pull all the books off the shelf, and it's 1000 different subjects.
1000 different opinions all different and varying and and the the word of God is not like that.
There is a unity to the scriptures here in Psalm 119, but then also.
By illustration, the rest of the scriptures as well, they are all united together.
They are not, in contrast to one another, or in contradiction to one another, but but there is one message really.
Throughout the whole scriptures and and it's one voice, the voice of God, one revelation of God.
To us there's a unity that is profound here in the song Psalm 119 and as well as the rest of the scriptures.
And so there's an immensity.
And yet there's a unity.
And yet at the same time, then there's verai.
Katie and so variety really helps us to understand.
There's not just one subject in the sense that it only helps you in one aspect of life or one area, but that even amongst the unity of the message, there's so much variety in the contents of that message that that we are able to look to the word.
Of God for all aspects of our life and so it's not just, well, you know, look at the scriptures for those Bible trivia sessions that are going to happen at.
Yes, and make sure that your team wins, right?
It's not.
It's not just that that you have a certain understanding or a good education intellectually, but, but there's such variety in the scriptures.
Even though there is incredible unity of the Scriptures and the immensity, of the scriptures, like all of this, builds upon itself to remind us that we have.
Here in the word of God, such an incredible and valuable resource of God speaking to us in ways that only he can.
It's a book.
It's a a collection of books by different authors, inspired by the Holy Spirit that could only have been accomplished by God himself.
It endures forever and has lasted and and endured many attacks.
And many attempts to discredit and you know all of that.
But it it can't be because it is the word of God and I could keep going, but.
I also got to work through the verses we.
Talked about today, so let's dive into Psalm 119 versus 105 through 112 five points.
To help us consider my relationship to God's word, and so I would encourage you and pray that you would take these things to heart and.
Take these points.
And make them real and active in your own life.
Here's point, number one.
I govern my actions and direction by.
God's word.
I encourage you to write that down and mean it. I'd govern my actions and direction by God's word. Verse 105 says your word is a lamp to my feet.
And a light to my path.
I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep your righteous judgments.
Here as we dive into kind of the middle of the chapter, verse 105 is that classic verse that we have heard many times.
Maybe we didn't know where it was exactly, but we recognized the verse as we get to it.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light too.
My path it's a great picture.
That is being illustrated here.
Understanding that lamps for the Hebrew people were different than what we might be thinking of or picturing in our mind.
Because we of course have lamps that light up the room, right?
We have lamps that light up parking lots.
We can light up hundreds of miles of Hwy. Not a problem. We can light up 100 yard field like as if it were daylight out that that the lamps.
That we have are pretty significantly different than the lamps that they would have as the author is writing this song, and it's not real hard for us to imagine because you could really kind of think about just like having a candle.
That their lamp would be a little bowl type thing of oil with a Wick on it and and it would be a flame.
A single flame like a candle with one Wick and and that would be the lamp that they would be familiar with, and so it wasn't the bright thing that lit up the world for everybody.
But lamp.
To my feet the psalmist is saying is talking about this little personal size, individual light.
That gives just enough light for the next step ahead.
A lamp to my feet and a light to my path again, you know, thinking about walking around at night time in if David wrote this David date we don't.
Know who the author is, but.
There you know there wouldn't be St lights.
There wouldn't be the porch lights of the houses in the community, right?
As you walk down the street there, there would be very little light.
There would be fires, there would be lamps, but they were all individual and you know, kind of not spreading as far as we've designed light to spread, but.
Walking around and maybe you've had that experience of going camping or being out in a more desolated place, and there is not the light and so you have your flashlight with you, right?
And you're kind of like.
Just lighting the steps ahead of you and maybe sometimes you wish you could light up the whole forest, but you can't, you can just.
Peek around with your light like this.
Hope you're not being followed and then go back to am I gonna trip on something if I take a step forward, right?
That like that's the the kind of light that we're talking about here.
It's that that personal I'm about to take a step.
