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GOD’S WORD FILLS MY HEART

Are you more likely to “wing it” or follow instructions? QUESTION

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#BSFLspoken BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

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THE POINT

God’s Word teaches us all we need to live well.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE Some people love a well-planned vacation. They intentionally schedule every memorable moment with events, tours, activities, and more. Others think all that planning simply gets in the way of a true getaway. These prefer to be spontaneous, reserving or purchasing nothing ahead of time because they won’t know what they’ll feel like doing until each day arrives. Both of these approaches may be viable options for a fun vacation, but I wouldn’t recommend “winging it” with your life. We’ve all known free-spirited people who just “go with the flow” of whatever comes their way. Unfortunately, just going with the flow often takes us where we don’t want to go. Thankfully, we’re not left on our own to figure out the plans and instructions for our lives. God has spoken to us through His Word— and Psalm 119 shows us just how valuable His Word is for the everyday art of living.

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WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? Psalm 119:9-11 How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 9

In life, the matters of the heart are usually the heart of the matter. And that’s exactly where the psalmist focused his attention in verses 9-11: on our hearts. To start, the psalmist showed us in verse 9 that the Word of God can guard our hearts against the corruption of sin that comes so naturally to all people (see Rom. 3:23). Of course, there’s only one spiritual cleansing agent that can transform sinners: the salvation that comes through the death and resurrection of Christ. But the Word of God points us to Christ. And when we follow Him through the truths of His Word, we can keep our way pure. Next, the psalmist encouraged us in verse 10 to seek the Lord with all our hearts. We don’t read the Bible simply to learn information. Instead, we study the Word of God because we are seeking the God of the Word. You will only find life in the Scriptures if you meet the Life-Giver in the Scriptures. Verse 10 expresses both a holy desire for God and a humble dependence on God—both of which are necessary. As men and women prone to wander from what is best, we need to pray that God will keep us from the devil’s schemes, the world’s temptation, and our own sinful desires. Finally, the language of verse 11 reminds us to store up the Word of God in our hearts. We should treat the Scriptures like a treasure we cannot afford to lose. Value God’s Word. Read it. Listen to it. Study it. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Believe it. Obey it. Share it. Delight in it. If we treasure the Word in our hearts, it will give us victory over sin.

How have you benefited from God’s Word in recent years?

QUESTION

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What does it look like and feel like to treasure God’s Word?

QUESTION

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

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THE POINT

God’s Word teaches us all we need to live well.

Psalm 119:12-13 Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees. 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.Praise be to you, LORD.” The person who submits to the authority of God’s Word will be a blessed person who exalts the glories of God’s name.

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The psalmist followed his praise with a request: “teach me your decrees.” To worship is to ascribe worth to something. In order to do so, we must know the worth of that which we worship. Therefore, no true praise can rise from a heart where no teachable spirit resides. To trust and bless the Lord is to ask Him to teach you His statutes. The psalmist’s worship was motivated by the desire that God would guide him and teach him the statutes contained in His Word. I hope you see the cycle here: When we encounter God in His Word, it leads us to worship Him. And as we worship Him, we desire to know Him more and more through His Word. The psalmist not only praised the name of God, but he also proclaimed the Word of God to others. This proclamation was also an act of devotion to God. Spiritual devotion is evidenced by our witness for God, not just our worship of God. Notice that the psalmist didn’t proclaim God’s rules selectively. In today’s world, it’s easy for people to share Scripture passages they like on social media while ignoring whole chapters of the Bible that challenge their thinking or behavior. That wasn’t the case with the psalmist. He declared “all the laws ” from God’s mouth, even as Paul did in the New Testament: “For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:27).

Psalm 119:14-16

What helps you engage the Scriptures in a meaningful way?

QUESTION

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#4

I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. 14

Can you hear the delight and enthusiasm in the psalmist’s voice? He knew the Word of God to be a treasure of spiritual riches. And he continued to declare that theme throughout his psalm, including:  “The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold” (v. 72). “I love your commands more than gold, more than pure goldI” (v. 127). In the final verses of this stanza, the psalmist showed us an important method for engaging what God says through His Word: “I meditate on your precepts.” Scriptural meditation is misunderstood and neglected by many believers, but it’s a vital spiritual discipline. It’s also a source of joy. That’s why another psalmist wrote of the righteous person that his “delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night” (Ps. 1:2). The Bible is a key source of joy in our lives, and the discipline of meditation helps us access that benefit. Meditation in Eastern religions involves emptying your mind in order to discover something divine already buried within you—a false hope. But biblical meditation involves filling your mind with the things of God. The second half of verse 15 makes this clear.

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

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THE POINT

God’s Word teaches us all we need to live well.

Hebrew poetry doesn’t rhyme words; it “rhymes” thoughts. Meaning, the writer places similar phrases together to connect two ideas. In verse 15, the parallel thought to “meditate on your precepts” is “consider your ways.” This kind of meditation involves concentration, fixing our eyes on something with intense focus, undivided attention, and steadfast devotion. When we meditate on God’s Word, it leads us to meditate and focus on God’s ultimate Word: Jesus. As the author of Hebrews wrote later in the Scriptures: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:1-2; emphasis added). Finally, notice the recurring phrase “I ______” in these verses. The psalmist made three positive vows of steadfast devotion to God’s Word: 1. “I meditate on your precepts.” 2. “I … consider your ways.” 3. “I delight in your decrees.” The psalmist also added one negative vow: “I will not neglect your word.” The apostle James expressed something similar when he wrote: “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do” (Jas. 1:25). As followers of God, we should never allow anything to distract us from reading, knowing, and doing God’s Word. Let’s make Job’s confession our own: “I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread” (Job 23:12). Let’s treasure the Word of God even as it teaches us all we need to live well.

How can we position ourselves to be transformed, rather than just informed, by God’s Word?

QUESTION

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PRACTICE CONCENTRATION Spend a few minutes reading Psalm 19:7-11, below. Concentrate on the text. Think deeply about what it says. Use the space to the right of the text to record any thoughts or insights that come to mind as you meditate on God’s Word. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. 11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 7

"The B ible is al ive, it speaks to me. It has feet, it runs after me. It has hands, it lays hold of me ." —MARTIN LUTHER

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

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THE POINT

God’s Word teaches us all we need to live well.

LIVE IT OUT How will you fill your heart and mind with God’s Word this week? Consider the following suggestions:  tudy diligently. Set aside time each day for the uninterrupted S reading of God’s Word. Use this Personal Study Guide at home, dividing the three Scripture divisions in each session over three days and meditating on the truth of those verses. Study discerningly. Each time you read Scripture, make a note of what it says to you. Is there a sin to confess? An attitude to change? An action you need to do? Make a note and follow through in obedience. Study together. Studying on your own is important, but you should also study the Bible in fellowship with others (see Heb. 10:24-25). The accountability and responsibility a small group provides are great for spiritual growth. Don’t wing it when it comes to studying the life-giving, life-altering Word of God. Make the Scriptures an intentional foundation for all that you are and all that you do.

My thoughts

Share with others how you will live out this study: #BSFLspoken

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