WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:12.859 You have a mischievous smile on your face. 00:00:14.540 --> 00:00:16.879 I was really looking forward to Psalm 119. 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:19.420 I love Psalm 119. 00:00:21.260 --> 00:00:23.859 What do you mean for? Do I have Psalm 119? 00:00:24.060 --> 00:00:24.640 No, we're not. 00:00:25.219 --> 00:00:27.379 So I'm just going to do the first eight verses. 00:00:27.379 --> 00:00:29.519 Yeah, so Psalm 119. 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:32.700 Let me read it out loud for us. 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:33.920 It says, 00:00:34.460 --> 00:00:37.659 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, 00:00:38.259 --> 00:00:40.100 who walk in the law of the Lord. 00:00:41.100 --> 00:00:43.399 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:45.780 who seek Him with their whole heart, 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:49.100 who also do no wrong but walk in His ways. 00:00:49.900 --> 00:00:53.100 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 00:00:53.100 --> 00:00:58.519 Oh, that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes. 00:00:58.520 --> 00:01:01.420 Then I shall not be put to shame, 00:01:02.120 --> 00:01:06.040 having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:12.340 I will praise you with an upright heart when I learn your righteous rules. 00:01:13.160 --> 00:01:14.820 I will keep your statutes. 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:17.600 Do not utterly forsake me. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:19.579 So this is the, 00:01:20.259 --> 00:01:20.879 as you guys know, 00:01:20.939 --> 00:01:22.319 there are 1,000, 00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:23.899 I think, 00:01:23.979 --> 00:01:25.780 I think a lotion got in my eye. 00:01:26.259 --> 00:01:27.719 So I'm not crying. 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:28.459 It's just, 00:01:28.859 --> 00:01:30.179 there's a, 00:01:30.179 --> 00:01:33.239 there's 1,189 chapters in the Bible, 00:01:33.239 --> 00:01:34.639 and this is the longest chapter 00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:36.180 in the entire Bible, 00:01:36.280 --> 00:01:36.980 as you guys know, 00:01:37.420 --> 00:01:38.579 176 verses. 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:40.019 And remarkably, 00:01:40.019 --> 00:01:42.200 the whole thing is an acrostic poem. 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:46.060 And there are 22 stanzas. 00:01:46.260 --> 00:01:47.000 So stanza, 00:01:47.379 --> 00:01:49.379 basically the paragraph of poetry. 00:01:50.019 --> 00:01:53.700 And it corresponds to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. 00:01:54.280 --> 00:01:55.640 So in the first stanza, 00:01:55.939 --> 00:01:56.719 every line, 00:01:56.879 --> 00:01:57.579 so every verse, 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:00.560 begins with the first Hebrew letter, 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:02.260 basically Hebrew equivalent of an A. 00:02:02.260 --> 00:02:04.280 And then in the second stanza, 00:02:04.420 --> 00:02:06.219 every verse begins with B, 00:02:06.520 --> 00:02:07.280 and then so on. 00:02:07.820 --> 00:02:09.460 So it's a mnemonic device 00:02:09.460 --> 00:02:12.200 intended to help us memorize it. 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:14.500 And so that we could remember 00:02:14.500 --> 00:02:15.640 and rehearse God's word, 00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:18.080 even when we don't have it in hand 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:19.480 at all places and all times. 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:21.240 And people write poems 00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:22.460 about all kinds of things, right? 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:22.719 I mean, 00:02:22.780 --> 00:02:24.240 wondrous things in nature, 00:02:24.900 --> 00:02:25.540 the beautiful, 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:27.840 romantic love interest, 00:02:28.060 --> 00:02:30.599 or about just, 00:02:30.599 --> 00:02:32.819 just the tragedies of life. 00:02:33.900 --> 00:02:35.439 But Psalm 119 is, 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:36.120 I think, 00:02:36.199 --> 00:02:37.759 fittingly and wonderfully 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:40.479 all about the central importance 00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:41.159 of God's word. 00:02:42.019 --> 00:02:44.759 And it's, 00:02:44.900 --> 00:02:46.740 Kevin DeYoung puts it this way in his book, 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:48.099 Taking God at His Word. 00:02:48.299 --> 00:02:48.639 He says, 00:02:48.859 --> 00:02:50.659 Psalm 119 shows us 00:02:50.659 --> 00:02:52.659 what to believe about the word of God, 00:02:52.979 --> 00:02:54.659 what to feel about the word of God, 00:02:54.659 --> 00:02:57.180 and what to do with the word of God. 00:02:57.900 --> 00:03:01.139 And each stanza contains eight verses, 00:03:01.979 --> 00:03:02.780 and those, 00:03:03.300 --> 00:03:04.060 I think they chose, 00:03:04.180 --> 00:03:05.079 the psalmist chose eight 00:03:05.079 --> 00:03:08.060 to correspond to eight different Hebrew words 00:03:08.060 --> 00:03:09.519 that exist 00:03:09.519 --> 00:03:10.780 for, 00:03:11.099 --> 00:03:12.159 to refer to scripture. 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:14.859 There's eight different types of words used. 00:03:15.219 --> 00:03:16.240 In the ESV, 00:03:16.780 --> 00:03:18.519 those words are variously translated 00:03:18.520 --> 00:03:19.300 as commandments, 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:20.180 word, 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:21.120 rules, 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:21.920 promise, 00:03:22.180 --> 00:03:22.460 law, 00:03:22.640 --> 00:03:23.240 precepts, 00:03:23.420 --> 00:03:24.040 testimonies, 00:03:24.180 --> 00:03:24.939 and statutes. 