I need to see where I'm going and make sure it's safe and and the lamp that is being pictured here would provide that.
Security and that safety for the person who is walking.
And so the psalmist here is saying.
In light of my life, your lamp is or your word is a lamp to my feet.
And just as I would hold the lamp and look carefully as I'm walking about in darkness to make sure I'm not stepping in something I don't want to step in, or tripping up on something to make sure that I on the path and not wandering off the path, I I use your word, Lord.
To light my way to guide my way to help warn me when I'm about to step in something that's not good or when I'm about to wander off the path.
It's a personal illumination of.
Direction and guidance.
And protection for me.
So Somnus goes on to say I've sworn and confirmed.
That I will keep.
Your righteous judgments, because your word is that kind of light for me, and is that kind of protection for me.
So I've made a commitment.
I've made a promise.
I've confirmed the promise I'm going to be steadfast in the judgments of God judgments being another reference to the word of God.
Lord, you have declared what is true.
You have declared many things that I need to pay attention to and so I'm going to keep them.
I'm going to hold fast to those things so that my steps will be well lit that I won't be wandering off blindly or basing.
You know my decisions in my course on things that do not have much light, but but your word is going to light my path and so I need to be faithful to you.
I'm I'm committed to be holding fast to what you have declare.
Shared in your word, and so the word of God is able to give us guidance, and I worded it this way.
I govern my actions and direction by God's word because the idea is I'm checking out. Is this a safe place to step and I'm using the word of God as the standard by which to evaluate?
I'm about to embark on this.
Adventure I'm going to head down this path.
I'm going to make this decision.
I'm going to believe this thing that I'm being told I'm going to have this attitude.
I'm going to think this way or vote this way and and before we head down any of those or make those final decisions.
We're using the word of God as a lamp.
We're holding up the word to the direction to the, to the issue to the decision we're holding up the word of God in and seeking to bring light to planet and saying, Lord, what do you have to say about these?
Matters, and so I have a need to govern my actions to not just let my actions happen, and whatever happens, happens.
And whatever I do is what I do and how I react, is how I react.
But that I.
Would govern my actions and I would test my actions and I would check my actions and say, Lord.
What does your word have to say?
About the way that I do things and the way that I think about things and.
The way that I.
Talk about things and the attitudes that I have.
What does your word have to say God about?
How I handle my retirement years and what direction I take in those days?
What what does your word have to say about the direction I'm going in my education or in my career?
What does your word have to say about my direction in this relationship?
Or that relationship that that all of my?
Decisions and directions and actions.
Need to be submitted to.
What God has revealed in his word.
So that nothing in my life.
Is allowed to go on knowingly, persistently.
That is contrary to what God has revealed and said.
I govern my actions and direction by.
God's word.
Now this is really important because.
Notice he says in verse 106 that I will keep your righteous judgments.
That that there's a significant aspect of the word of God.
That we miss.
If we don't seek to bring application to what God has declared.
In his way.
And and we can miss a huge piece of what God has for us.
Misusing the word of God.
You know there's a lot of medications that you can take that will really help you.
But also if you misuse them they could really harm you.
There's a lot.
Of tools that could really help you out in your job and work or whatever you're trying to do right, and used appropriately.
They can help you and advance the work, but.
A misuse of them will bring physical harm and damage.
The word of God is living and active and sharper than any double edged sword, right?
There's there's great value there.
It's it's effective tool but but it also can be misused.
And cause us some problems.
I can't get into all the details of how it can be misused, but let me give you an example.
There is the idea of.
Reading and memorizing the word of God.
And thinking that that is a safety and security for us.
Not to say that there is no value and not to say that we shouldn't read and memorize the word of God.
But but there are those who are very.
Proud of or focused?
On the reading and the memorization.
But they neglect the obedience to.
So they know the righteous judgments of verse 106.
But they don't keep them.
That there is a danger for us to give ourselves some false sense of security by knowing the Scriptures well, but not.
Practicing them.
And not seeking to.
