Obey God's Word - Psalm 119:1-16

Last Sunday, Brother Bill Fowlkes brought to the attention of our class a survey that has recently been made in America that was shocking to those of us who discussed the results. The survey determined that the number of Bible believers is at the lowest ebb it has ever been in the USA. It indicated that only about one half of our citizens believe that the Word is truth and use it as their daily guide for Christian living.

I have been thinking about this report in connection with the study of our admonition to ‘OBEY GOD’S WORD in today’s study. First, let me let you know that I do not trust the liberal media or any of their sources of information. This is one time that I hope that I am right when I say that I do not really believe this is an accurate report. I believe that the liberals are using half-truths and out-right-lies trying to break the moral of Christian people. I can tell you that it is frightening for me to think about living in a nation where half of the citizens do not trust God and the Bible to represent absolute truth.

From past personal experience, I can attest to you that it is impossible for a Christian to witness to a lost person regarding their acceptance of Christ as their Savior if they do not believe the Bible is the True Word of God. In my opinion, absolutely nothing else is more important to us today. The lesson today calls upon us to OBEY GOD’S WORD. And the only way for that to happen is for us to believe His Word is truth and that it is the only road map available that shows the way to heaven.

No Bible teacher will ever teach a lesson more important than this one is. The beauty of it is that you do not have to take my word for this fact. If you will simply open your eyes and see God each and every day in all of his manifestations of his power and glory, He will prove himself to be the one and only God. And then you must also be willing to accept some things by faith. The Bible declares the absolute necessity of an individual faith in God.

Listen to me. We are talking about a book that is actually the living Word of God. Martin Luther expressed his feelings this way. “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.” If you are living the life that is recommended by God in his Word, then you will be able to relate to these words by Luther.

God’s Word is sufficient to handle every problem man will ever face. It is perfect. This does not mean that it contains every word spoken by God, Christ and the disciples. But it covers every problem or circumstance that will ever become a part of our lives. That means it has lift nothing out that was or will ever be necessary for us to know. The New Testament states emphatically that This Book does not contain every word ever written or stated, because if it did, there would not be room enough to store the book safely.

The 117th Psalm was the shortest Psalm. This, the 119th is the longest Psalm and also the longest chapter in the Bible. The writer is unknown, but thought by many to be Ezra. Many believe that it was written soon after the Temple was completed and had as a central theme the idea that God’s Word along with his house and the act of worship is the greatest act of tribute we can offer God. The author used a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet to start each stanza of this poem, and almost every verse mentions something about God’s Word. It plainly teaches that God’s Word, the Bible is the only sure guide we have for living a pure life. This is definitely to be considered a wisdom Psalm—may be the best of all that were written.

The Psalmist says that we are drowning in a sea of impurity and that everywhere we look we find temptation to lead impure lives. The author asks us a troubling question. How can a young man keep his way pure? We can not do it on our own. There is only one source that offers such wisdom and that is by our reading God’s Word. We are to hold his Word in our heart. They did not have personal Bibles and were forced to memorize and remember in heart as well as in mind. This writer as well as most in the Bible says that this book must be our guide for everything we do. We do not enjoy strict rules, but we learn here that without proper guidance from the right source, we perish.

It may sound like paradoxes for him to tell us that we will rejoice in keeping his laws. Let me give you an example that explains why we sometimes feel good. The next time this happens—think about it. [You are driving within the speed limit and realize that you have just gone through a speed check point—and you discover the police has his speed gun aimed at you—but he did not stop you!!!] How do you feel? Great! You sigh with relief and gratitude. Oh! How wonderful it is to find that you have just done the right thing at the right time and the consequence is in your favor.
The Psalmist admits that he is a stranger on earth…in a strange land and need a good road map to show him his way. The Bible is our road map through this life and all the way to Heaven. Have you ever thought about how this world is cluttered with billions of books, maps, instructions and recipes but the author never comes along with the recipes to show you how to bake the cake? Not so with this book—The Holly Spirit comes with the book and shows up between each line to show us how to apply it to our hearts and lives.

Money represents power and we often crave wealth and success. However in verse thirty-six, we should learn to guide our prayers as instructed by the writer. We should fear the Lord and desire to live as he would have us live and not for financial gain. We should learn to rejoice in keeping His laws because of the freedom they bring and dread them because of the restrictions they apply. Think about the most important law He has ever made. You can have no other God before me! The restriction applied here simply denies us from worshipping some other God. That desire might lead to everlasting destruction. Look at what we get in exchange. We can love God all we want, any time and as much and find that he always repays us and finally saves us forever. It really does not cost us to gain everything—for he has already paid the price—our cost has been paid.

In verse ninety-seven and following we learn of the joy this man obtained when he realized that knowledge of and from God’s word was the thing that made him wiser than his enemies. Just stop a moment and remember your greatest Bible teacher and your most knowledgeable preacher. Did you learn from them? Sure you did and that is good, but this man reminds you that he has learned most of what he knows from studying God’s Word. He said that he had more insight than all of his teachers put together. It is his personal insight and meditation that makes the difference.

I often travel at night from my garage under the hill and behind my house up and around the house to my front door. When I turn out the light in the basement, the trip up the hill is the darkest place on the banks of the river. Since I do not have a two way switch at the front door, I have to turn the light out and travel up in total darkness. When I don’t forget I use a flash light that becomes a lamp unto my drive way. The drive is hazardous without the light.

This is a dark old world and sources of spiritual light seem to be growing dim. It is a great comfort to realize that a study of his word turns a bright light on my spiritual pathway. Think how dark this sinful world would be if we did not have his Word as a lamp to our feet.