Focal Passage: Psalm 119:1-16
Psalm 119 opens with reminder that obedience to the Word of God is the key to happiness. More than owning a copy of the Bible or simply reading it, we must do what it says! While some people tend to dismiss the requirement of obedience as legalism, the psalmist reminds us that living according to God’s decrees and instructions flows not from a desire to earn His favor, but from seeking Him with all your heart (Psalm 119:1-2).
The legalist views God like the man in the Parable of the Talents who buried his money in the ground because he viewed his master as a shrewd and harsh taskmaster (Matthew 25:24-25). The motivation of the legalist fails to ask, “How may I serve Him?” and chafes under the weight of “How can I finally satisfy Him?” Yet even when the work remains incomplete, he takes great pride in his accomplishments “for God.”
Conversely, the psalmist understood that seeking God with His whole heart regularly reminded him of how far short he fell. Although he knew God’s precepts were to be “diligently kept” (Psalm 119:4), he bemoaned, “If only my ways were committed to keeping your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed when I think about all your commands” (Psalm 119:5-6). He knew that God was worthy of absolute obedience, and that he continually failed Him.
Legalism and grace cannot coexist in the same heart. Legalism says, “Look what a great job I have done. God, you are blessed to have me!”
An understanding of grace brings humility. It causes us to realize that even on our best days we fall far short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23) since God, not man, is the standard of holiness. Legalism promotes prideful performance; grace produces worship from a heart of total dependence on God.
Being “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20) does not mean that we float effortlessly wherever the Spirit takes us. The goal is intentional obedience under the Spirit’s leadership.
Unlike certain demands of secular employment, we are called primarily not to be proactive, but reactive. How so? We are not called to initiate efforts and then ask God to bless our ideas. On the contrary, we must follow the teaching of the Word of God and the prompting of the Holy Spirit to pursue what He has already endorsed.
The psalmist asked, “How can a young man keep his way pure?” (Psalm 119:9). With the help of modern technology, the struggle for purity has reached new heights. Who would have thought the day would come when a pastoral candidate would need to be asked, “When was the last time you looked at pornography?”
Sadly, some candidates are dodging the question because an honest answer would remove them from consideration. The psalmist answered his own question, “By keeping your word.” He then gave one of the main reasons we must memorize Scripture: “I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). If you are like me, you memorized that verse in VBS many years ago. Now that we have entered that exciting season, let us intentionally pour God’s Word into our children. Remember, the best way to deal with sin is to avoid it. B&R