Make them real and active, visible and tangible in our lives.
When it comes out.
And it's made public.
There's some well known pastor that.
Has become disqualified and the shockwaves go out through the Christian community.
Many of the times that the things that we're thinking about, the things that people are saying is like it's so shocking because you know they.
Knew the word.
They taught the word they're so such a powerful, you know, in in the use of God's word.
Yet that's only from a certain perspective, and that's.
Then being in a position of really missing the great value.
Of God's word.
You and I we can read it every day.
We can memorize large portions of it, but if if we don't learn to obey it.
But if we don't use the word of God to govern our actions and direction, but we just are really feel really good about ourselves because we know the scriptures so well, we're in such a dangerous place and any of us are in danger of that kind of disqualification, because we don't govern our actions and direction by.
The word of God.
And so we need.
To let God's word be the.
Lamp to our feet.
Again, it pictures for us that.
One step at a time, Pastor Warren Wiersbe puts it this way.
We walked by faith when we followed the word.
Each act of obedience shows us the next step.
And eventually we arrive at the appointed destination.
Many times of course we would prefer for God to light up the whole path for us all the way to the destination.
But the picture of this lamp is not that kind of light.
It's not a pathway of lights, it is a lamp to my feet.
And we want so much.
That the lawyer would show us well, if you do this and then I'm going to, you know, direct you in that.
And then I'm going to work these things out and then here's going to be the end result.
And and then we can decide whether or not we want to follow the path that God has.
Set for us, but that's not the way that God calls us to work.
He says look, let my.
Law govern your steps, your direction.
Let my law govern your attitudes and thoughts and beliefs and and what you hold onto, and which you invest time in.
Let my word guide you in.
All of that.
And take the step right in front of you that I'm lighting up, and then once you're there then.
Allow my word.
To govern you.
Use the word of God to evaluate.
The next step.
And then use the word of God to evaluate the next step and then use the word of God to evaluate the next step and and walking in relationship with God and his word in this way takes us step by step.
We don't know exactly the course that we're on.
We don't know exactly the route that this path will take us.
But we know.
The next step.
Because we've shined the light of God's word on it.
It's a life of faith of trusting in God one step at a time.
Doesn't mean we don't, you know, have ideas and thoughts and plans for the future beyond you know the next day or the next week or the next month, right, but.
But we plan to make those plans and then we let the Lord Direct our steps and we govern those plans we.
Govern those steps.
By what the Lord is saying and revealing through his word there reminded me of the example of Abraham in Genesis 12.
When the Lord told Abraham to get out of your country, get away from your father's house.
To a land that I will show you and he didn't give him the final destination or the route and how exactly he was going to get there.
He said take the first step and as he took the first step then God would lead him and guide him around to the land of Canaan and and this is the way that God.
Wants to work in our lives.
But we.
Need to be submitted to the word of God? I govern my actions and direction by God's word.
Moving on to verse 107, we get the second point to consider tonight and that is I endure afflictions because of God's promises.
I endure afflictions because of God's promises. Verse 107 says I am afflicted very much.
Revive me, O Lord, according to your word.
Here's the thing that we need to know about governing our lives.
By the word of God.
It doesn't mean that we will have all glory and no problems.
The psalmist says I'm afflicted very much.
I got a lot of problems.
I got a lot of hurts.
I got a lot of difficulty, a lot of hardship in my life.
I'm afflicted very much.
But he also has.
Something to hold onto in the midst of that.
And so the psalmist says, I'm able to endure.
Because God's given me a word.
What's the word?
The word is revival, but you promised to revive me.
You promised those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength and mount up on wings like Eagles.
But you promised to renew me, even though outwardly I may be wasting away.
But inwardly I might be renewed day by day.
You have your word to me.
You've given me promises.
And so even though I'm afflicted very much.
Even though I'm going through great difficulty.
I don't abandon the course because when I use the lamp to inspect and govern my weight, it keeps me on this course.
