I will not forget thy word. Amen. So far when I've looked at this
psalm from time to time I think I've done part 1 or stanza 1
stanza 5 and stanza 14 so I've not been doing it in order been
a bit random so this evening I thought I'd go back and look
at stanza number 2 verses 9 to 16 And all the verses here begin
with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet indicated in
our translation by the word Beth. And I read something concerning
the Word of God. It was in the Messenger magazine
that is a magazine that is from Emmanuel in Salisbury. and these
particular points struck me concerning the word of God in general and
the three words were attention intention and retention I thought
that was good I like sort of little points like that attention
intention retention and I think we have something of these words
we can sort of see these in this passage attention sort of thinking of
something that's important like pay attention remember being
at school and the teacher sort of sayings not necessarily always
to me but to somebody in the class pay attention you know
they were perhaps looking out the window or they weren't fiddling
with their phones because that was a thing to come when I was
at school that was they hadn't been invented then but possible
that they were looking around looking out the window or giggling
or not really paying attention and the teacher would say pay
attention because what I'm going to say is important and certainly
isn't it the word of God well there's so much that's important
for us to pay attention to and then intention is thinking
like a purpose you're intending to do something there's a purpose
you know I intend to do this or that I have in the intention
of doing that and so it is with God's Word
isn't it there are things that we should pay attention to and there should be things too that
we just don't just pay attention to them but that we seek to do
them as well with the Lord's help and then thirdly retention
or comfort in other words try is remembering God's Word and
what he has done for us too and being able to recall that and
to remember that and it's a comfort and a help to us isn't it to
do that I know there are certain Sunday
schools in that that have you know Sunday have like a memory
verse and perhaps they have a competition I know up in Essex or something
very much a number of churches Sunday schools get together once
a year and they have like a memory verse and it's good isn't it
to remember God's word I'm sure you're like me and sometimes
we can think of a scripture But we can't remember where it is.
Where's that verse that says about that? I mean, it's quite
easy to get a hold of a concordance to find it or even Google it
now these days, isn't it? You can put it in there and then
you can suddenly find it quite easily. But it's good, isn't
it, in our minds, in our hearts, to retain God's word. But in verse 9 we have, wherewith
shall a young man cleanse his way by taking he thereto according
to thy word? Perhaps there is an emphasis
here on a young man and certain perhaps temptations and trials
that may affect young men. and so it is isn't it with various
age groups of people maybe there are particular trials or particular
temptations you know I look back and say yeah when I was young
I was really tried in that area I'm not now because I'm old but
when I was young you know that was a particularly bit of a problem
but 2 Timothy 2.22 says really for all young people flee also
youthful lusts so that's It says to do that,
but goes on positively to say, but follow righteousness, faith,
charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure
heart. So we do well, don't we, to follow
those things, righteousness, faith, charity, peace. thy word there it mentions the
end of verse 9 we know don't we that God's word is true thy
word is truth as we're told in john 17 17 and we're told aren't we in the
first of the 10 commandments in exodus 20 verse 3 thou shalt
have no other gods before me there's 10 listed but that's
the first one isn't it that's listed and thinking of things
that we must pay attention to, well certainly what God commands
us to do. And then at verse 10, with my
whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not wander from my commandments,
We read it in Mark 12 from verse 29. Jesus answered him, the first
of all the commandments is, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is
one Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with
all thy strength. This is the first commandment. So we had like a first commandment
in Exodus there that I referred to, but here we've got first
commandment mentioned there and the second is like namely this
thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself there is none of a
commandment greater than thee than these so really that basically
sums up really the ten commandments isn't it and it's it's all about
loving God and serving God and worshipping God and our respect
for other people the treatment of other people and it's all
encapsulated in the commandments there's many commandments there's
many things that we can look at in the scriptures I mean we'd
be here a long time if we can look at them all obviously But
really this is it. A love for God and our love for
our neighbour. Really that's the sum and substance
of it. And oh let me not wander. We're
very prone, aren't we, to wander. Very prone to go our own way
so easily for that to happen. Verse 11, Thy word have I hid
in mine heart. So that's sort of like thinking
of retaining, hiding God's word in our hearts that I might not
sin against thee. Proverbs 2, 1 says, My son, if
thou will receive my words and hide my commandments with thee. Does retaining God's word in
our minds and in our hearts Does that act as a deterrent to us
in sinning or not sinning? Yes. No, I won't do that. God's
word, it pricks our hearts. And perhaps we're tempted to
go down that way or do that. One thing I noticed really about
these verses, I noticed this later on, is really it's a sign,
isn't it, of perhaps a healthy person, healthy Christian, If
we can, you know, if we carry on through the psalm, you see
what I mean. Verse 12, Blessed art thou, O
Lord, teach me thy statutes. In Psalm 119, there's about four
occasions where it says about teach me thy statutes in verse
26, 64 and 68. Psalm 27 11 the psalmist says
teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path because of
mine enemies and Psalm 86 11 teach me thy way O Lord I will
walk in thy truth unite my heart to fear thy name so may we be
teachable people You know, we come, don't we, to the Lord's
house and it's good, isn't it, to feed on God's Word. Not to come thinking, well, we
know it all. No, we come, we want to know
more, we want to learn more. As I might have mentioned it
here, it might have been somewhere else. I sometimes forget where
I mentioned things or haven't mentioned things. But how even
the most familiar of passage, how we can, even in those, learn
new things, discover new precious truths in them. And verse 13, with my lips have
I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. And that's good,
isn't it? If there's a control of our lips,
what we say, you know, no man can tame the tongue. We read,
don't we, in scripture? But Proverbs 20, 15 says, there
is gold and a multitude of rubies. But the lips of knowledge are
a precious jewel. So May, indeed, I think it was
Job who said about keeping a door of my lips in his prayer. And may the Holy Spirit help
us in the things that we say because it's so easy isn't it
to do so much damage in saying the wrong thing. A lot of good
can be said with our words but a lot of damage as well. And I have, verse 14, I've rejoiced
in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches. Is
God's word more valuable and precious to us than all riches? And then what riches we might
have? Many riches. But do we have the richness of
knowing the Lord and his word and have the abundant riches
that come with knowing the Lord and having a relationship with
him. And again in Psalm 119 verse
97, I oh how love I thy law, it is my meditation all the day.
