Shall we read from Psalm 119? Bit of a tease putting it up
as a reading with no verses. I'm not intending obviously to
read the whole of the psalm but just two stanzas from verse 97
to 112. These stanzas, Mem and Nun. So Psalm 119, verse 97. O how love I thy law! It is my
meditation all the day. Thou, through thy commandments,
hast made me wiser than mine enemies, for they are ever with
me. I have more understanding than
all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand
more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. I have refrained
my feet from every evil way that I might keep thy word. I have
not departed from thy judgments, for thou hast taught me. How
sweet are thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my
mouth. Through thy precepts I get understanding,
therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto
my feet and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and I will perform
it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. I am afflicted very
much. Quicken me, O Lord, according
unto thy word. Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill
offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me thy judgments. My soul is continually in my
hand, yet do I not forget thy law? The wicked have laid a snare
for me, yet I erred not from thy precepts. Thy testimonies
have I taken as an heritage for ever, for they are the rejoicing
of my heart. I've inclined mine heart to perform
thy statutes always. even unto the end. Amen. I think about three years ago I
did a meditation on the fifth stanza and then a few weeks later
I did the first stanza and this evening short meditation
on the 14th stanza so it's not doing it in order but I think
that the psalm is such that you can dodge around like that because
the theme is very much the same isn't it in each of the stanzas
the Word of God so the 14th stanza is none Psalm 119 from verse
105 to 112. Just a few thoughts on those
eight verses of that stanza. And we begin with Thy word is
a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Light to my path suggests the
way we should go is all lit up. A lamp to our feet suggests a
light for our individual steps. See God knows, doesn't he, our
lives, how they will map out from beginning to end. We don't. we are to take a step at a time
but as Job 23 10 says he knoweth the way that I take thinking 30 years ago 1995 I remember then I had a good I
was down in Hastings but I had a good job I wasn't married then
and attending a different church. Ten years before that 1985 to
some of you ancient history I was still living with mum and dad
and that was a year that I left school in 1985. If you said to
me in 1985 what would be happening in 1995
I would say I wouldn't wouldn't have thought it and so today
looking back to either of those years I wouldn't have thought would
have imagined that things are as they are in your life and
I'm sure that we've all probably said the same who would have
thought that I would have been there or done that or whatever
in our lives but the idea of this psalm or
these words in this psalm is walking and there's a number
of ways isn't there to walk in life and to take our steps
It could be marching, for example, going forward in a very sort
of determined, planned way. Sometimes we can stagger, stumble
around, going around in a rather disheveled, confused sort of
way. then we can use the word ample
going around in kind of a nonchalant sort of way carefree sort of
way and no doubt in life those situations
have faced us where perhaps the way forward in a certain thing
has been very clear and we've sort of marched forward very
determined and sometimes maybe through sin
or through some issue that comes into our life we are very confused
and we're off guard and off balance and we just don't kind of know
what we're doing and we're staggering around we're not really going
forward we're all over the place And then there are times perhaps
when things seem to be just ticking along quite nicely in life. And
we sort of amble along, you know, health wise we're alright, work
wise we're alright, financially we're alright. And things just
seem to be ticking along quite nicely. I'm sure these experiences
that people go through But how are Christian people
to walk? And we have some scriptures,
there's many more that could be referred to. Ephesians 4.1
says about walking worthy. I therefore the prisoner of the
Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
ye are called. then there's walking in the light
which sort of is parallel with this verse in
Psalm 119 but in 1 John 1 7 but if you walk but if we walk in
the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another
and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all
sin. Then we're to walk humbly. Micah
6 verse 8. He hath showed thee, O man, what
is good. And what doth the Lord require
of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with thy God. And then fourthly, circumspectly,
Ephesians 5, 15, see then that you walk circumspectly or carefully,
cautiously, not as fools, but as wise. None of these, of course, are
possible without the Word of God and the Holy Spirit lighting
our way. The Word of God not only showed
the psalmist where his feet stepped but also the path he should remain
upon, showed him the next few steps to take as well and the
path that he was to tread. Verse 106, I have sworn and I
will perform it that I will keep my righteous judgments. The psalmist showed a seriousness
and determination to obey the Word of God. Everything is righteous with
God whereas our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, Isaiah 64
and verse 6. See, we claim more than one righteousness,
but they're all filthy rags. All our righteousnesses are as
