The Way of His Word - something to think about

I enjoy spending time reading and studying the Psalms. It is rich in remembrances, praise, candor, and the character of God. One of my favorites is Psalm 119. It is the longest Psalm and chapter in the Bible. Perhaps for this reason people shy away from it, yet it is abundant in telling us the benefits of God's Word. This blog is devoted to some of the verses that tell us God's Word is the way and we should desire to stay on its path.

Psalm 119:1-3 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity, they walk in all His ways.

First, lets look at some definitions for these verses.

Blessed - happy

Undefiled - truth, without blemish, upright, sound, without spot.

Keep - to guard, to protect, obey

Seek - to tread or frequent, usually to follow, diligently inquire, ask

Iniquity - perverseness, wicked, evil

Walk - behave, follow

Who is not looking for happiness? This is something that everyone desires. Yet, who is looking for it in God's Word? Sadly, many professed Christians do not seek to find it there. Happiness is found in the first two verses of this Psalm.

Happiness is not something gained by things we may acquire but rather by things we should do. But what are these things we should do? According to verse one and two they are as follows:

1. Our behavior needs to line up with God's Word. This means we do our best to walk in the Spirit and allow Him to guide us in the things we do. This does not mean sinless perfection; that won't happen until we see Jesus, but it does mean that we honestly acknowledge ours sins and ask forgiveness when we do fall out of fellowship with the Lord. We can only walk in the Spirit by His Word and obedience to it, and He is so merciful and kind that He offers forgiveness if we would just ask.

Psalm 119:36 - Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

Psalm 119:9 - Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed

thereto according to thy Word.

2. We are happy when we protect and guard His testimonies. How do we protect God's Word? It seems God's Word would not need protection and guarding, for it is living and powerful! To keep his testimonies is also to do them. Where will the Word of God always be safe? Where can no one take it from us? Where will it be guarded against all evils and temptations we face? Where can it be that we will remember to obey it? In our heart!

Psalm 119:11 - Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.

3. As we keep His Word, we need to seek Him with the whole heart! We become familiar with it; as a path that has been worn and is easily distinguishable. When we seek, we will recognize His ways and follow diligently, we become inquisitive because we want to know more about Him and His Word. We become happy because our whole heart, our desires, lean toward His truth. God knows our hearts and He gives help to those who want to stay on the path of His Word.

Psalm 119:10 - With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander

from thy commandments.

4. Those that keep His Word and seek Him, do no evil. This ties in with verse one. They are undefiled; verse three says they do no iniquity. Again, this isn't sinless perfection, but someone who yearns to walk in His ways. They don't have habitual sin in their life. Many won't admit it, but habitual sin makes you miserable.

Psalm 119:176 - I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do

not forget thy commandments.

According to these verses, and these four ways; this is what makes you happy. I have been one to seek the world for happiness and contentment; alas, I never found it. When I went astray in my own pride, God's conviction and His Word was always there leading me back to the true way of happiness, HIM! This is why it is so important to know His Word, because if for some reason you do get off His path, His Word is there to remind you where you need to be.

Psalm 119:59 - I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy

testimonies.

Verse 5 says, O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes.

This verse shows a desire that our ways be aligned with God's ways. As discussed, this can only be accomplished through the keeping of His Word. Does Psalm 119 give us some specific instructions in keeping His Word? Let us examine some verses which will help us pursue and keep His ways.

Verse 14 - I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

rejoice - to be bright, cheerful, be glad

God has given us a world abundant in all sorts of riches. He has allowed us to enjoy many things, and He desires to give us good things. Yet, these good things are not always the riches of the world. His ways are the true riches. Some of His riches are truth, faith, righteousness, and peace. Seeking these brings cheerfulness, and we can rejoice in them because they are the paths of happiness and joy. God desires to bless us, but we do have some responsibility in the amount in which He does so. Remember: Blessed are the undefiled!

Verse 15 - I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways.

meditate - to ponder, converse, utter, declare, speak, talk with

As you can see the word meditate implies more than just thinking about something. When we meditate upon God's Word, we are conversing with Him, declaring His goodness, and thinking carefully about what He is saying to us through His Word. Meditation on His ways brings rejoicing. The more we think about the truths of God and His Word, the more cheerful our hearts become.

