Keeping Your Way Pure—time in the hymnbook of revival

The 119th Psalm continues to prevail as the hymnbook for revival. If we cannot agree with the Psalmist in the words he pens then our heart needs to change…and this is good! It is encouraging for all who fear God and in so doing know themselves, to know that there is an able auxiliary in purifying and perfecting folks…in the 9th verse we see that it is by keeping the way according to the word of God. Faithful obedience to the word of God is the only compass towards gaining and maintaining purity!

I find myself in the Psalmist’s sandals in the prayer for a restrainer to keep the heart that is prone to wandering from its ungodly desires: “Do not let me wander from Your commandments” how often have we recognized our propensity to wander away from truth? How often do we pray for divine help to aid us in fidelity? This is a good prayer, knowing that it is God’s desire that we are faithful, so too us, having sought God with all our heart, find it our desire to not wander but remain.

The great key for the believer is found in verse 11: “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You” Something will be treasured in our hearts, either us or God! If we are the treasure of our hearts then we will be caught up in the idolatrous pursuit of self-exaltation through self-supremacy trusting in our own self-sufficiency…this indeed is self-worship…unseating the heavenly King for our own perceived glory. But the Psalmist cries out to God to imbed in him the means by which to defend against this unholy insurgency in his heart…”I have put the great fortress of divine truth in my heart…it is good…it is powerful….it is precious…it therefore is my delight and so I will not delight in myself, but in God!”

Look what follows from this gracious treasuring of truth…a special divine tutoring of truth (v12) and then the Psalmist cannot contain himself…look at the fertility of the word of God in the child of God:

-Proclamation (v.13)

-Exaltation (v.14)

-Meditation (15-16)

When the believer sees the wretchedness of his own heart and the infinite value of the Word of God to meet the need of his own disfunctionality, he cannot but run to it!

The Psalmist esteems the word; he values it, because he needs it. The word is necessary in light of his goal—keeping his way pure! Therefore, there are not meal supplements in this divine diet, the believer must drink from the fountain of living waters having his mind and heart refreshed with the truth that he may come away dripping with eternal satisfaction and delight in the character and commandments of God.

How can we neglect personal time in the word?

How can we neglect corporate time in the word?

How can we neglect the necessary response to the word? (rejoicing and meditation)

These are all integral in our pursuit of lives that are pleasing to our gracious Father who has demonstrated himself as faithful by giving his own Son as the substitute for sinners. Let us constantly kindle afresh this passionate pursuit of divine glory in our hearts, becoming increasingly impressed with our eternally loving and holy Jehovah.

Possibly Related posts:

1. Keeping Your Way Pure (Psalm 119.9-16)
2. Dying to Thirst! (Psalm 119.25-32)
3. The Need of the Hour: Talking to God and Talking to Ourselves
4. Addicted to the Word (Psalm 119.17-24)
5. The One who is Blessed (Psalm 119.1-8)

One Response to “Keeping Your Way Pure—time in the hymnbook of revival”

1. Steve says:

   March 23, 2010 at 8:29 pm

   Treasuring His Word in our hearts! Very inspiring post.