Posted by 90 Days of Prayer – Day Nineteen
Psalm 119:9-11
“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
The 119th Psalm is by far my favorite. The Psalm is comprised of 22 stanzas of 8 verses each, a total of 176 verses of what God’s word is and will do for those who walk with Him. It has been a priceless treasure for me personally over the years, and the Lord has used it many times to help me Praise Him while safely navigating many troubled waters over the years.
God’s Word Will Lead You Into His Presence
David discovered that God’s written Word comes from God’s heart. The apostle Paul taught Timothy that “All Scripture is inspired by God, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The writers were guided by the Holy Spirit to write the way they did for the benefit of future generations. All that was recorded came from the very heart and mind of God. Using the Scriptures correctly will guide us into the very presence of God like nothing else will.
God’s life transforming Presence is where The Holy Spirit wants us to be, and God’s written word is the only path that will get us there. David learned this lesson well, and understood the life transforming power of God’s Word. Hiding God’s Word in his heart caused God’s way of thinking to become part of David’s core values. Over time, David gradually began to think and to see things the way God does. Verse 9 sounds like the thoughts of a person speaking from years of experience, in which God’s word had served him well in learning the many lessons of life.
God’s Word Will Guard and Guide You
David learned to store God’s Word in his heart so he wouldn’t offend Him by thinking and living, in a way that God did not design him to be thinking and living. Getting God’s Word into your heart will completely change the way you think. Changing how you think will naturally transform how you live. This kind of change takes time and effort. I can tell you from my own experience that the effort is well worth its weight in gold. Reading God’s Word regularly, meditating on it daily, and committing it to memory, helps you recognize His guidance in its many forms. (see Psalm 119:104-105)
In verses 13 thru 15 of this Psalm, David writes how he enjoyed speaking the very words of God, and he rejoiced in following God’s written Word as someone who had found great treasures would. David meditated on God Word so he could consider God’s way of life. The word “meditate” in verse 15 is from the Hebrew word “sîach” which means to ponder or consider. It carries the idea of thinking and speaking aloud to one’s self. David practiced this all his life.
The Transforming Power of Practicing God’s Word
Real transformation takes place when you prayerfully practice God’s Word in daily life. You have to live in the Word of God and let the Word of God literally live in you. In John 15:7 Jesus told his followers that remaining in His presence (a lifestyle of intimacy) and hiding His words in their heart (as David did in 119:11), is exactly the kind of living that receives answers to prayer and produces a fruitful lifestyle that glorifies the Father.
Imagine the influence the Church would have on society if we all learned from David’s experience, and conformed our way of thinking and living to God’s instructions. God will supernaturally clear the spiritual, mental, and emotional debris from our life if we would begin to live life as He designed it. So, hide God’s Word in your heart, ponder it daily, carefully live your life in the light of it, Be diligent, Be joyful in God’s presence, and Be Encouraged! -JSP