filthy rags. But our Lord in every way is
righteous and came to fulfill all righteousness. I'm afflicted very much quicken
me O Lord according unto thy word I'm afflicted very much quicken
or revive or enliven me O Lord according unto thy word He had a determination to be
obedient and it came from a season of affliction not comfort and
ease despite the psalmist's many problems and pains he looked
to God's word for a reviving of life and for this to happen
according to his word sometimes when we are afflicted
very afflicted we perhaps become insular rather withdrawn wanting
to be left alone. And asking God to revive us is
perhaps the last thing that we would ask for. But we are thankful, aren't we,
that others, if we struggle to do so, can ask for us and just
get alongside us. Remember the psalmist in Psalm
42, 5, where it says, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Why
art thou disquieted in me? Then he says, Hope thou in God. So Zoe gives himself a pep talk. For I shall yet praise him for
the help of his countenance. And when we are very down and
very troubled and distressed and very disquieted, not always
easy is it to sort of kind of give ourselves that sort of pep
talk but that's what the psalmist did in that psalm hope thou in
God for I shall yet praise him for
the help of his countenance God's countenance would lift his the
psalmist's countenance And we're told, aren't we, in
scripture, to cast our burdens upon the Lord, Psalm 55, 22,
and he shall sustain thee. Cast thy cares upon him for he
careth for thee. There's many encouragements,
aren't there, to cast upon the Lord our cares and burdens. So may the Lord help us to do
that. What we see there, despite what he was going through, there
was still that focus upon God's Word. We move on in verse 108. Except I beseech thee the freewill
offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me thy judgments. The
freewill offerings of my mouth. The psalmist presented these
words to the Lord as if they were a sacrifice brought to an
altar. They were freewill offerings
meant to show his love and devotion to God. Hebrews 13, 15 says,
by him, that's Christ, therefore let us offer the sacrifice of
praise to God continually. That is, the fruit of our lips
giving thanks to his name. praising God and say that's not
always easy to say going back to the times when we're down
and troubled and wanting just to be left alone that's not easy
is it to praise God at such times but of course the scriptures
speak much don't they of of the mouth or the tongue and we have
that in James, don't we? Chapter 3, 8 to 10, that the
tongue can no man tame. It is an unruly evil, full of
deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even
the Father, and therewith curse we men, which are made after
the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth
blessing and cursing. And the psalmist was very concerned and serious about the
impact of speaking in the tongue. Psalm 141-3, set a watch, O Lord,
before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips. That's a lesson, isn't it, for
us all about the words that we use. teach me thy judgments. It is
very easy for us to have a sinful confidence in our own judgment,
to simply follow my heart. Yet Spurgeon wrote these words. These repeated cries for teaching
show the humility of the man of God and also discover to us
our own need of similar instruction. Our judgment needs educating
till it knows, agrees with and acts upon the judgments of the
Lord. Yes, sometimes when we are low
and down and unsure and perhaps far from God as those times we
may experience, we don't look to the Lord, we look to perhaps
our own judgments, our own way of getting out of the situation
we're in but know there should be that
as with the psalmist looking to the Lord and his judgments
and his ways. Verse 109, my soul is continually
in my hand yet do I not forget thy law seems to suggest there
that he was constantly in danger. And David was, wasn't he? David
was. He had to be always fighting
for existence, hiding in caves, contending in battles, fleeing
Saul, for example, and then, of course, Absalom, who bailed
against him. this is a very uncomfortable
and trying state of affairs but David didn't he didn't turn aside
to find safety in sins again he says yet do I not forget
thy law so though perhaps the beginning part of the verse speaks
of trouble and problems. Yet the second part, the focus
is upon God's word, God's law, God's ways. Remember Paul himself, the Apostle
Paul, who said in 1 Corinthians 15 31, I protest by your rejoicing which
I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. I die daily. So though the psalmist's life
was often in physical danger, yet his connection to the Word
of God stayed strong. And then we have in verse 110,
the wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I erred not from
thy precepts. it might not be physical danger
that we experience but as a Lord's people there is spiritual danger
and the word snare suggests trap and that's Satan's biggest trump
card as it were his chief trump card his ace card Isn't it? It's his subtlety, his ability
to deceive and lure. Well, Satan is known for it,
isn't he? Right from the beginning. Genesis 3, 1. Now the serpent
was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God
had made. And he said unto the woman, because
this is him as Satan. Yea, half God said ye shall not
eat of every tree of the garden. So here was Satan with our first
parents saying you know you can eat of that tree you know that
will do you a lot of good and the Lord's not gonna mind and
you can imagine all the lies and Satan is the father of lies
and convincing Adam and Eve that it was a good thing to take of
that fruit, of that tree in the garden, in the midst of the garden.