00:03:25.600 --> 00:03:26.540 So those are the words 00:03:26.540 --> 00:03:27.900 that are used throughout Psalm 119 00:03:27.900 --> 00:03:29.340 to refer to scripture, 00:03:29.540 --> 00:03:29.960 God's word. 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:31.140 And, 00:03:31.180 --> 00:03:33.600 and if you've never memorized 00:03:33.600 --> 00:03:36.439 large chunks of scripture before, 00:03:36.620 --> 00:03:38.500 this is a really good place 00:03:38.500 --> 00:03:39.400 to start, 00:03:39.500 --> 00:03:40.640 because it's about God's word 00:03:40.640 --> 00:03:41.600 and to, 00:03:41.740 --> 00:03:42.360 committed to memory. 00:03:42.820 --> 00:03:44.400 And you may have already heard of 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:45.520 William Wilberforce. 00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:47.580 You guys know the name 00:03:47.580 --> 00:03:48.880 from the movie Amazing Grace, 00:03:49.480 --> 00:03:51.080 or maybe you just know your history. 00:03:52.060 --> 00:03:52.880 And he, 00:03:52.939 --> 00:03:54.840 he was a British member of parliament, 00:03:55.420 --> 00:03:56.740 and he became a Christian 00:03:56.740 --> 00:03:57.760 at the age of 26. 00:03:58.060 --> 00:03:59.200 He became a member of parliament 00:03:59.200 --> 00:03:59.939 when he was 21. 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:00.879 Amazing. 00:04:01.840 --> 00:04:03.320 And a year after his conversion, 00:04:03.780 --> 00:04:05.000 on October 28, 00:04:05.100 --> 00:04:05.660 1787, 00:04:05.900 --> 00:04:06.840 he wrote in his diary, 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:08.120 quote, 00:04:08.219 --> 00:04:09.980 God Almighty has set before me 00:04:09.980 --> 00:04:11.060 two great objects, 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:12.980 the suppression of the slave trade, 00:04:13.320 --> 00:04:15.500 and the reformation of manor. 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:17.460 In that day and age, 00:04:17.540 --> 00:04:18.199 it meant morals, 00:04:18.579 --> 00:04:19.420 the reformation of morals 00:04:19.420 --> 00:04:19.900 and the, 00:04:19.900 --> 00:04:21.460 the end of the slave trade. 00:04:22.199 --> 00:04:22.639 He, 00:04:22.759 --> 00:04:23.960 he worked tirelessly 00:04:23.960 --> 00:04:25.180 toward those ends 00:04:25.180 --> 00:04:26.460 throughout his political career, 00:04:26.500 --> 00:04:27.980 which spanned over four decades, 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:29.100 and that culminated 00:04:29.100 --> 00:04:30.220 in the abolition of slavery 00:04:30.220 --> 00:04:31.400 in the British Empire. 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:33.360 And in his book, 00:04:33.540 --> 00:04:37.139 in which he talks about seven men 00:04:37.139 --> 00:04:38.900 who made a huge impact in history, 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:42.120 Eric Metaxas writes 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:43.160 about William Wilberforce, 00:04:43.699 --> 00:04:44.620 and there he writes that 00:04:44.620 --> 00:04:46.439 Wilberforce would also sometimes 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:48.199 walk the two and a half miles 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:49.439 from parliament to his home. 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:51.879 And the second half of the walk 00:04:51.879 --> 00:04:52.920 took him through a portion 00:04:52.920 --> 00:04:53.819 of Hyde Park. 00:04:54.660 --> 00:04:55.860 Wilberforce had it timed 00:04:55.860 --> 00:04:57.379 so that if he began reciting 00:04:57.379 --> 00:04:58.399 Psalm 119 00:04:58.399 --> 00:04:59.500 when he entered the park, 00:04:59.840 --> 00:05:00.620 he would be finished 00:05:00.620 --> 00:05:01.620 by the time he got home. 00:05:02.259 --> 00:05:03.439 It took him 20 minutes 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:04.620 to recite the whole thing. 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:06.879 And this was his habit 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:08.180 on his walk back 00:05:08.180 --> 00:05:09.319 from parliament to his house 00:05:09.319 --> 00:05:10.639 to recite Psalm 119 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:11.180 from memory 00:05:11.180 --> 00:05:12.300 as he walked through Hyde Park. 00:05:12.300 --> 00:05:14.360 And so I wanted to 00:05:14.360 --> 00:05:15.939 challenge people here, 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:17.420 and I was hoping to share it 00:05:17.420 --> 00:05:18.199 with the church too, 00:05:18.520 --> 00:05:19.879 to memorize Psalm 119. 00:05:20.259 --> 00:05:22.560 I'm planning on doing it as well. 00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:26.120 And you really just have to 00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:27.660 memorize one verse a day 00:05:27.660 --> 00:05:31.139 and do two verses on Sundays. 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:33.080 Then you'll do one stanza per week. 00:05:33.079 --> 00:05:35.339 So you do a stanza 00:05:35.339 --> 00:05:36.419 leading up to the Wednesday 00:05:36.419 --> 00:05:37.060 prayer service, 00:05:37.219 --> 00:05:38.219 and then we'll do the next stanza, 00:05:38.599 --> 00:05:39.300 and so on. 00:05:39.719 --> 00:05:40.579 And then we'll have 00:05:40.579 --> 00:05:41.819 the last week of the month 00:05:41.819 --> 00:05:43.139 during the prayers of fasting 00:05:43.139 --> 00:05:45.579 when we don't have the message 00:05:45.579 --> 00:05:46.199 through the Psalms 00:05:46.199 --> 00:05:48.979 to review and catch up 00:05:48.979 --> 00:05:49.639 if we're behind. 