It's a hard course and there's affliction ahead.
Yeah, but I don't run from the affliction and I don't avoid pain at all costs.
I don't avoid difficulty or or conflict at all costs.
Instead, I endure it.
Because Lord you've promised.
There will be revival.
If it costs dearly and cost me my life, you've promised that there will be revival that there will be resurrection.
Revive me, O Lord, according to your word, and you and I as believers, we have these incredible promises of the scriptures.
That that we.
Really have the capacity to endure.
Afflictions like nobody else around us in this world.
Because we have a hope, a certainty, a guarantee.
That people without the Lord who aren't.
Not allowing the word of God to govern their lives, they don't have the same kind of certainty.
You know you put up with some excruciating pain.
When you're at the doctor.
And you're trusting them.
You believe that they can.
With this wire brush clean out this wound to keep you from being infected and then they don't have to.
Cut off your arm, right like?
You endure great affliction and suffering medically because you trust.
The physician's wisdom.
In a similar way, you and I because because of.
Our God and his promises, revealed in his word.
We ought to be able to endure great.
And sometimes we need to be reminded you're a lot stronger than you think you are.
When you root yourself in the word of God and in the promises of God.
And sometimes, at the avoidance of pain, because we want to avoid pain and difficulty at all costs, we jump off the path that was lit before us.
We don't have the stomach for the conflict for the difficulty for the hardship.
But we need to change our mind.
Kind of resettle in our mind and in our hearts that the most important thing in this life is not to be comfortable and pleasant.
And you know, have just nice, luxurious all kinds of great things that we want.
We need to resettle our minds and hearts.
To be willing to endure affliction.
In God's will.
Because of the promises that he has given and the promise that it will all be worth it, there is no affliction that we endure on the path that God sets before us.
That will not be rewarded exponentially, substantially more than whatever pain or suffering or affliction we experienced here in this life that the scripture is consistent and teaches that over and over and over again.
Here's one example.
First, Peter chapter one.
Peter says in this you greatly rejoice.
Though now for a little while.
If need be, you have been grieved by various trials.
That the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to.
Praise, honor and.
Glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Whom having not seen you love.
Though you do not see him yet, believing you rejoice with joy, inexpressible, and.
Full of glory.
Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your.
Soul is Peter writing to Christians who are being persecuted.
At this time all throughout the Roman Empire.
Saying, look?
In the midst of great suffering.
You've been grieved by various trials.
For a little.
While but in the midst of it.
You can rejoice.
Because there's all this work that God is doing.
Your faith is being tested and not tested in the sense of you know God wants to see if you have it or not, but it's being tested in the sense of it's being refined and purified and becoming more precious.
So that you are being made more effective and more like Christ and becoming.
A better instrument of praise and honor and glory for Jesus Christ.
And so there is this joy that's inexpressible.
That comes even in the midst of various trials and great grief because.
We understand that there's there's this promise that God has given.
It's going to be worth it.
You're trading in monopoly money.
Incredible priceless jewels.
Now to equate our afflictions and.
Grieving, grieving from various trials to monopoly, money, me.
Seems like it's a little bit too trivial, but.
Remember the scale that we considered on Sunday of our 80 years versus.
6000 years of recorded history plus 10,000 years of eternity. And then that's not even the end. You know, it's like our life here. Although we have the capacity for great suffering and great pain.
It's just a small little sliver of our real existence.
And God promises, it's all going to be worth it, no matter how much affliction we face, no matter how much suffering we encounter as we walk with the Lord and let him light our path.
It's going to be worth it and there won't be 1 aspect of our life that we look back on in eternity and say God.
I disagree.
I don't think you should have let that affliction into my life.
Every moment of affliction that we face as we walk with the Lord in this life, we will be in eternity, and we will agree with God and say, God, I'm glad you allowed that affliction in my life because it was necessary and I needed it.
And the reward here is so much greater than the suffering that I experienced there.
And that's why James says in James chapter one counted all joy when you fall into various trials.
