recent posts

about

  • Open the Eyes of My Heart (Psalm 119:17-24)

    By: Steve Sering

    Spiritual blindness. This is the greatest problem of our day. Men and women are born into this world spiritually blind, morally corrupt and desperately broken. The more you look into the issues of our day, the more you will see this reality laid bare. 

    The psalmist, likely King David, lays before us a masterful treatise on the Word of God in Psalm 119. Where we find ourselves today is verses 17-24. The author offers a beautiful prayer to start. He prays, “Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word (v. 17).” He appeals to God’s grace in the pursuit of living a faithful, Word-centered life. Next, he prays for the cure to man’s greatest problem. In v. 18, he prays, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” Herein lies the solution to our spiritual blindness. It is not until the Holy Spirit awakens a soul to the reality of God and the glories of Christ in the gospel that a person will see the truth of their carnal condition. The Spirit of God must indwell the heart of man, regenerating him from being lost in sin to being found by grace. In the gospel accounts, there are many stories of Jesus causing the blind to see. These miracles were not just meant to restore defective eyes, they were meant to point to the greater reality of spiritual depravity. The Bible attests to the fact that all people are under the influence of sin. Satan has blinded sinners to the holiness of God (Eph. 2:1-3). We are stuck on self. We need rescue. Christ has brought it in the gospel! Just as the Apostle Paul was blind to his own sin before meeting Christ on the Damascus Road, we are blind as well. And just like the Apostle, we must encounter the glory of God in order for our eyes to be opened to the truth.

    Beholding the glory of Christ leads to believing in Him and belonging to his family. When a person reads the Word of God, here referred to as the law, it is meant to transform him or her from the inside out. Furthermore, if we want to hear God speak to us, we must be regularly reading the Word of God. The voice of God is heard in the Word of God most clearly and authoritatively. We simply cannot know God’s voice and His will apart from reading and heeding the Word of God. V. 19 acknowledges the truth that the believer is a “sojourner on the earth” and is a plea for God to not hide his commandments from him. V. 20 is a standard every Christian should strive for. The psalmist writes, “My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.” May all of us pray for a heart to crave God’s word every day even more than food and water!

    V. 21 attests to the fact that God rejects those who are against Him and who wander from His commandments. Following this is a plea to be protected from scorn and contempt. The one who keeps the Word of God is a magnet for God’s blessings. God looks upon his obedient servant with favor and grace. Perhaps v. 23 is a valid proof for Davidic authorship. Princes, or rulers of foreign nations, were “plotting against” him. King David was constantly on the run from harm before his official takeover of Israel including from Saul and the Philistines. Due to this, the first true king of Israel declared to God that “your servant will meditate on your statutes.” Facing opposition caused the king to seek the Lord through his Word. We must do the same! 

    Finally, v. 24 is a declaration of faith in God and his Word. He writes, “Your testimonies are my delight.” A heart centered on God’s Word is continually fed by its truth. To tie it up, he writes, “They are my counselors.” The testimonies of Scripture are attestors to the goodness and faithfulness of God. Also, they instruct us how we are to live. Psalm 119 opens our spiritual eyes to the glory of God, leading us to believe in His Word and to belong to His family. Repenting of sin and believing in Jesus Christ is the only way to be captured by the beauty of the Word of God. Do you know him? May we be children of the Word longing every day to be mastered by its truth. Amen. 

    Application Questions:

    1. How can you use the Word of God to encourage other brothers and sisters in Christ in your church and community?
    • What sin in your life prevents you from longing for the Word of God and living according to its truth?

  • Making Purity a Priority (Psalm 119:9-16)

    If I were to ask you, what is one of the most common, yet least discussed categories of sin within the church, how would you answer? While there may be a variety of different ways to answer this question, one that would not surprise me is this: sexual sin. Whether we are talking about lust, pornography, premarital relations, or sexual unfaithfulness, sexual sin is a reality in a fallen and sinful world. Beyond just merely addressing it, we as Christians and members of the Body, must fight against sexual sin. Psalm 119:9-16 shows us how. While Psalm 119 is not limited to sexual impurity, it is crucial to speak to take this often neglected topic and ask the question, “How can a young man [or woman] keep [their] way pure?” to which the Scriptures say, “By guarding it according to your word” (v. 9). We do not need the latest technique or skill to address this problem. We need the power of God’s Word. It is in God’s Word we see lasting satisfaction can only be found in Him (Psalm 16:10-11). Yet, sexual sin makes promises it cannot keep and destroys lives in its wake. The way to combat sexual sin and pursue purity is not by seeking to avoid it but by looking to something with a greatest satisfaction. That is why the Psalmist writes, “With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments” (v. 10). We fight against sin by making purity a priority. We make purity a priority by prioritizing our relationship with God. However, what does that look like? What does it mean to prioritize our relationship with God? With any good relationship it means communicating and communing with Him. The Psalmist’s request to not wander shows dependence on God through prayer. His next words emphasize not just knowing what the Bible says but truly meditating on it. Verse 11 puts it like this, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” One of the sweetest memories I have from the season of dating Esther, who is now my wife, is how we would memorize Scripture together, quoting those passages and sharing how it had made an impact on our lives that week. What we saw during those times was the Lord answered the prayer requests found in verses 12-14. He taught us His statutes. His Words extended from our hearts to our mouths. We didn’t just read His Word but found the richness of delighting in it. For all who make purity a priority in their relationship with God, they will find to delight in His Word. Let’s meditate on His precepts, fix our eyes on His ways, so that we would not forget His Word.

    Reflection Questions:

    1. How are you seeking to fight against temptation and guarding your heart? How does Psalm 119 direct you?
    2. What Bible passage can you meditate on this week to store in your heart?

  • Walking in His Ways (Psalm 119:1-8)

    My toddler son loves to place his feet in my shoes and walks around saying, “Hi! I’m papa!” It is cute and sweet. Even more, it is a reminder to me of the truth we find in Psalm 119:1-8. The way is blessed for the one whose way is blameless. First off, no human can claim to have no fault. Only Jesus Christ has lived a sinless life. Yet, Jesus died the death we as sinners deserved and, as a result, we can live a blessed life above reproach by walking in the law of the Lord. It begins with repentance of sin and trust in Christ for salvation. As those saved by God, we can walk in His ways. God’s Word in Psalm 119 shows us the power and need of God’s Word in our daily life. We cannot approach this half-hearted, but we must seek Him with our “whole heart” (v. 2). Why is this the case? Because temptation will come. In order to fight it and not fall into sin, we must walk in His ways. That means being in His Word. How consistently do we need to be in the Word? Psalm 119 shows us by telling us to keep God’s precepts “diligently” (v. 4). My wife and I can tell when each other have not been in the Word, and we exhort each other in those moments, first by asking, “How has your time with the Lord been?” and then giving each other the time to spend time with the Lord. It truly is a lifetime walk. There will be moments where we fail, but that does not mean we are put to shame and dwell in our sins. Because of Christ, we find grace through the response of repentance and trust in His person and work on the cross. As we get back up after falling, we keep our eyes fixed and focused on living a life for the glory of God by following the Word of God. The result is not boasting in our faithfulness or goodness, but in praising God for His righteousness and His good rules (v. 7). After all, the only reason we are able to walk in His ways is because He is with us (v. 8). He does not forsake those who trust in Him but empowers them to follow Him. As we walk through Psalm 119, let’s listen to His Word and walk in His ways.

    Reflection Questions:

    1. Where do you need to confess that you have not walked in the way of the Lord recently?
    2. Who can you ask to hold you accountable so you may diligently be in God’s Word this week?