Today's Reading - Psalm 119
Background
Psalm 119 is a Bible trivia treasure trove. It is the longest chapter of the Bible, which you know if you attended VBS or Sunday School, and it is very close to the center of the Bible.
It is an acrostic poem. Have you ever noticed that it is divided up into 22 sections of 8 verses each and that each of those sections has a strange word at the beginning? Our reading today starts with the word "Aleph." That is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the 8 verses in this second begins with the letter aleph. The next section is headed by the word, "Beth," and each of the verses in that section begins with the letter beth. You get the picture, I'm sure. Each of the 22 sections has eight verses each of which begins with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
But there is only one topic. Each of the 22 sections, each of the 176 verses; all of them focus on the same thing - the power and glory of the Word of God. In the days this Psalm was written, the focus was on the Law of God - specifically the Books of Moses, but generally referring to all of the Old Testament writings. The principles here apply to all of scripture, even those that were written a thousand years later.
The first two verses of the psalm set the theme for the entire chapter.
Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
Devotional - Walking Pure
Few would argue that this is a pure world. To the contrary, it is a world that revels in filth and scoffs and the very concept of moral or spiritual purity. Only someone with serious hangups would even pursue such a thing! God, of course, has a very different view. He values purity; in fact he demands it from his people.
The good news is that we are not left to seek it on our own. The purity demanded of us is a work of God - a product of God's grace, the cleansing power of Christ and the inner work of the Spirit. But the practical working of purity is discussed in Psalm 119:9 and 11, where the key is given.
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you
No one is going to accuse me of being a young man anymore, but this principle is still in effect. If I want to live and walk in purity, there is only one way. I must live my life in accordance with the word of God. How do I do that? I hide God's word in my heart. I read it, study it, memorize it, meditate on it, pray it, and apply it. Then, the power of the Spirit works within me to keep me from sin.
Thank you, Lord, for your word which gives me strenght, that I might not sin against you!
Think and Pray
Do you regularly store up the word of God so that you can resist sin?
If sin is having the upper hand in your life, and you are not storing up the word, do not wonder why.
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