Question 1:
When have bad directions or instructions
really led you astray?
THE POINT
Our hearts are satisfied
as we encounter God through His Word.
Many of us have become quite dependent on GPS. And why not? GPS calls out directions as we need them, never requiring us to take our eyes off the road. This becomes all the more important when we’re in an unfamiliar area in hazardous conditions.
One Canadian woman would disagree. She was in an unfamiliar area of Ontario on a “dark and stormy night,” but when she drove down a boat launch into the Georgian Bay, she discovered her GPS may not have been as reliable as she thought. She did exactly as directed by her GPS, but the GPS was wrong. She came out of the frigid water just fine, but the same could not be said for her car.1
Thankfully, we can always rely on the direction the Bible gives without fail. It is always reliable and will never lead us astray. Psalm 119 is a comprehensive treatment of God’s instruction, and in this psalm we see how the Bible produces spiritual growth, equips us to face opposition, and gives us a reliable perspective to navigate life.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Psalm 119:17-18
17 Be good to your servant while I live, that I may obey your word. 18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
Psalm 119 is an amazing piece of Hebrew poetry. The psalm has twenty-two sections—one section for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each section has eight lines that begin with the same letter. The psalmist quilted these sections together so the worshiper could reflect on the wisdom of submitting to the Lord’s instruction.
Psalm 119:17-24 is the third section (called the Gimel section after the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet), and it radiates with passion for God’s Word. The composer pleaded for God’s favor so that he could “live” and “obey your word.” The psalmist lived in order to obey God’s Word. By repeating the concept with parallel words, the psalmist emphasized obedience. The goal was not merely to know or understand God’s instruction; it was to live it, keep it, and obey it.
The psalmist didn’t view his obedience as a difficult obligation. Nor was he punching a spiritual time clock while daydreaming about something more enjoyable. The psalmist didn’t view God’s Word as a means to merely make his life better. The Lord’s instruction was his reason for life.
Reading the Bible daily will do more to help you grow spiritually than any other choice you can make. It’s the foundational spiritual discipline that all the others build on. Beyond the immediate benefit of encountering God when you read the Bible, the understanding that develops over a lifetime provides a framework for all other spiritual disciplines. Your understanding of God’s will, as revealed in the Bible, helps you distinguish between God’s voice and other influences.
Question 2:
When has God revealed Himself
to you in a fresh way through His Word?
The psalmist pleaded for the Lord to open his eyes so that he could see the awesome teachings of the law. We might read a note of desperation in his words—he was desperate to encounter God through His Word. He didn’t want the cares of life to distract him from what was most important. Because he had an open heart, he cried out for open eyes so God would reveal His truth to him from the Word. While only a few have heard the audible voice of God, everyone has the opportunity to “hear” God speak through His written Word. Biblical interpretation is a science, and it can take work to interpret and expound on difficult passages, but that effort is not enough.
Understanding God’s Word is a spiritual work requiring the Holy Spirit to illuminate its meaning to the reader (1 Cor. 2:10-14). The psalmist longed to hear from God, but he prayerfully looked to God to open his eyes to what He revealed through His Word.
Psalm 119:19-22
19 I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me. 20 My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. 21 You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed, those who stray from your commands. 22 Remove from me their scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes.
Hearing from God was important to the psalmist, especially since he knew that the world around him was not always a friendly place. After marinating his soul in the instruction of the Lord, the psalmist saw the sin-saturated world as foreign to him. He declared that he was “a stranger on earth,” a sojourner who felt like he did not belong; he was an outsider.
Strangers and foreigners were especially vulnerable in the ancient Near East. Without the kindness of others, they would not have food, shelter, or water. Towns didn’t have a modern-day infrastructure for transportation, housing, or dining. If the decent, kind citizens did not offer their protection and the hospitality of their homes, the stranger would be at the mercy of the mob.
The psalmist desired to live in obedience to God’s Word; therefore, he felt like a stranger in a world that felt at home with sin. The sin infested people around him were insulting and contemptuous toward him. They even acted arrogantly; either proud of their sin or haughty in thinking they were beyond the need to follow God’s instruction. Yet, the psalmist experienced relief and comfort from God’s Word while living in this hostile environment. Living, keeping, and obeying God’s Word removed the sting that came from the disapproving people who scorned and cursed him.
LIFE SUPPORT
Consider the following statement and place a mark on the scale below.
When faced with opposition to my faith, I boldly stand firm.
What encouragement from this session supports you when faced
with opposition or rejection?
“The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home.”
AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO
The psalmist welcomed God’s commands and longed for His judgment, which was valuable to him. Even as he felt the insults of the arrogant, he looked to God to rebuke them. As harsh as his treatment may have been from the sinful crowds, the psalmist sought to stay true to the commands and judgments of God. His only escape from being vulnerable in a wicked land was the guidance of God’s commandments and the security of God’s righteous judgment.
The psalmist had a quiet confidence that God would straighten everything out. Though others treated him with contempt and pummeled him with insults, he knew this was a temporary condition. He knew he was keeping God’s commands and decrees, and that was what really mattered. What mattered most was not what the cultural elite thought of him, but what God thought of him—God’s judgment. And he knew God was pleased with the life choices he was making—the choices to know and obey God’s commandments.
Living God’s way is not usually the easiest path, but it is always the best path. It requires that believers go against the grain of the sin filled culture that surrounds us, which often means we will endure insults. Other times it means we will face outright persecution, but we can withstand all these things as we trust God and live in obedience to His Word.
Question 3:
How has knowing God through
His Word helped you face challenges in life?
Psalm 119:23-24
23 Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees. 24 Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.
The psalmist didn’t merely face the insults or contempt of everyday people; he experienced a conspiracy of princes and governmental officials who collaborated to persecute him. As always, God’s Word, the delight of his life and constant counselor, gave him the proper perspective to face the persecution.
Question 4:
When has your perspective on
something been changed because of God’s Word?
Because the world we live in is so corrupt, it’s tempting to concentrate on how bad things are and how unjust the treatment is that we receive. As our culture continues to jettison Christian values in favor of secularism or hedonism, some choose to focus on the contempt they receive and the insults others hurl at them. But when our focus is on how bad things are, we lose sight of how good God is. We would be wise to stop soaking in all the news and opinions from the 24-hour news channels; instead, we should give time to reading and reflecting on God’s Word until its teachings become a part of our fiber. God’s Word changes our perspective!
Meditating on God’s Word requires focused, deliberate attention over a prolonged period of time on biblical teachings. Bible reading gives breadth. Bible study gives depth. Meditating on the Word gives perspective. It’s an intentional choice we make to join God in His work of transforming us into the image of Christ. Spending quality time in God’s Word changes the way we think and respond to life.
When we meditate on God’s Word, it becomes the delight of our lives, the constant counselor that guides our decisions. The Bible is worthy of our time. It provides proper guidance for life and equips us to make wise choices under pressure and even persecution.
Question 5:
What challenges do we face in
ringing God’s perspective to bear in our lives?
LIVE IT OUT
How will you practice the discipline of spending time with God’s Word? Choose one of the following applications:
- Read the Bible. If you’re not spending time in God’s Word, start here and now. Spend at least fifteen minutes every day reading God’s Word.
- Study the Bible. Choose a book of the Bible and spend time studying its message. Your pastor or group leader can recommend a commentary or study helps to assist you in your study.
- Meditate on God’s Word. Turn off the TV, computer, and smartphone and spend uninterrupted time meditating on God’s Word. Journal your thoughts and observations.
Unlike the sometimes unreliable GPS, the Bible is always reliable. It will provide the direction, guidance, and perspective you need to navigate this sin-filled world.
