“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
~ Psalm 119:11
Hi James and Ellen,
What is your life passion? What is something that you like to do more than anything else? What is something that you want to do more than anything else? What is something that you would do if you only had the time to do one thing? Would you spend all your time watching TV? Would you spend all your time playing computer games? Would you spend all your time reading? Would you spend all your time meditating on what is written in the Bible? There was once a guy – possibly a priest but more likely David, who had a passion for applying the truths that had been supplied by God – as God the Father – through the Mosaic Law, to his personal life. The guy took the Hebrew terms that applied to the laws, statutes, precepts, commands, ordinances, decrees and words that compose or that make up the mandates that are in the Old Testament and he weaved these words into an acrostic marvel that is now Psalm 119. There at twenty-two stanzas in this psalm song. Each of the twenty-two stanzas in this psalm song have eight lines. The twenty-two stanzas that make up this very lengthy psalm song follow the Hebrew or Jew alphabet. Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, He, Waw or Vau, Zayin or Zain, Heth or Cheth, Teth, Yodh or Jod, Kaph or Caph, Lamed, Mem, Nun, Samekh or Samech, Ayin or Ain, Pe, Tsadhe or Tzaddi, Qoph or Koph, Resh, Sin or Schin and Taw or Tau letter by letter make up the Hebrew or Jew alphabet. This thoughtfully scribed psalm song is the longest chapter in the Bible. This carefully composed psalm song is a devotional that probably was scribed to be read in the temple that was in the city of Jerusalem as a way to affirm the place of God’s word in the hearts of God’s specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group guys and gals. The author of this psalm song comes across as a pious guy who was living his life in an exemplary way. The author of this psalm song comes across as a passionate guy who was devoting his life to living out daily God’s word in and through his life. The author of this psalm song comes across as a pragmatic guy who knew that his heart and life had become tainted by sin DNA impurities. The author of this psalm song comes across as a punished guy who has felt God ‘s directed chastisements. The author of this psalm song comes across as a pursued guy who was facing hostility, ridicule and slander from other guys. The author of this psalm song may have scribed his psalm song the way that he did in order to communicate his soul filled need to totally – from the length, breadth, height and depth of his life, worship God.
After your grandpaa found himself becoming really embarrassed during a weekly Wednesday night prayer meeting at the Aberdeen Christian & Missionary Alliance Church in Aberdeen, South Dakota when he did not know any Bible verses to quote from memory, your grandmaa and grandpaa decided to memorize as many Bible verses as they could. Your grandmaa used two sets of index cards – one set for her and the second set for your grandpaa, to write 100 verses on them for them to memorize together. Your grandmaa and grandpaa would end up memorizing almost all of these Bible verses. One of the very first Bible verses that your grandmaa and grandpaa memorized was verse 11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Why do you think that it is so aboslutely important to memorize Bible verses? When you are trying to memorize a Bible verse, your grandpaa hopes that you are thinking about what the Bible verse is saying to you. The author of this psalm song describes the Mosaic Law’s laws, statutes, precepts, commandments, ordinances, decrees and words as tasting like sweet honey and as the light for his life path.
The Bible – which is composed completely of words that God– as God the Spirit, breathed on guys to write, is a living book. Words that are in the Bible have the power to change a misdirected life. Words that are in the Bible have the authority to satisfy a searching life. Words that are in the Bible have blessings that offer hope to a lost life. The author of this psalm song used his artfully composed psalm song to talk to God with unabashed directness, with humble praise and with absolute finality. How do you go to God when you want to talk with Him? Does God listen to you when you want to talk with Him? How blameless or sinless are your lives? Do you have an unbridled passion to know intimately God – as God the Father, and God – as God the Son? Are you using the words of God that are found in the Bible as a way to know in a personal way God – as God the Father? Do you sense an uncontrollable hunger or longing to delight in the words of God – as God the Father, that are in the Bible? As you are meditating on the words of God – as God the Father, that are in the Bible, what are you hearing God asking you to do? As you are reading the words of God – as God the Father, that are in the Bible, what have been God’s instructions for you to follow as you hear the still small voice of God – as God the Father, talk to you? When your grandmaa and grandpaa were memorizing verses together – which is thirty-five years ago now, (it is fifty years ago now at the time of this editing of this missive) your grandmaa and grandpaa stopped watching TV. Your grandmaa and grandpaa both became and more involved in parachurch activities through the Aberdeen Christian & Missionary Alliance Church beginning with both your grandmaa and grandpaa being asked to teach Sunday School classes – then being invited to join a home Bible study – then . . . their lives became filled with serving God. Meditating every single day on the words that are in the Bible – which are the words of God – as God the Father, will fill your lives with rich blessings.
Psalm 119 (849)