The Word Gives an Edge
Introduction
Psalm 119 is:
- The Longest Chapter in the Bible
- It’s All about God’s Word (176 verses, only 2 do not speak of God’s Word)
- It’s An Acrostic Poem, a teaching device for memorization
Obviously, the Word of God is primary; singularly important to God’s peopl.
There are 5 Things you must do with the Word to give you an edge:
I. Love It!
“Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” (v. 97)
To love God’s law was the frequent cry of Moses and Joshua. This love of God’s law gave both of these giants an edge over their enemies and on the ones God called them to lead. Having an edge still requires a genuine love for God’s Word. In any setting, whatever a person loves will dominate his thoughts, his attention, and his behavior. Do you really love the Word? We all have a ‘priority scale’ in our hearts, and that which we love the most is given first choice, making the conscience decision to sacrifice one thing for another. If we truly love God’s Word it will have a steady presence in our daily life. It will help us with the tough choices and will be a guide in our decision making process.
Key: We love the most what we sacrifice for the most!
II. Learn It!
By learning God’s Word, it gives us an edge on all those that we must face and deal with throughout our lives. The Word gives us the opportunity to be life-long learners. We will always have new struggles and situations to face, and the Scriptures, since they are Living Words, gives us an edge for those events. Look at the three groups David references in this section and see how they compare with your life.
A. It gives us Wisdom Beyond the Jeers! (v. 98)
“…make me wiser than my enemies…”
We all have enemies! And we will always have enemies, but God’s law gives us an edge over them. Enemies look for your weaknesses, the chinks in your armor, but God’s Holy Word provides us with protection and wisdom to overcome their assault. You will always be one step ahead of your enemies if you immerse yourself daily in God’s Word.
B. It gives us Wisdom Beyond all Peers! (v. 99)
“…more understanding than all my teachers…” Not only are you wiser than your fellow students, God’s Word gives you more understanding than your teachers, a group we all have in our lives. You’ve heard the adage, “The student has surpassed the teacher,” well, this is the end result of someone that places himself under the teaching of God’s Word.
C. It gives us Wisdom Beyond our Years! (v. 100)
“…I understand more than the ancients…” The ancients are those that have lived many years and have had more experience in life. However, the Word of God bypasses the good and bad experiences of life and gives you wisdom beyond those necessary bumps and turns in the road. You can have more “understanding (experiential knowledge)” than the senior members of your community and family by humbling yourself under the authority and instruction of God’s Word.
III. Live It!
“I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your Word.”
(v. 101-102)
Notice this unique relationship with our heart and the Word. They work in concert. The Word of God keeps you from evil (Psalm 119:11), but you also must restrain your feet from walking into evil so you might keep God’s Word! D.L. Moody used to sign people’s Bibles with this statement, “Either this Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book!” Actually, it’s both, and!
The two work in accord allowing us to LIVE the victorious Christian life. It’s the power of the Holy Spirit working through us giving us grace. That grace in turn empowers us to rise above the temptations of sin working alongside the filling of our minds with the Holy Word of God. Living for the Word becomes a daily pattern, a predictably stable characteristic.
Key: What we live for is evident in our lifestyle!
IV. Long For It!
“How sweet are Your words to my taste ...” (v. 103)
This is just the icing on the cake, so to speak! Actually it is more like the exhaust from a functioning engine. If you love the Word, and live for the Word, then it will become very, very sweet to your taste. It will be something you will long for, to spend time learning, to gather with others that love it, too. Whatever we love and live for we develop an appetite for and we then long for it, like a healthy addiction! Having a longing for something reveals a habit, a past experience of time spent in this activity. When you long for the Word, it’s because you have become a regular student and have grown accustomed to the jewels of wisdom it pours out. You just ‘gotta have it!’
Key: What we long for we spend time with!
V. Loathe Its Enemies!
“Through Your precepts I get understand, Therefore, I hate every false way.” (v. 104)
A truism that is unpopular in today’s “let’s-just-get-along” culture is that in order for there to be truth there must also be falsehood. In the real world, not everything is ‘right,” or even close! The person who truly loves the Word, lives for the Word, and longs for the Word is going to develop a strong negative reaction towards that which challenges or goes against the precepts and basic principles found in the Word of God. This is not “intolerance,” this is a natural response to the truth. It is inconsistent to respond any other way! When you have been changed by the Truth, you will defend it.
Key: Whatever we loathe, we avoid its influence!