A Weekly Devotional From the Bible Teaching Ministry of Todd M. Freeman

Psalm 119:9-11

 

        God demands us to strive for a pure, holy life.  ^{1Peter 1:16} for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."  Holiness is not a suggestion, but a command. We have a holy Father who wants His kids to be like Him.  There are many troubles outside of the family of God that work to pull us away from holy living. The message out there is indulge your passions, pursue your fantasies no matter how dark they may be.  The mantra is get all you can, can all you get and sit on the can. Yet this is not to be the way of the child of God.  We are not of this world. So, how do we build holy habits into daily living?  The answer to that question is found in Psalm 119.  ^{PS 119:9} How can a young man keep his way pure?  By living according to your word.  ^{PS 119:10} I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. ^{PS 119:11} I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 

        The psalmist asks the same question.  Culture has changed but the human heart hasn't.  ^{Jeremiah 17:9} The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?  I am amazed at some of the thoughts and desires that lurk in my heart.  My daily walk with Christ hasn't made me need Christ less, but more.  The more I long to walk with God, the more I realize that I need a Savior. Fortunately, Jesus really is the Savior. He not only saves me from the eventual destination of fire, but He saves me from being enslaved to evil desires. How does the Lord empower us to resist?  By living according to your word. Do you know why God's word is so important? Some people minimize the Bible as being an antiquated book full of fables and wise sayings.  Yet it is far more than that. The Bible contains God's words.  Think about it. Almighty God has preserved for us His words.  He has spoken His mind and revealed to us His heart. For this reason, it is critical that we align our lives with the word of God. 

        Obedience that leads to purity cannot be half hearted or intermittent. It must be total commitment.  ^{PS 119:10} I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.  The irony of total commitment is that  it is something we do, but it is not something we do alone.  The Psalmist pleaded with God to keep him from straying.  Obedience requires submission, but the very submission flows from the Holy Spirit who is at work within us. ^{Ephesians 3:20} Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...  

        God's Spirit uses His word to transform our lives and empowers us to live holy lives.  For this reason the ancient song writer declared, ^{Psalm 119:11} I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  The reason we preachers are so dogmatic about Bible reading is that we understand the transforming power of scripture hidden in the heart. God changes our thinking and warns us of dangerous steps taken toward succumbing to temptation.  Do you prayerfully read your Bible?  Do you believe the Bible is the mind of God communicated to us in words?  If you do, determine to hide these priceless words in your heart. If a verse jumps out at you in your Bible reading, memorize it. Think diligently about what it means.  Ask God to reveal the deep truths of the words to you. The word memorize gives the idea of a cow chewing its cud. Chew on the word of God.  Carefully ponder the words.  Don't rush through your time with God.  Chew on His truth.  God uses this kind of walk to keep us pure.