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:51.199 And if we do that, 00:05:51.240 --> 00:05:52.019 I think we'll be done 00:05:52.019 --> 00:05:54.159 around the end of the year. 00:05:55.219 --> 00:05:57.240 So we'll be in Psalm 119 00:05:57.240 --> 00:05:57.779 for a while. 00:05:57.779 --> 00:05:59.699 But I think that would be 00:05:59.699 --> 00:06:01.479 really cool if someone 00:06:01.479 --> 00:06:02.419 wanted to do it, 00:06:02.579 --> 00:06:03.799 and so I wanted to 00:06:03.799 --> 00:06:05.179 issue a challenge. 00:06:06.119 --> 00:06:07.359 A lot of believers 00:06:07.359 --> 00:06:08.339 have memorized this 00:06:08.339 --> 00:06:11.359 throughout church history. 00:06:12.579 --> 00:06:13.399 I don't know why. 00:06:13.479 --> 00:06:14.639 Maybe it's like the challenge 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:15.479 of memorizing the longest 00:06:15.479 --> 00:06:16.179 chapter in the Bible, 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:17.039 or I think it's, 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:18.519 really I think it's because of 00:06:18.519 --> 00:06:20.279 what it says about God's word, 00:06:20.919 --> 00:06:22.539 how our delight, 00:06:22.939 --> 00:06:23.819 God's people's delight 00:06:23.819 --> 00:06:24.859 in the word of God. 00:06:25.520 --> 00:06:25.699 So, 00:06:27.080 --> 00:06:28.100 it really is two parts 00:06:28.100 --> 00:06:30.040 into this first stanza. 00:06:30.220 --> 00:06:31.120 The first four verses 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:32.300 is about the blessedness 00:06:32.300 --> 00:06:33.160 of keeping God's word. 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:34.500 And the second half, 00:06:34.620 --> 00:06:35.400 verses five to eight, 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:36.300 are about the desire 00:06:36.300 --> 00:06:37.259 to keep God's word. 00:06:38.220 --> 00:06:39.379 And the whole thing 00:06:39.379 --> 00:06:40.660 is really teaching us 00:06:40.660 --> 00:06:42.840 that it is the blessedness 00:06:42.840 --> 00:06:43.699 of keeping God's word 00:06:43.699 --> 00:06:46.759 that make us desire 00:06:46.759 --> 00:06:47.860 to keep God's word. 00:06:48.939 --> 00:06:49.639 And so let's look at 00:06:49.639 --> 00:06:50.480 the blessedness 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:51.340 of keeping God's word. 00:06:51.560 --> 00:06:53.060 Twice in verses one to three, 00:06:53.160 --> 00:06:54.199 the word blessed 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:55.599 is repeated. 00:06:56.719 --> 00:06:57.060 It says, 00:06:57.479 --> 00:06:58.019 blessed are those 00:06:58.019 --> 00:06:59.159 whose way is blameless, 00:06:59.500 --> 00:07:00.439 who walk in the law 00:07:00.439 --> 00:07:00.899 of the Lord. 00:07:01.399 --> 00:07:02.399 Blessed are those 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:03.620 who keep his testimonies, 00:07:03.659 --> 00:07:04.199 who seek him 00:07:04.199 --> 00:07:05.060 with their whole heart, 00:07:05.420 --> 00:07:06.399 who also do no wrong, 00:07:06.459 --> 00:07:07.319 but walk in his ways. 00:07:07.819 --> 00:07:09.180 So the word blessed, 00:07:10.180 --> 00:07:11.879 it seems like technical jargon, 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:13.240 but really it means happy. 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:15.480 Blessedness is happiness. 00:07:16.599 --> 00:07:18.180 And so those who walk 00:07:18.180 --> 00:07:19.259 according to the law 00:07:19.259 --> 00:07:20.539 of the Lord are happy. 00:07:21.520 --> 00:07:23.480 And sometimes Christians say, 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:23.900 you know, 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:25.439 God wants you to be holy, 00:07:25.879 --> 00:07:26.540 not happy. 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:26.879 I mean, 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:27.439 you guys have probably 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:28.020 all heard that. 00:07:28.080 --> 00:07:28.760 I've heard that, right? 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:31.300 But this is actually 00:07:31.300 --> 00:07:32.260 a misleading statement 00:07:32.260 --> 00:07:34.840 according to verses like this. 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:35.300 Because yes, 00:07:35.400 --> 00:07:36.480 God wants us to be holy, 00:07:36.900 --> 00:07:38.780 but only a holy life 00:07:38.780 --> 00:07:40.160 is a truly happy life. 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:41.340 So God wants us 00:07:41.340 --> 00:07:43.120 to be happy as well. 00:07:43.220 --> 00:07:44.420 And so the 17th century 00:07:44.420 --> 00:07:45.980 English pastor Thomas Brooks 00:07:45.980 --> 00:07:47.040 wrote a book entitled 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:48.120 The Crown and Glory 00:07:48.120 --> 00:07:48.819 of Christianity, 00:07:49.420 --> 00:07:49.680 colon, 00:07:50.100 --> 00:07:50.819 or holiness, 00:07:51.300 --> 00:07:52.900 the only way to happiness. 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:55.580 And in the intro chapter, 00:07:55.700 --> 00:07:56.580 he writes that holiness 00:07:56.580 --> 00:07:58.420 differs nothing from happiness 00:07:58.420 --> 00:07:59.120 but in name. 00:07:59.840 --> 00:08:00.860 Holiness is happiness 00:08:00.860 --> 00:08:01.600 in the bud, 00:08:02.020 --> 00:08:03.360 and happiness is holiness 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:04.140 at the full. 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:05.640 Happiness is nothing 00:08:05.640 --> 00:08:07.080 but the quintessence 00:08:07.080 --> 00:08:07.860 of holiness. 00:08:08.820 --> 00:08:09.920 So happiness, 00:08:10.580 --> 00:08:12.180 and not happiness, 00:08:12.180 --> 00:08:12.860 of course, 00:08:12.939 --> 00:08:14.200 as defined by the fleeting 00:08:14.200 --> 00:08:15.160 pleasures of this world, 00:08:15.160 --> 00:08:16.180 but true happiness 00:08:16.180 --> 00:08:17.880 comes from holiness. 