What a challenge for us, you know. The Word of God is something
that we delight in all the time. I mean, we have things to do,
obviously, in life. We can't sit down and read the
Bible or pray 24-7. But may there be, as I mentioned
before, a God-consciousness about us in all that we do in our lives. And may we value God's Word and
having a right relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ,
knowing that our sins are forgiven, that we have peace with God,
that we have no condemnation when we leave this world, and
that we'll be forever with the Lord. Well, that surely is better
than any Millions even that we might have in the bank, I'm sure
none of us have got millions in the bank. I will meditate
in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways. Again as that
verse in verse 97 about meditation all the day. Matthew Paul just said on this
verse 15, I will diligently and seriously consider the nature
and design and extent of thy precepts and especially so far
as they concern my own duty. Have respect unto thy ways or
look unto them. as workmen constantly and carefully
look to their rule to guide themselves by it. That's a nice little quote
from Matthew Paul. And I will delight myself, verse
16, in thy statutes. I will not forget thy word. Again,
sort of retaining in our hearts God's words. Proverbs 4.4 he
taught me also and said unto me let thine heart retain my
words keep my commandments and live so there's really isn't
in these verses there is pay attention and there be that intention
to seek to do what God's Word says. As we've seen, there's
quite a few I's mentioned, aren't there? I've rejoiced, I will meditate,
I have hid, I have declared, and so on. But a retaining, isn't it? And
it's good, isn't it, as I say, to remember God's Word, I'm sure
there's perhaps certain passages or certain verses that you know
are very precious to us and we know where they are but the experiences
too that we have in life and it's good to look back and say
yeah God wonderfully worked through that situation I saw hand of
God you might not have seen it at the time but looking back
you say yeah I see now God at work and why that happened and
why that didn't happen yes it was God knew what he was doing
for he doesn't make any mistakes Deuteronomy 8, 1-3 kind of sums
up those three words of attention, intention and retention. All
the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe
to do, that ye may live and multiply and go in and possess the land
which the Lord sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember
all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years
in the wilderness. to humble thee does God's word
and his dealings with us does it humble us and to prove thee
and to know what is in thine heart whether thou wouldest keep his
commandments or no And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger,
and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did
thy fathers know, that he might make thee know that man doth
not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out
of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. This is the final reference
in 2 Timothy 1, 13. Hold fast, sort of pay attention
and sort of retain and intend. Hold fast, capsulated in this,
hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in
faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which
was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth
in us. The reference here in the phrase
that good thing committed to thee is to sound Christian doctrine
with which he had been entrusted and which he was required to
transmit to others. That's it. It's wonderful isn't
the doctrine that there is in God's Word. as I'm sure I mentioned
before a time when I perhaps was converted or that kind of
time what was especially precious to me then was the exposition
of God's Word and the wonderful doctrines of God's Word and I just at the time I just
I couldn't get enough of it like a sponge I just couldn't get
enough soaking it all up and may there be that desire in us
to love God's Word and to soak it up. So there's some precious
words here some lovely words and I think very sort of shows
sort of healthyness doesn't it in these words from verse 9 to
verse 16 and may it be that indeed that we are those who take heed
to the word of God that we don't half-heartedly but wholeheartedly
seek the Lord and love the Lord and that we We don't intend to
wander, although we do, sadly. Our intention is not to wander
and to hide God's word, to keep it in our hearts and our minds
and that that would enable us in the way that we live. And may we be teachable. Teachable,
wanting to learn more of God's word and may our lips by what
we say show that we are the Lords. And may there be rejoicing in
God's testimonies, in God's Word. May we love God's Word above
all else and meditate and store it up and think about it as much
as we can, as circumstances allow. And may we delight ourselves
in the Lord and not forget thy words. So there's a lot of things
there, a lot of lessons for us. And may it be that indeed we're
helped really to do what those words say. And we'll leave those
little thoughts there for now and then come to prayer soon. Amen. before we come to prayer we sing
529 to the tune 7 3 7 5 2