So many promises that we could hold onto.
Knowing that in the midst of whatever we're experiencing, God is doing our work and.
To throw out one more scripture as an example.
Without going too far into this, in Colossians Chapter 3 Paul is addressing Bondservants.
We would refer to this kind of role in society as an employee today.
Bondservants employees obey and all things your bosses according to the flesh.
Not with iservice as men pleasers, but in sincerity of heart fearing God.
And whatever you do, do it heartily as.
To the Lord and not.
To men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance for you.
Serve the Lord Christ.
And I think this is a good example to consider because it's not just.
The tragedies that happen in our life that are the afflictions we need to endure.
But sometimes just the boss that we have.
And the conflict that is there or the frustration that is there.
That there is a reason for us to endure.
For Paul states it clearly here it's Colossians 3 versus 22 through 24 if he.
Needed to write that down.
But his point is, look do your best and do your work wholeheartedly.
Because you know that from.
The Lord you receive your your reward.
Even if your boss doesn't pay you what.
You're worth.
Do your work and do it wholeheartedly.
Don't don't do your work according to the low pay that they give you and say, well you.
Don't pay me very much, so I'm not going to work very hard.
That's that's not the right approach to take Paul.
Says, do it heartily as to the Lord.
Endure that affliction.
That frustration I don't get paid what I ought to be paid, but my reward is not from my employer.
My reward is from the Lord, and so Lord, I'm gonna you have me here.
I'm going to do the best that I can do.
I'm going to do it unto you.
And trust that your promises are going to be true, that I will receive the reward of the inheritance, because I serve you.
The Lord Christ.
I endure afflictions because of God's promises.
And so I put up with grievances I put up with afflictions I put up with difficulties I put up with sins against me and I forgive and continue to forgive as many as 70 * 7 every day.
You know that.
I'm not stating that I do all of this perfectly, but just expressing these things that that ought to be on our minds and.
Hearts that that.
I enter all of these things and I I put up with all of these things.
Because I know the promises that God has set before me and it's all going to be worth it.
I endure afflictions because of the promises that God has revealed in his word.
Moving on to verse 108, we get point #3 and that is I willingly worship God and study his word.
I willingly worship God and study his word. Verse 108 says.
Except I pray.
The free will offerings of my mouth.
And teach me your judgments.
Except the free will offerings of my mouth.
I think this verse is a great verse if you need help for your daily prayer as you dive into.
The word of God.
Verse 108 is a very good one to to put on that list, perhaps.
The idea here that the psalmist is saying is.
This is a free will offering.
In the sacrificial law.
God had given.
A variety of different sacrifices for the people.
To practice and to do.
Various different purposes and occasions for the different sacrifices.
You can find the the main ones.
The core sacrifices in Leviticus chapters one through 5.
And so there it outlines for us there was a burnt offering had significant meaning about giving yourself to the Lord, being wholly devoted to the Lord.
There was the grain offering and the the peace offering.
The peace offering was really a a fellowship offering a kind of like a barbecue together with the Lord and Fellowship with people and fellowship with God, there was a sin offering an address.
Press offering which were to deal with issues of sin and trespass and to bring about that reconciliation with God and so these are the kind of the mean sacrifices that got outlines there.
In these first chapters of Leviticus.
But as you walk through these.
There are some situations where these sacrifices were required.
And so it was mandatory when you send you needed to bring us in offering there were some burnt offerings that were part of things that God instructed that that they were required.
But what's also interesting is the first three offerings also have a voluntary practice.
That was possible as well, and so you could offer burnt offering anytime you wanted to, whenever it was just on your heart.
So you wanted to express to the Lord, but I want to be surrendered to you and devoted to you and my life is yours and I I want to live my life for your glory and to praise you.
And so you as an Israelite in those days you could bring a burnt offering and.
And offer it.
Unto the Lord.
It was something you did freely.
Willingly, you just chose to choose an animal.
Take the trek.
Offer the sacrifice.
