Text: Psalm 119:9-16
Keep God’s Word (v. 9)
- Wrong places to look for this answer – oneself (Jeremiah 10:23); peers (Exodus 23:2); parents (Ezekiel 18:14)
- We must look to the word of God
Seek God Wholeheartedly (v. 10)
- We must not divide our allegiance between God & anyone/anything else (Matthew 6:24)
- Whatever we do must be done in the name of the Lord (Colossians 3:17) – be mindful of God in all things
- Do not wander from God’s commandments – do not give sin any place in your life (John 8:11)
Treasure the Word in Your Heart (v. 11)
- KJV: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart…” – not a superficial/emotional or intellectual/academic response; having the word in our hearts will affect our very being (Proverbs 4:23)
- Doing this is a safeguard for sin – How? … sin is a choice; we must consciously look for the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13); God’s word helps us find it
Desire to Learn of God’s Word (v. 12)
- Blesses God – he desires to learn the Scriptures because they are from God (2 Timothy 3:16); makes them different from every other religious book/teaching in the world
- Even though the psalmist already knew God’s word, he desired to continue to learn more – we must continue to learn/grow (2 Peter 3:18) & never forget (Hebrews 2:1)
Teach God’s Word to Others (v. 13)
- We already see an excellent attitude here on the part of the psalmist
- But the psalmist was not going to keep all of this to himself – he would tell of God & His word to others
- We must talk about God & His word to others as well (Mark 16:15; 1 Peter 3:15)
Recognize the Value of God’s Word (v. 14)
- Compares his joy over God’s word to that which others have over riches – but he makes it clear that they are not at all equal (Psalm 119:72, 127)
- God’s word is more desirable than gold (Psalm 19:10) – Why? … great reward for keeping it (Psalm 19:11)
- We must recognize the same value of God’s word today – no salvation without it (Romans 1:16; John 6:68)
Meditate upon God’s Word (v. 15)
- We must do more than hear, learn, and strive to practice God’s word – we must meditate upon it (Psalm 119:97)
- Meditation upon God’s word is necessary for proper spiritual growth (Psalm 119:98-100)
- We must think on those things which are true and right (Philippians 4:8) – those things which are according to God’s word
Delight in God’s Word (v. 16)
- Our strongest desire must be to know and practice God’s word – if it is, we will not forget it
- If we wish to keep our way pure before God, we must delight in His word – this passage shows us how to do it