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:19.860 And what if we really 00:08:19.860 --> 00:08:20.580 believe this, 00:08:20.780 --> 00:08:21.439 that the living 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:22.360 a holy life 00:08:22.360 --> 00:08:23.520 is not a drudgery, 00:08:24.680 --> 00:08:26.240 that obeying God's word 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:27.140 is not boring, 00:08:27.340 --> 00:08:28.620 that it's not onerous, 00:08:28.760 --> 00:08:29.860 but that it's happy, 00:08:30.660 --> 00:08:30.840 right? 00:08:31.440 --> 00:08:32.379 It's joyous. 00:08:33.180 --> 00:08:34.779 It brings true, 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:35.759 lasting fulfillment. 00:08:36.519 --> 00:08:37.960 And it's this happiness, 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:39.019 this blessedness 00:08:39.019 --> 00:08:39.920 of keeping God's word 00:08:39.920 --> 00:08:41.420 that makes us desire 00:08:41.420 --> 00:08:42.240 to keep God's word. 00:08:42.779 --> 00:08:43.660 And notice the importance 00:08:43.659 --> 00:08:44.939 of keeping God's word 00:08:44.939 --> 00:08:46.240 in these verses. 00:08:46.439 --> 00:08:46.839 So normally, 00:08:46.939 --> 00:08:48.259 when we think of a book, 00:08:48.379 --> 00:08:48.559 right, 00:08:48.759 --> 00:08:49.699 the verb that we associate 00:08:49.699 --> 00:08:50.319 with a book 00:08:50.319 --> 00:08:51.419 is the verb to read, 00:08:51.860 --> 00:08:52.079 right? 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:53.339 But here, 00:08:53.879 --> 00:08:54.579 repeatedly, 00:08:54.719 --> 00:08:55.639 the psalm emphasizes 00:08:55.639 --> 00:08:57.419 keeping God's word. 00:08:57.980 --> 00:08:59.199 The words keep 00:08:59.199 --> 00:08:59.980 and walk 00:08:59.980 --> 00:09:00.759 are repeated, 00:09:01.419 --> 00:09:01.819 right? 00:09:01.879 --> 00:09:02.620 So obviously, 00:09:02.819 --> 00:09:03.379 in order to keep it, 00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:04.039 you've got to read it, 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:05.559 but you can't stop 00:09:05.559 --> 00:09:05.899 that reading. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:06.879 You've got to apply it 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:07.759 and obey 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:08.379 and live it out. 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:09.720 So verses 1 to 4, 00:09:09.799 --> 00:09:09.980 it says, 00:09:09.980 --> 00:09:10.879 blessed are those 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:12.279 whose way is blameless, 00:09:12.360 --> 00:09:13.340 who walk in the law 00:09:13.340 --> 00:09:13.759 of the Lord. 00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:14.779 Blessed are those 00:09:14.779 --> 00:09:15.879 who keep his testimony, 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:16.779 who seek him 00:09:16.779 --> 00:09:17.680 with their whole heart, 00:09:17.860 --> 00:09:19.320 who also do no wrong, 00:09:19.420 --> 00:09:20.700 but walk in his ways. 00:09:21.139 --> 00:09:21.820 You have commanded 00:09:21.820 --> 00:09:22.460 your precepts 00:09:22.460 --> 00:09:24.000 to be kept diligently. 00:09:24.680 --> 00:09:25.960 So reading God's word 00:09:25.960 --> 00:09:27.340 has to not merely 00:09:27.340 --> 00:09:28.740 be a theoretical exercise, 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:31.139 but it must be experiential, 00:09:31.680 --> 00:09:32.180 practical, 00:09:32.560 --> 00:09:33.700 has to be lived out 00:09:33.700 --> 00:09:34.300 in practice. 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:35.860 And to that end, 00:09:35.920 --> 00:09:36.519 the word of God 00:09:36.519 --> 00:09:38.019 is an unfailing guide. 00:09:38.019 --> 00:09:38.519 God. 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:39.919 So think about 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:41.399 this with me 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:41.799 for a second. 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:42.840 We can dream about this 00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:43.299 as believers. 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:44.740 Imagine living 00:09:44.740 --> 00:09:45.840 the perfect life, 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:48.559 a blameless life, 00:09:48.659 --> 00:09:50.000 in no speech 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:51.579 or thought 00:09:51.579 --> 00:09:52.340 or deed 00:09:52.340 --> 00:09:53.779 can anyone 00:09:53.779 --> 00:09:55.799 put any blame 00:09:55.799 --> 00:09:56.319 on us 00:09:56.319 --> 00:09:57.579 or fault on us. 00:09:57.799 --> 00:09:58.299 Imagine living 00:09:58.299 --> 00:09:59.159 that kind of life. 00:09:59.319 --> 00:10:00.559 Because it seems 00:10:00.559 --> 00:10:01.399 impossible, right? 00:10:01.419 --> 00:10:01.960 All the other 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:03.220 religious texts 00:10:03.220 --> 00:10:04.039 and scriptures 00:10:04.039 --> 00:10:04.799 throughout the world 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:05.840 and all the books 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:06.519 in the world 00:10:06.519 --> 00:10:07.159 on morality 00:10:07.159 --> 00:10:08.139 and moral philosophy. 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:09.259 They may have 00:10:09.259 --> 00:10:10.179 some helpful teachings 00:10:10.179 --> 00:10:10.639 in them. 00:10:11.079 --> 00:10:11.519 They may have 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:12.500 some truthful teachings 00:10:12.500 --> 00:10:12.980 in them, 00:10:13.059 --> 00:10:14.240 but none of them 00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:15.100 can be described 00:10:15.100 --> 00:10:16.659 as without blemish. 