And express your heart in that way to the Lord.
The grain offering the peace offering.
These were also voluntary in many cases where it was just I just want to have fellowship with God.
I just want to enjoy some time with the Lord and.
It's not always a requirement that causes me to come to the temple and offer sacrifices that.
God set up in the sacrificial system those opportunities for the free will offerings.
And this is important because as we consider the word of God and consider going back to you know the the first point governing my actions and direction by God's word, there is an obligation that we have as children of God to know the word of God and to live by the word of God and to you. Know, fulfill what he has declared in his.
Word that that we would walk in it.
There is a a duty and obligation that we have.
To do that?
At the same time.
Our whole experience with the word of God cannot just be limited.
To the dutiful fulfillment of what God has called us to.
There needs to be.
That transformation of our heart where we go beyond.
OK, I'm supposed to do this.
I know it's good for me.
So I'm going to do it.
Even though I don't feel like it.
It's an obligation.
It's a duty and.
And that's good to do, right?
There is the discipline that is necessary for us to live in obedience and not live by our feelings.
And so even though I don't feel like spending time with God in his word, I need to still be faithful.
And spend time with God in his word.
But but my whole experience with God cannot be in that state.
I I can't live and find the resources that I need with just a legalistic type of obligation in my relationship to God.
I'm supposed to do this.
I have to do this and if it never grows beyond that, there is some problems that that there needs to be this.
Transformation in my heart where?
I do.
Practice this feat fully even when I don't feel like it, and so there is the.
That is lived out.
In the face of changing feelings and seasons and different things that are happening in my life.
But but then there's also.
Beyond that.
Those times where.
I willingly worship God.
And I just the only reason why I'm there is because I want to be.
The only reason why I'm spending time in the world is 'cause I want to.
For those who teach regularly the scriptures, there is always the danger.
I can you can.
Interact with the word of God in a way that's only.
Because I'm supposed to teach again.
And so I have to interact with the word of God and spend time in it because, well, the next message is coming up.
And so I gotta put that.
Together and work that out.
And it's good to be faithful.
And what God calls you to and interact with the word of God when he's called you to teach.
But but if all of my time in the word of God is limited to my obligations.
Then I'm going to be in.
A bad place and I need to have.
A willing heart where there is a.
A free will offering of what I'm just going to give this time for you, I'm going to give this time to you because I want to.
Because I want to have this time with you, I want to hear from you.
I want to walk with you.
The psalmist says, except I pray the free will offerings of my mouth.
Oh Lord.
Except I'm offering to you.
This time I'm offering to you these words, the psalmist says.
It's a it's a freewill offering.
You didn't require me to write down this song, right?
You didn't require me to meditate on these things.
I just I really wanted to spend time with you and meditate on your truth and so.
But it's a free will offering.
I'm giving it to you.
Or would you accept it?
May it bless you.
May it bless your heart as I spend this time with you and.
I want to hear from you to teach me your judgments.
Instruct me and lead me and guide me.
That as I study your word, I I want to know you, I want to have that revelation of you and what you have for me.
We're moving onto versus 109 and 1:10. We get point number.
Four, that is, I value godsword more than my own safety.
I value godsword more than my own safety versus 109 says my life is continually in my hand. Yet I do not forget your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not strayed from your precepts.
Here's the psalmist continues.
We already saw that.
His life is not just.
Wonderful and no problems whatsoever.
Here he elaborates a little bit further and this isn't the only part of the Psalm.
It's really kind of consistent throughout.
All of Psalm 119 that the psalmist here is speaking out of a real sense of danger and conflict and hardship and hurt.
Throughout the whole time, and yet the word of God is a substantial source and substance for him as he works through those times.
And so his situation is so precarious that he says my life is continually in my hand, and the idea there is that he is constantly in danger.
That he could be gone at any moment.
I think the new living translation puts it as my life is always hanging.
In the balance.
It's, it's just.
It's just barely hanging on and it's at any moment it's going to be over.