But there's many scriptures on there that speak of beware of
of subtlety and we are to be careful of these things. Jude
4, for there are certain men crept in unawares who were before
of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace
of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God
and our Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 7.15 Beware of false
prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly
they are ravening wolves and Ephesians 4.14 that we henceforth
be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with
every wind of doctrine by the slate of men and cunning craftiness
whereby they lie in wait to deceive. And then finally here, 2 Peter
1.16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when
we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. So there's many
scriptures in there to warn us of Satan's subtlety and how he
can deceive and lure and tempt and of course we know our hearts
They are desperately wicked. And there's great deception there
in our own hearts, isn't it? Very often, we think that we're
doing perhaps God's service. We're doing something that's
good. But in reality, it's not. It's not what the Lord would
have us to do. So we must be careful, mustn't
we, of these things. And so here, the end of 110,
yet I erred not from thy precept. There is that focus on the word
of God all the time, despite all that was going on, or regardless
of how he was feeling or whatever. Thy testimonies have I taken
as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoicing of my heart' See the psalmist expected an
eternal happiness in God's testimonies Matthew Henry writes, the covenant
God had made with him was an everlasting covenant and therefore
he took it as a heritage forever. If he could not yet say they
are my heritage, yet he could say I've made choice of them
for my heritage and will never take up with a portion in this
life. God's testimonies are a heritage
to all that have received the spirit of adoption. For if children,
then heirs, they are a heritage for ever, and that is no earthly
heritage. 1 Peter 1.4 says to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away reserved
in heaven for you. All the saints accept them as
such, take up with them, live upon them and can therefore be
content with but little of this world. He enjoyed a present satisfaction
in them. They are the rejoicing of my
heart because they will be my heritage forever. It requires
the heart of a good man to see his portion in the promise of
God and not in the possessions of this world. We are the Lord's
people. Yes, we've been chosen before
the foundation of the world, saved in time. And we have an
inheritance incorruptible. We have eternal life and we can
begin to enjoy that now, the benefits of it. But the best
is yet to come. I have inclined mine heart to
perform thy statutes always even unto the end again there's this
determination a determination to serve God and may that be
our determination and our resolve to serve God today tomorrow next
week next month next year however long that the Lord grants us
life here upon earth and there should be a resolve at the same
time to serve God and to love God's Word even if God's Word
kind of if we hear it preached or read it and it rebukes us
we're in doing something that we shouldn't do and we read something
and it it pricks our hearts yeah that's you know I shouldn't be
doing that but may there be a resolve to value God's Word regardless
of how we're feeling or the situations because God's Word doesn't change
and God's Word is so relevant isn't it in every age and for
every condition we know the acrostic well you
probably do Bible B-I-B-L-E and the you know it as basic instructions
before leaving earth you've probably heard that one but I thought
of another one I didn't make that one up but I did make this
one up same acrostic using Bible best information before living
eternally. So we have basic instructions
before leaving earth, best information before living eternally. And
so may it be that God's word it instructs us and informs us
and may we pay heed to it for how we live now. And it speaks
of what is yet to come, although we won't know the fullness of
it until we're in glory itself. But I pray indeed that we will
be there and that we will be led of the spirit, that indeed we will be helped each step of
the way, as we said at the beginning. having the Word as a lamp unto
our feet, the Spirit guiding us and helping us through life,
through all its ups and downs, all its challenges and everything
that comes our way. But may we love God's Word, as
the previous stanza said, verse 97, O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
May there be great joy in the Word of God for us in reading
it and hearing it preached. And may there just be such a
love and hunger for God's Word. And may it be that we will be
helped to live according to it and beware of the warnings of
God's Word I mentioned some of them but there's wonderful things
that it speaks of comfort and the promises of God and what
is yet in store for those who are the Lord's people that we
won't be condemned forever but there is a wonderful a place
being prepared for his people in glory it's all of grace isn't
it all of God's grace it's not of ourselves so it's a lovely
words isn't it this psalm and said much more can be said but
we'll leave it there as we come now in a moment to prayer but
trust that these little thoughts will be of help and blessing
to us amen