00:10:17.620 --> 00:10:18.919 They all have their faults. 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:20.419 They all have mixtures. 00:10:20.740 --> 00:10:21.679 They all have falsehood. 00:10:22.319 --> 00:10:23.299 But verse 1 says 00:10:23.299 --> 00:10:24.679 that if you walk 00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:25.740 in the law of the Lord, 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:27.860 your way will be blameless. 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:29.459 Verse 2 says 00:10:29.459 --> 00:10:30.059 that if you keep 00:10:30.059 --> 00:10:30.899 God's testimonies, 00:10:30.919 --> 00:10:31.519 you will seek God 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:32.379 with your whole heart. 00:10:32.539 --> 00:10:34.000 So for these reasons, 00:10:34.139 --> 00:10:35.120 the law of the Lord, 00:10:35.220 --> 00:10:35.679 the word of God 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:36.199 is unique. 00:10:36.620 --> 00:10:37.579 And verse 4 teaches us 00:10:37.579 --> 00:10:38.620 that God has commanded us 00:10:38.620 --> 00:10:40.099 to keep his precepts 00:10:40.099 --> 00:10:40.559 diligently. 00:10:41.120 --> 00:10:42.179 Not lazily 00:10:42.179 --> 00:10:43.339 or casually 00:10:43.339 --> 00:10:44.379 or haphazardly, 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:45.339 but diligently. 00:10:46.500 --> 00:10:47.179 And so that's 00:10:47.179 --> 00:10:50.519 the blessedness 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:51.359 of keeping God's word. 00:10:51.839 --> 00:10:52.359 And then it's 00:10:52.359 --> 00:10:53.079 that blessedness 00:10:53.079 --> 00:10:54.159 that produces in us 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:54.739 the desire 00:10:54.739 --> 00:10:55.739 to keep God's word 00:10:55.739 --> 00:10:57.299 in verses 5 to 8. 00:10:57.899 --> 00:10:58.979 And listen to the 00:10:58.979 --> 00:11:00.139 psalmist's longing 00:11:00.139 --> 00:11:01.899 to do this 00:11:01.899 --> 00:11:03.079 in verses 5 to 6. 00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:04.700 Oh, that my ways 00:11:04.700 --> 00:11:05.879 may be steadfast 00:11:05.879 --> 00:11:06.860 in keeping 00:11:06.860 --> 00:11:07.700 your statutes. 00:11:08.440 --> 00:11:09.420 Then I shall not 00:11:09.420 --> 00:11:10.139 be put to shame, 00:11:10.340 --> 00:11:11.560 having my eyes fixed 00:11:11.560 --> 00:11:12.960 on all your commandments. 00:11:13.580 --> 00:11:14.720 So we should not 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:15.360 want to keep 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:16.500 God's word occasionally, 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:17.879 but steadfastly 00:11:17.879 --> 00:11:19.500 and not to be 00:11:19.500 --> 00:11:20.280 distracted from 00:11:20.280 --> 00:11:20.660 God's word, 00:11:20.740 --> 00:11:21.240 but to keep our eyes 00:11:21.240 --> 00:11:22.020 fixed on it, 00:11:22.060 --> 00:11:22.379 it says, 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:23.980 because the blessedness 00:11:23.980 --> 00:11:24.780 of keeping God's word 00:11:24.780 --> 00:11:25.440 makes us desire 00:11:25.440 --> 00:11:26.020 to keep it. 00:11:26.740 --> 00:11:27.840 And I mentioned 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:28.420 to you earlier 00:11:28.420 --> 00:11:29.660 that Psalm 119 00:11:29.660 --> 00:11:30.700 uses eight different 00:11:30.700 --> 00:11:31.400 words to refer 00:11:31.399 --> 00:11:31.980 to scripture. 00:11:32.779 --> 00:11:33.399 And they all have 00:11:33.399 --> 00:11:34.120 different shades 00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:34.519 of meaning, 00:11:34.860 --> 00:11:35.840 and six of those 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:36.559 are used already 00:11:36.559 --> 00:11:38.279 in this stanza alone. 00:11:38.899 --> 00:11:40.100 The first is the word 00:11:40.100 --> 00:11:41.259 law, right? 00:11:41.439 --> 00:11:42.740 And the law in English 00:11:42.740 --> 00:11:43.720 sounds so kind of 00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:44.699 formal and stilted, 00:11:44.860 --> 00:11:46.139 but the word, 00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:47.559 it actually means 00:11:47.559 --> 00:11:48.600 something like instruction. 00:11:48.919 --> 00:11:49.720 It's the Hebrew word 00:11:49.720 --> 00:11:51.139 Torah, instruction. 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:52.579 It's what God instructs. 00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:53.779 That's what the word 00:11:53.779 --> 00:11:54.240 of God is. 00:11:54.679 --> 00:11:55.340 The second word 00:11:55.340 --> 00:11:56.179 is testimonies. 00:11:56.259 --> 00:11:56.980 It's what God 00:11:56.980 --> 00:11:58.019 testifies, 00:11:58.159 --> 00:11:59.399 what he attests to, 00:11:59.539 --> 00:12:00.220 witnesses to. 00:12:00.220 --> 00:12:01.860 The third word 00:12:01.860 --> 00:12:02.759 is precepts. 00:12:02.820 --> 00:12:03.840 It's what God 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:05.440 prescribes that we 00:12:05.440 --> 00:12:06.360 follow, verse 4. 00:12:06.940 --> 00:12:07.680 And then the next 00:12:07.680 --> 00:12:08.740 is the word statute. 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:10.720 It's verses 5 and 8, 00:12:10.840 --> 00:12:11.580 conveys what God 00:12:11.580 --> 00:12:12.240 requires, 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:13.500 what he stipulates. 00:12:14.340 --> 00:12:14.960 And the word 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:15.720 commandment, 00:12:15.800 --> 00:12:16.740 verse 6 is next. 00:12:16.860 --> 00:12:17.480 It means what God 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:18.040 commands. 00:12:18.620 --> 00:12:19.639 And the word rules 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:20.519 is the last one, 00:12:20.660 --> 00:12:21.180 verse 7. 