And yet, in the face of that uncertainty in the face of that kind of danger, he says, yet I do not forget.
Your law.
We can have all kinds of things in our minds.
And then face.
A dangerous situation and have all of the the things that we thought we had set in our minds just vanish away.
I've shared it before.
Like I am the last person you want around in.
A time of emergency.
That work couple months ago we had the you know we have very safety meetings that happen regularly, right?
And so the guy comes in and teaches us how to use a fire extinguisher.
And I'm thinking this is the most useless training for me ever, because in the midst of a fire the guy said look a fire extinguisher.
I forget the exact timeframe, but it's like it has maybe like 5 seconds of material in it, like 5 seconds.
That's all you get if you can't put out the fire in five seconds, just run away and I said OK, help me.
Out a lot I'm just going to run.
Away then like because I'm not going to be able to.
Make a good decision in a 5 second time frame in the midst of a flame right there.
Right now, what's funny about that is just a little bit leader.
My wife had the opportunity to face a fire and use a fire extinguisher and handle it appropriately, and so make sure she's around in the midst of an emergency and not me, right?
Charles Spurgeon says trouble makes many men forget his duty.
In the face of trouble in the face of uncertainty in the face of that kind of difficulty.
It is easy for us to not intentionally say like I'm going to rebel against the Lord, but it's just in the panic and the fear in the things that.
Go through our mind.
Since we neglect the word of God.
We neglect what God has said, we.
Forget those commitments we made to him and those things that he said and those.
Promises that he's given.
But the psalmist says.
In the face of uncertainty in the face of danger, and even though I my life is on the line.
I'm being deliberate to not forget your law.
I'm not going to let go of what?
You have said.
And the idea here is, even if it, if it costs me my life, I'm going to hold fast to what you have said and to walk in the path that you have set for me.
In verse 110, he goes on to say look, people are deliberately plotting against me that we could have laid a snare for me.
And then the contrast.
Yet I have not strayed from your precepts again, the picture here is that.
There is this trap that is being laid.
And if I persist.
In what you have instructed me in your word, I'm going to.
Fall into that trap.
You think about Daniel?
Daniel Chapter 6.
When the other leaders of the Kingdom didn't like Daniel, want to get rid of him, they investigated his life.
They figured out the only way we're going to be able to get rid of this guy and have something to accuse him of is if it can is considering his relationship to God.
Because he's faithful in his workplace, he's faithful in his responsibilities.
And so they decided.
Well, let's just make it illegal to pray.
Daniel is a praying man.
Let's make it illegal to pray.
And then perhaps we can catch him.
And Daniel 610 tells us that when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, the new law was passed. Nobody can pray.
To any other God except to the King of Persia.
Daniel went up into his upper room with his windows open toward Jerusalem.
He knelt down on his knees three times that day and prayed and gave things before his God.
As was his custom since early days.
If Daniel continued on in the convictions that God had given to him to pray three times each day.
That was his custom since early days because that was.
The leading of God upon his heart right now.
If he decided, well, there's this dangerous threat.
And if I do, what I usually do, what God wants me to do, then I'm going to be in trouble.
I might get thrown in the Lions den and I'm sure God doesn't want me to lions den, so I'm going to close the windows or I'm going to not pray.
Or, you know that there would be that temptation.
To regard.
And care for his safety and security.
Above the conviction that God had given to him.
But Daniel didn't do that, he said.
Listen if that puts me in the midst of the snare of the enemy.
I wanna be where God wants me even if that's in the snare of the enemy and I'm gonna trust God.
For what he has for it, going back to the affliction, right?
Going to be.
Worth it, and I'm going to hold on to the promises of God.
Like Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego many years before in the Book of Daniel, they said to the king like even if God doesn't save us, we're not going to bow.
It's going to be worth it for us to die in the flame rather than to bow down.
And preserve our.
Safety at the expense of disobeying God.
It's more important for us to be faithful and true to what God has called us.
