Psalm 119:160

Psalm 119:160

Thoughts from Stuart Poteet

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“The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”

Psalm 119:160

FOF- Behind the Scenes
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For many, the Bible can be seen as a book of rules; rules that we don’t agree with or rules that require strict legalism to abide by. Today’s verse is taken from Psalm 119 which explicitly talks about God’s laws, commandments, precepts, statutes, and rules. We are going to zero in on the attitude and posture of the psalmist to God’s law, but also His Word and His testimonies.

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First, the psalmist rejoices in and praises God for His precepts. Verse 7 says “I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules” and verse 62 “At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules.” As believers in Christ, we see the full realization of God’s laws or rules fulfilled completely in Jesus (Matthew 5:7) and His righteousness is imputed to those “who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead” (Romans 4:24). God’s law is good because it was meant to show us His holiness and expose our inability to fulfill it on our own. Jesus was and is the only one who can reconcile God’s holiness and our brokenness!

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Secondly, Psalm 119 mentions “testimonies”. We have the Old Testament and the New Testament which attest to God’s interaction with humanity before and after Christ. In the Old Testament, testimony was used to refer to the Ten Commandments, and the tent that held the ark with the stone tablets was called the “tent of testimony” (Numbers 9:15). Most of Western civilization was built upon these tablets of “testimony”. These commandments were spoken to Moses before they were emblazoned on stone.

Slide

Thirdly, Psalm 119 makes an important connection in verse 88: “In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth”. God’s Word is the ultimate final say and our verse of the day gets right to the point. Not only is God’s word true but the sum of God’s word is truth. Our society today struggles to interpret what is true versus looking for the truth. And this truth is foundational to our Christian faith and witness.

FOF- Make it Real
Slide

Psalm 119 points to the fact that the Bible is not simply a rule book but is the spoken word of God written down. What a blessing to have God’s word given to us so that we can readily and with great expectation dive into it. Or so I hope we have that motivation.

Slide

Because of its divine authorship, should we look at the Bible differently? I myself fall into the trap of considering the Bible as a book that I should read, do read, and feel blessed after reading. I call it a trap because there are many excellent books by which I follow the same regimen. But the Bible is not simply a good book. It's a gateway into the heart of God- Not to be idolized, but the reading of it should stir us at a spiritual level as the Holy Spirit enlightens us with a deeper understanding of Him who spoke it.

Slide

I pray and hope that the next time you open your Bible, you see it as alive and enticing, with expectations that God will speak through it in new and enriching ways. We can never exhaust His revelation of truth to us.

FOF- End in Prayer
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Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your Word. Give me a desire and a restlessness to dive into it. Focus my eyes and mind on the truth that You continually reveal. Bend me in ways that challenge me and encourage me when I believe the lies of the enemy.

In the name of Jesus, I pray.

Amen.

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“The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” 

Psalm 119:160

Behind the Scenes

For many, the Bible can be seen as a book of rules; rules that we don’t agree with or rules that require strict legalism to abide by. Today’s verse is taken from Psalm 119 which explicitly talks about God’s laws, commandments, precepts, statutes, and rules. We are going to zero in on the attitude and posture of the psalmist to God’s law, but also His Word and His testimonies. 

First, the psalmist rejoices in and praises God for His precepts. Verse 7 says “I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules” and verse 62 “At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules.” As believers in Christ, we see the full realization of God’s laws or rules fulfilled completely in Jesus (Matthew 5:7) and His righteousness is imputed to those “who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead” (Romans 4:24). God’s law is good because it was meant to show us His holiness and expose our inability to fulfill it on our own. Jesus was and is the only one who can reconcile God’s holiness and our brokenness! 

Secondly, Psalm 119 mentions “testimonies”. We have the Old Testament and the New Testament which attest to God’s interaction with humanity before and after Christ. In the Old Testament, testimony was used to refer to the Ten Commandments, and the tent that held the ark with the stone tablets was called the “tent of testimony” (Numbers 9:15). Most of Western civilization was built upon these tablets of “testimony”. These commandments were spoken to Moses before they were emblazoned on stone.  

Thirdly, Psalm 119 makes an important connection in verse 88: “In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth”. God’s Word is the ultimate final say and our verse of the day gets right to the point. Not only is God’s word true but the sum of God’s word is truth. Our society today struggles to interpret what is true versus looking for the truth. And this truth is foundational to our Christian faith and witness. 

Make It Real

Psalm 119 points to the fact that the Bible is not simply a rule book but is the spoken word of God written down. What a blessing to have God’s word given to us so that we can readily and with great expectation dive into it. Or so I hope we have that motivation.  

Because of its divine authorship, should we look at the Bible differently? I myself fall into the trap of considering the Bible as a book that I should read, do read, and feel blessed after reading. I call it a trap because there are many excellent books by which I follow the same regimen. But the Bible is not simply a good book. It’s a gateway into the heart of God- Not to be idolized, but the reading of it should stir us at a spiritual level as the Holy Spirit enlightens us with a deeper understanding of Him who spoke it.  

I pray and hope that the next time you open your Bible, you see it as alive and enticing, with expectations that God will speak through it in new and enriching ways. We can never exhaust His revelation of truth to us. 

Danny Venhaus

Danny Venhaus

ACF Operations Director

End in Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, 

Thank you for your Word. Give me a desire and a restlessness to dive into it. Focus my eyes and mind on the truth that You continually reveal. Bend me in ways that challenge me and encourage me when I believe the lies of the enemy.  

In the name of Jesus, I pray.  

Amen. 

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