00:12:21.899 --> 00:12:22.879 It means what God 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:23.500 decides, 00:12:23.680 --> 00:12:24.660 or what God rules 00:12:24.660 --> 00:12:26.279 to be his judgment. 00:12:26.980 --> 00:12:27.920 So six of the 00:12:27.920 --> 00:12:28.620 eight different words 00:12:28.620 --> 00:12:29.919 all refer to 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:31.159 God's word. 00:12:31.700 --> 00:12:32.700 And they have 00:12:32.700 --> 00:12:33.440 different shades 00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:33.799 of meaning. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:34.500 And they all 00:12:34.500 --> 00:12:35.139 convey the fact 00:12:35.139 --> 00:12:36.279 that God speaks 00:12:36.279 --> 00:12:36.820 to us through 00:12:36.820 --> 00:12:37.240 his word. 00:12:38.340 --> 00:12:39.840 He promises us 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:40.379 through his word. 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:41.440 He warns us 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:41.919 through his word. 00:12:42.019 --> 00:12:43.259 He directs us 00:12:43.259 --> 00:12:43.980 and guides us 00:12:43.980 --> 00:12:44.379 through his word. 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:45.379 He examines us 00:12:45.379 --> 00:12:45.960 with his word. 00:12:46.299 --> 00:12:47.220 He teaches us 00:12:47.220 --> 00:12:47.840 through his word. 00:12:48.379 --> 00:12:49.539 He talks to us, 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:50.560 converses with us 00:12:50.560 --> 00:12:51.759 through his word. 00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:52.879 And so the word 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:53.620 of God is the 00:12:53.620 --> 00:12:54.659 chief appointed 00:12:54.659 --> 00:12:55.480 means by which 00:12:55.480 --> 00:12:56.580 God addresses 00:12:56.580 --> 00:12:57.139 his people. 00:12:57.960 --> 00:12:58.840 And for that 00:12:58.840 --> 00:12:59.120 reason, 00:12:59.120 --> 00:12:59.740 it's not like 00:12:59.740 --> 00:13:00.520 any other book 00:13:00.520 --> 00:13:00.879 in the sense 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:01.720 that it's relational. 00:13:03.040 --> 00:13:04.020 Sometimes people 00:13:04.020 --> 00:13:04.940 say that they feel 00:13:04.940 --> 00:13:05.560 like they know 00:13:05.560 --> 00:13:06.240 the author 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:07.759 of their favorite 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:08.100 books. 00:13:08.460 --> 00:13:09.120 You've probably 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:09.520 heard people 00:13:09.520 --> 00:13:10.000 say that. 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:12.240 And that's true 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:13.180 only in a limited, 00:13:13.680 --> 00:13:14.440 approximate sense. 00:13:14.759 --> 00:13:15.440 But through the 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:15.720 Bible, 00:13:16.340 --> 00:13:17.480 we really can 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:18.360 hear God 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:18.840 and come to 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:19.379 know God. 00:13:20.160 --> 00:13:20.960 Because as 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:22.040 Hebrews chapter 4 00:13:22.040 --> 00:13:22.720 verse 2 says, 00:13:22.820 --> 00:13:23.400 the word of God 00:13:23.400 --> 00:13:24.020 is living 00:13:24.019 --> 00:13:25.159 and active. 00:13:25.299 --> 00:13:25.980 So it's not 00:13:25.980 --> 00:13:27.840 merely a written 00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:28.399 record. 00:13:28.939 --> 00:13:29.980 It's a live 00:13:29.980 --> 00:13:30.939 means by which 00:13:30.939 --> 00:13:32.179 God communicates 00:13:32.179 --> 00:13:32.600 to us. 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:33.960 And so verses, 00:13:34.319 --> 00:13:35.059 with that in mind, 00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:36.000 verses 7 to 8 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:36.840 fittingly conclude 00:13:36.840 --> 00:13:37.679 the stanza like this. 00:13:37.740 --> 00:13:38.559 I will praise you 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:39.480 with an upright 00:13:39.480 --> 00:13:41.199 heart when I 00:13:41.199 --> 00:13:41.919 learn your 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:42.639 righteous rules. 00:13:43.220 --> 00:13:43.840 I will keep 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:44.519 your statutes. 00:13:44.659 --> 00:13:45.279 Do not utterly 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:46.159 forsake me. 00:13:47.319 --> 00:13:47.819 I don't know if 00:13:47.819 --> 00:13:48.259 you guys have 00:13:48.259 --> 00:13:48.860 ever read of, 00:13:49.340 --> 00:13:50.139 I don't know if 00:13:50.139 --> 00:13:50.519 you read the 00:13:50.519 --> 00:13:51.220 endorsement pages 00:13:51.220 --> 00:13:51.639 in the book. 00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:52.299 I always do. 00:13:52.299 --> 00:13:53.699 And I don't 00:13:53.699 --> 00:13:53.979 know if you've 00:13:53.979 --> 00:13:54.500 ever read an 00:13:54.500 --> 00:13:55.299 endorsement on 00:13:55.299 --> 00:13:55.819 the back cover. 00:13:55.939 --> 00:13:56.740 That just sounds 00:13:56.740 --> 00:13:57.799 completely unlike 00:13:57.799 --> 00:13:58.599 the book itself. 