Verse 27 - Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy

wonderous works.

understand - to know, to discern

As we meditate on His Word, we gain more understanding of it. Do you enjoy sharing things that you understand or are knowledgeable about? Most of us do! Spend time in God's Word so you can share it as an encouragement for others. Let them see how God's Word allows you to rejoice and be happy because He is the source of all good things.

Verse 29 - Remove from me the way of lying and grant me thy law graciously.

graciously - merciful, favor

As we gain a better understanding because of rejoicing and meditating, our desires will change. We will want to do better in our speech and our actions. God is a God of truth, one thing He abhors is lying. We tend to put lying on a scale of 1 to 5, because it is hard to admit that even little lies are wrong. God has no scale. He has told us not to lie. With any sin we struggle with, we should be willing to admit and ask forgiveness. This is what gets us back on the right path with the Lord. Staying on the right path takes the place of sin in our life. We need to ask the LORD for grace; that He would give us mercy and help to stay in His ways, on His paths.

Verse 101 - I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep

thy Word.

refrained - hold back, forbid, restrain

There was a time in my life God showed me how much I made "little lies". As you seek to please Him, He reveals sin, not because He is angry with you, but because He desires for His truth to be in you. It was hard to admit my sins of lying, but when God cleansed me, there was freedom. It is easier now even in the little things to say truth, but I am thankful for His conviction that lets me know when I have done wrong. The only way to have a proper discernment of God's Word is to keep from evil. Our desire should be as verse 30 says, I have chosen the way of truth, thy judgments have I laid before me.

A scripture that many are well acquainted with in Psalm 119 is verse 105; Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

This is so true about God's Word. It is a lamp and light to us. Before the modern lights of today, people would hold a candle or an oil lamp to find their way in the darkness. If it wasn't for that, they would stumble or fall upon many obstacles.

His Word is a light to us before and after salvation. Before salvation, we are in the darkness of our sins. We don't even seek God. But upon hearing the light of the gospel, if you accept Jesus as your Savior, you can now walk in the light of His Word. After salvation, His Word continues to shine for us the right ways to follow. His Word, if kept daily and habitually, will continue to lead us into all right paths. Without His Word, we quickly are surrounded by the darkness of our own pride that leads us from the way of truth. Let His Word be a light to you.

Verse 35 - Make me to go in the path of thy commandments for therein do I delight.

delight - desire, pleasure

What do you delight in? As the same with rejoicing, meditating, and understanding, whatever you take pleasure in is what you will find yourself doing. Even though the natural man does not seek after God, if we ask as the writer did in the above verse, His Word will become our delight. It will become our pleasure to seek the things of God and His riches.

The last verse we will take a look at is verse 33.

Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it until the end.

This is the key. Are you teachable? Is it a prayer to say, "Teach me, O LORD."

More and more this is my prayer. As someone who has not always stayed on the paths of His Word, I can declare that it has become my delight to ask this. I have discovered that truly the riches of His Way are better than anything this world has to offer. Does this mean there are no struggles at times? NO, but it does mean that if I do make a wrong choice, I don't have to stay there. God will always offer mercy and forgiveness to those who turn back to His way.

Sometimes life can be like the above picture. You might be walking along on the right path; then, suddenly because of temptations or trials the right way has been obscured. Decisions need to be made, but those decisions need to keep you on the right path. Sometimes the best thing to do is to stay where you are and wait on the LORD. Take time to ask and to seek His direction, His way. God will give you clear direction if you are not hasty, and if you are humble enough to call out to Him for Him to show you and to teach you.

I can't tell you how many times while hiking, I have come to a fork in the road, and I hesitate to know which way to go. (Before GPS!) Eventually I will have to decide, hoping it is the right way. If not though, I can always turn back and get on the right path. It is the same way with the LORD. If you go astray through the lures of this world, He offers you an opportunity to turn and get back on the paths of His way. Let God's Word be your GPS to stay on the path of His truth, goodness, righteousness and peace.

Until Next Time

God Bless,