To now, that's not to say that we should be reckless that we should disregard, you know, warning signs and you know I'm I'm not suggesting anything that is careless or reckless.
But at the same time we need to be careful that we are not so careful.
Be careful that you're not so careful that.
That you compromise the direction of God and the word of God.
For some comfort for some security for some safety.
You need to be faithful and listen.
Even if obeying God costs me my life.
It's worth.
It's worth it to obey God at the expense of this life.
How much of my life is how much of my existence is in this life?
It's just that little sliver against all of eternity.
My personal safety is not always the highest priority.
Again, I'm not calling us to be risky and reckless and just go crazy, but at the same time sometimes we need to be called out of comfort because we are just so focused on being comfortable and making sure we got OK.
I got my my buffer in all of these areas of my life and so you know everything is in order.
And I don't have to risk anything.
And and you know, we took steps of faith before, but if I never have to take.
A step of faith again, that that'll be.
Great, but.
That's not what the way.
That God calls us to.
Live he.
Calls us to trust him even in the midst of danger, and to obey him.
Even at the expense of falling into a trap of the enemy.
But if we fall into the trap of the enemy on the course that God has given to us, it's not really a trap of the enemy, right?
It's like Joseph.
Going out to his brother is being sold into slavery, being thrown into prison by being falsely accused.
He fell in the snare of the enemy.
Mocking and faithfulness.
But it really wasn't the snare of the enemy.
It was the plan of God that overcame.
The snares of the enemy. Well, finally point #5.
Versa 111 and 112.
I position myself to obey God's word to the end. Your testimonies. I've taken as a heritage forever for their the rejoicing of my heart. I've inclined my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the very end.
The psalmist says I've taken your word as a heritage or as my inheritance.
I value it as a great treasure.
I rejoice in your word.
But he goes on to say, I've inclined my heart to perform your statutes, and here we come back to this idea of.
We need to be engaged in the keeping of God's word to perform your statutes forever, to the very end, and that's not going to happen naturally or accidentally.
He says I've inclined my heart.
I've made a deliberate decision.
I've structured my life deliberately in a certain way so that my.
Obedience to you at your word.
We'll be continuing until the very end.
Of my life.
We need to have a long term plan.
There's going to be lots of resistance.
For you to keep God's word and to walk and faithfulness to him, what are you doing in preparation?
That resistance for the affliction, for the snares for just the laziness of the growing old, and the changing ability for you to hear and see and talk and listen like what are you doing?
How are you positioning yourself to obey God's word to the very Andes as I'm inclining my heart? I'm making sure I.
Put myself in a position where I'm open where I'm receptive and where I'm going to be able to run the course to the end and faithfulness unto the Lord.
And it is always very tragic when we see people who.
Did so well.
Walking with the Lord, we see that king, after King after king in Israel, right?
There were the good kings that started off so well, but so many times the end of their life.
They didn't position their hearts to obey God's words.
At the end.
And they wavered.
The psalmist says I don't want to do that.
I'm inclining my heart I'm setting the plan, positioning myself.
Said, I'm faithful.
To walk with you and your word to let your light your lamp guide my steps.
All the way to the very end, let's pray.
Let me thank you for your word and the immense resource that it is.
Lured the single message Lord that is there.
And yet in the midst of it, there's great depth and variety for everything that we face.
For every situation that we experience Lord, you have so much to say to us and about our lives and situations and hearts and attitudes and.
But we want to be open and receptive.
And so God, I pray that you would stir up within us.
So reminder Lord, that that fresh new excitement and passion and zeal for your word, Lord, that we might.
Place you and your word in the right spot in our lives, letting you govern by your word, letting you direct and guide letting your word have the final say and be the authority in our lives and help us God to have wisdom and to see how we can.
Restructure our lives.
Our mindsets, our attitudes, our plans.
So that we put you first, and as we even set our sights all the way to that finish line.
Would help us to understand how we.
Can be faithful to you to walk with you.
All the way to the very end.
I pray this in Jesus name.