00:13:59.120 --> 00:13:59.599 It almost seems 00:13:59.599 --> 00:14:00.079 like the person 00:14:00.079 --> 00:14:00.599 has never read 00:14:00.599 --> 00:14:00.899 the book. 00:14:01.659 --> 00:14:02.120 It's like, 00:14:02.159 --> 00:14:02.599 how in the world 00:14:02.599 --> 00:14:03.199 did you get that 00:14:03.199 --> 00:14:03.639 from this? 00:14:04.719 --> 00:14:05.259 And so you 00:14:05.259 --> 00:14:06.419 can't endorse 00:14:06.419 --> 00:14:06.819 something, 00:14:06.899 --> 00:14:07.459 you can't praise 00:14:07.459 --> 00:14:08.179 something without 00:14:08.179 --> 00:14:08.779 actually having 00:14:08.779 --> 00:14:09.919 read it, 00:14:10.039 --> 00:14:10.639 without having 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:11.579 familiarity with 00:14:11.579 --> 00:14:11.939 it, without 00:14:11.939 --> 00:14:12.519 knowing the 00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:13.159 thing or the 00:14:13.159 --> 00:14:13.859 person that 00:14:13.859 --> 00:14:14.319 you're praising. 00:14:14.919 --> 00:14:15.419 So likewise, 00:14:15.620 --> 00:14:16.759 we can't praise 00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:19.059 God without 00:14:19.059 --> 00:14:20.679 actually knowing 00:14:20.679 --> 00:14:21.019 Him. 00:14:21.019 --> 00:14:21.539 We can't 00:14:21.539 --> 00:14:22.299 praise Him 00:14:22.299 --> 00:14:23.340 uprightly, 00:14:23.439 --> 00:14:23.799 with an 00:14:23.799 --> 00:14:24.439 upright heart. 00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:24.980 We can't 00:14:24.980 --> 00:14:25.659 praise Him 00:14:25.659 --> 00:14:27.899 sincerely until 00:14:27.899 --> 00:14:29.139 we learn God's 00:14:29.139 --> 00:14:29.819 righteous rules, 00:14:29.879 --> 00:14:30.500 because it's the 00:14:30.500 --> 00:14:31.039 Word of God 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:32.319 that reveals God 00:14:32.319 --> 00:14:33.199 Himself to us. 00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:35.759 Because it's by 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:36.480 the Word that we 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:37.319 can listen to God 00:14:37.319 --> 00:14:37.840 and walk with 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:38.000 Him. 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:39.120 And so because 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:39.919 of that, when we 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:40.639 forsake God's 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:42.019 Word, we are 00:14:42.019 --> 00:14:43.079 forsaken by God. 00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:44.159 That's why the 00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:44.919 verse ends this 00:14:44.919 --> 00:14:45.639 way, the stanza 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:46.159 ends this way. 00:14:46.220 --> 00:14:46.779 But if we live 00:14:46.779 --> 00:14:47.600 according to God's 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:48.079 Word, God will 00:14:48.079 --> 00:14:48.919 not forsake us, 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:49.480 because that's how 00:14:49.480 --> 00:14:50.480 He relates to 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:51.300 us and communicates 00:14:51.300 --> 00:14:51.779 with us and 00:14:51.779 --> 00:14:52.180 leads and 00:14:52.180 --> 00:14:52.759 directs us. 00:14:55.080 --> 00:14:55.680 As I was 00:14:55.680 --> 00:14:56.800 kind of reflecting 00:14:56.800 --> 00:14:57.300 on this and 00:14:57.300 --> 00:14:57.560 trying to 00:14:57.560 --> 00:14:58.560 communicate how 00:14:58.560 --> 00:15:01.139 exciting that is 00:15:01.139 --> 00:15:01.940 to you guys, I 00:15:01.940 --> 00:15:03.019 was looking up, 00:15:03.620 --> 00:15:04.019 because I had 00:15:04.019 --> 00:15:04.519 read this a long 00:15:04.519 --> 00:15:05.159 time ago and I 00:15:05.159 --> 00:15:05.700 looked it up on 00:15:05.700 --> 00:15:06.580 Google, and there 00:15:06.580 --> 00:15:07.039 was actually a 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:07.620 recent article 00:15:07.620 --> 00:15:08.300 published last 00:15:08.300 --> 00:15:10.240 month about the 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:11.379 Breakthrough Listen 00:15:11.379 --> 00:15:12.080 Initiative. 00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:12.620 I don't know if 00:15:12.620 --> 00:15:12.960 you guys have 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:13.340 heard of it. 00:15:13.860 --> 00:15:14.860 It's like a 00:15:14.860 --> 00:15:15.759 privately funded 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:16.899 decade-long 00:15:16.899 --> 00:15:18.639 research project 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:19.539 out of UC 00:15:19.539 --> 00:15:20.819 Berkeley, and 00:15:20.819 --> 00:15:21.399 the researchers 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:22.759 involved just 00:15:22.759 --> 00:15:23.600 finished listening 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:25.120 in on 1,300 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:26.919 star systems for 00:15:26.919 --> 00:15:27.500 signs of 00:15:27.500 --> 00:15:28.559 extraterrestrial life. 00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:30.419 So 1,300 star 00:15:30.419 --> 00:15:30.759 systems. 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:32.080 They came up 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:32.419 empty. 00:15:32.539 --> 00:15:32.860 They didn't hear 00:15:32.860 --> 00:15:33.080 anything. 00:15:34.039 --> 00:15:35.059 But they plan on 00:15:35.059 --> 00:15:35.659 expanding their 00:15:35.659 --> 00:15:37.460 research to cover a 00:15:37.460 --> 00:15:38.879 lot more ground. 00:15:39.539 --> 00:15:40.340 And can you imagine 00:15:40.340 --> 00:15:41.580 just how boring that 00:15:41.580 --> 00:15:42.539 would be to just 00:15:42.539 --> 00:15:45.279 listen hours on end 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:46.200 to this vast 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:47.039 nothingness, you 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:47.699 know, just the 00:15:47.699 --> 00:15:49.059 silence all day 00:15:49.059 --> 00:15:49.379 long? 00:15:50.019 --> 00:15:50.980 But can you 00:15:50.980 --> 00:15:51.799 imagine for a 00:15:51.799 --> 00:15:52.860 moment, like, what 00:15:52.860 --> 00:15:53.319 if you heard 00:15:53.319 --> 00:15:54.539 something, right? 00:15:55.179 --> 00:15:56.279 People's ears just 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:56.779 perk up, and 00:15:56.779 --> 00:15:57.299 like, wait, what? 00:15:57.419 --> 00:15:58.599 And everybody's 00:15:58.599 --> 00:15:59.179 jumping up in 00:15:59.179 --> 00:15:59.639 excitement and 00:15:59.639 --> 00:16:00.199 just come, and 00:16:00.199 --> 00:16:01.500 like, something's 00:16:01.500 --> 00:16:02.159 there, someone's 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:02.399 there. 00:16:02.899 --> 00:16:03.399 They're saying 00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:03.919 something, or 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:04.539 they're communicating 00:16:04.539 --> 00:16:05.860 something, and 00:16:05.860 --> 00:16:06.699 like, it's like, 00:16:06.759 --> 00:16:07.399 similarly, I think 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:08.360 if we don't expect 00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:09.659 God to speak to us 00:16:09.659 --> 00:16:10.839 through his word, I 00:16:10.839 --> 00:16:11.939 can understand why 00:16:11.939 --> 00:16:12.500 that might be 00:16:12.500 --> 00:16:13.079 boring to some 00:16:13.079 --> 00:16:14.259 people, right? 00:16:14.259 --> 00:16:17.939 But God's not 00:16:17.939 --> 00:16:18.419 silent. 00:16:19.059 --> 00:16:19.840 He still speaks 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:21.539 today, and so 00:16:21.539 --> 00:16:23.419 then we can feel 00:16:23.419 --> 00:16:24.360 that same level of 00:16:24.360 --> 00:16:25.240 excitement even 00:16:25.240 --> 00:16:26.259 more that we hear 00:16:26.259 --> 00:16:26.919 from God himself 00:16:26.919 --> 00:16:27.720 that on the other 00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:28.519 line that there's 00:16:28.519 --> 00:16:29.179 someone there 00:16:29.179 --> 00:16:30.340 speaking to us. 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:30.720 We're not 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:31.879 listening to the 00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:32.139 void. 00:16:33.259 --> 00:16:34.100 God's communicating 00:16:34.100 --> 00:16:35.039 to us, and when 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:35.720 we think of it that 00:16:35.720 --> 00:16:36.299 way, it totally 00:16:36.299 --> 00:16:37.299 transforms our 00:16:37.299 --> 00:16:38.279 Bible reading 00:16:38.279 --> 00:16:39.000 experience. 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:42.120 And I think, and 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:42.860 I was looking 00:16:42.860 --> 00:16:43.899 back on this, and 00:16:43.899 --> 00:16:46.500 it's, I came to 00:16:46.500 --> 00:16:47.740 know the Lord, you 00:16:47.740 --> 00:16:50.100 know, at an early 00:16:50.100 --> 00:16:50.700 age, but it's 00:16:50.700 --> 00:16:51.559 really around middle 00:16:51.559 --> 00:16:52.539 school time, like, 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:54.000 that God really 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:55.639 started speaking to 00:16:55.639 --> 00:16:56.879 me and reading me, 00:16:56.960 --> 00:16:57.460 and so it's been 00:16:57.460 --> 00:16:58.940 like, since I was 00:16:58.940 --> 00:16:59.840 12, so it's been 00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:00.639 a little over 20 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:02.559 years that now I've 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:03.480 been reading God's 00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:05.480 word, right, as a 00:17:05.480 --> 00:17:06.519 regular habit, and 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:08.960 that's no credit 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:09.519 to myself. 00:17:09.720 --> 00:17:10.640 It's God who gave 00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:11.299 me the hunger for 00:17:11.299 --> 00:17:12.240 his word, right, and 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:13.700 he's the one that 00:17:13.700 --> 00:17:14.360 gave me the grace 00:17:14.360 --> 00:17:16.180 for it, but I can't 00:17:16.180 --> 00:17:17.039 count the number of 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:19.120 times I've heard him 00:17:19.120 --> 00:17:20.680 speak specifically, 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:21.980 tenderly, right, 00:17:22.100 --> 00:17:24.860 patiently, and firmly, 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:27.079 urgently, lovingly, 00:17:27.700 --> 00:17:30.880 and my hope is 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:32.480 everyone in our 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:34.059 church really will 00:17:34.059 --> 00:17:35.460 have that experience, 00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:36.380 have already had 00:17:36.380 --> 00:17:37.600 that experience, and 00:17:37.600 --> 00:17:38.500 if not, will soon 00:17:38.500 --> 00:17:40.140 have experience, so 00:17:40.140 --> 00:17:41.420 that they learn to 00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:43.720 learn God's rules, 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:44.720 and learn to praise 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:45.400 God with an upright 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:45.779 heart. 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:47.180 So it's a 00:17:47.180 --> 00:17:47.880 blessedness of 00:17:47.880 --> 00:17:48.599 keeping God's word 00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:49.160 that makes us 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:50.079 desire to keep 00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:51.220 God's word.