WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.919 All right, so we're reading Psalm 119 today. Psalm 119, verses 129 to 136. 00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:18.440 Starting from verse 129. 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:25.260 Your testimonies are wonderful, therefore my soul keeps them. 00:00:25.260 --> 00:00:30.560 The unfolding of your words gives light. It imparts understanding to the simple. 00:00:31.640 --> 00:00:34.939 I open my mouth and pant because I long for your commandments. 00:00:35.900 --> 00:00:39.939 Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name. 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:46.180 Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me. 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:50.420 Redeem me from man's oppression, that I may keep your precepts. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:54.939 Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes. 00:00:55.259 --> 00:01:00.140 My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law. 00:01:02.019 --> 00:01:07.920 As we've been reading, Psalm 119 is about God's word, and how it's precious, and how God can lead us in it. 00:01:07.959 --> 00:01:10.560 So we see a lot of this in this passage too. 00:01:11.159 --> 00:01:19.920 And it points us to the amazing worth of God's word, and how it takes work to unfold his word. 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:28.799 But then the immense treasure, the immense treasure that we get when God makes his face to shine upon us. 00:01:29.060 --> 00:01:34.620 So let's look at this passage and the verses throughout. 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:42.420 So looking at Psalm 129, the first verse in this passage, points us to how God's word is wonderful for us. 00:01:42.420 --> 00:01:46.280 Sometimes we can see this more obviously, sometimes we don't. 00:01:46.379 --> 00:01:49.980 But when we think about it, it answers so many of life's questions. 00:01:50.379 --> 00:01:51.680 What is right and what is wrong? 00:01:52.620 --> 00:01:54.599 What's wise and what's foolish? 00:01:55.019 --> 00:01:56.359 What's eternal and what's temporary? 00:01:56.359 --> 00:02:02.539 These are lofty questions, but they have very practical implications for our lives. 00:02:03.099 --> 00:02:08.020 Even things like, I need money, I'm strapped for cash. 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:12.560 Should I be honest on my tax returns, or how honest? 00:02:14.139 --> 00:02:15.960 And how I interact with my family. 00:02:17.340 --> 00:02:19.020 What's the manner that I should speak? 00:02:19.099 --> 00:02:20.539 What's the content of my words? 00:02:20.680 --> 00:02:21.780 How should I interact with them? 00:02:21.780 --> 00:02:23.719 What are the priorities of my life? 00:02:23.819 --> 00:02:25.080 What are the small decisions going to be? 00:02:26.140 --> 00:02:34.340 And so, you know, God helps order our life so that we're able to see what's good, what's right. 00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:46.960 And in Psalm, or verses 130 to 131, it talks about how it takes work to unfold and understand God's word. 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:52.780 So, you know, I think about it's relatively easy to read or listen to God's word. 00:02:52.900 --> 00:02:57.159 I think we try to be in the habit of having quiet time, spending time with God. 00:02:58.219 --> 00:03:02.219 But it's also easy to let God's word go in one year and not the other. 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:03.219 I know it is for me. 00:03:05.420 --> 00:03:12.620 But the work is meditating upon God's word, thinking about it, considering its implications for our lives. 00:03:13.500 --> 00:03:14.520 It takes work to do that. 00:03:14.520 --> 00:03:17.580 I think about a cow chewing its cud. 00:03:17.900 --> 00:03:23.920 If you guys know, like, how cows chew, they have, like, four parts of their stomach, like four chambers, right? 00:03:24.180 --> 00:03:27.520 So they'll bite off some food, chew on it for a while, and then swallow it. 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:29.960 And then it gets, like, digested a little bit. 00:03:30.620 --> 00:03:32.600 And then it gets sent back up into their mouth. 00:03:33.080 --> 00:03:34.439 And then they chew it a little bit more. 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:36.160 And they moisten it. 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:37.980 And then they swallow it again, right? 00:03:37.979 --> 00:03:45.799 And this allows them to moisten their food, to break down their food more, to digest it, to get as much as they can out of it. 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:50.139 And I think of that with God's word, you know? 00:03:51.219 --> 00:03:52.339 We chew on it. 00:03:52.899 --> 00:03:53.560 We chew the cud. 00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:57.640 Like, I mean, what are different ways that we can chew upon God's word like that, right? 00:03:57.740 --> 00:04:00.920 We can read God's word for its breadth. 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:09.479 Bible reading plans are helpful for that when we get to read, you know, like the Old Testament narratives, New Testament epistles, poetry like in the Psalms. 00:04:09.479 --> 00:04:15.000 We, the Gospels to read about the Lord's life. 00:04:15.219 --> 00:04:18.740 So it's important to get breadth of God's word. 00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:21.980 We can also read God's word for depth, right? 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:25.680 We can read, like, a verse a day, just, like, meditate on it. 00:04:25.719 --> 00:04:26.719 Think about it throughout the day. 00:04:27.420 --> 00:04:32.740 Because God's word is, has a lot of depth as we think upon it. 00:04:33.860 --> 00:04:36.139 We can memorize scripture and store it up in our hearts. 00:04:36.139 --> 00:04:42.259 That way we can sort of bring it back up and have, like, a midday spiritual snack and just think about it. 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:45.519 Pray about it when we have a free moment of contemplation. 00:04:46.680 --> 00:04:53.599 When we memorize scripture, we can also whip it out as an offensive spiritual weapon when we're in the midst of spiritual conflict. 00:04:55.279 --> 00:04:59.319 We were talking last night at community group about taking our thoughts captive, right? 00:04:59.319 --> 00:05:06.120 So when thoughts or attitudes or doubts come to mind, we can bring God's word immediately at hand. 00:05:06.939 --> 00:05:10.339 We can study scripture topically for a specific topic. 00:05:10.979 --> 00:05:20.579 So if you're wondering what scripture says about marriage or about sexuality and gender or about how we spend our money, right? 00:05:20.620 --> 00:05:21.719 We can study scripture for that. 00:05:21.819 --> 00:05:24.439 So lots of different ways that we can go about studying God's word. 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:28.399 But it takes work to do that. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:33.579 But it's not all based on our efforts and what we do. 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:38.819 It says, verse 130, the unfolding of your words gives light. 00:05:39.459 --> 00:05:40.879 It imparts understanding to the simple. 00:05:41.379 --> 00:05:44.099 I open my mouth and pant because I long for your commandments. 00:05:44.359 --> 00:05:45.399 We're panning to God. 00:05:45.479 --> 00:05:48.839 We're asking him to unfold his word to us, right? 00:05:48.839 --> 00:05:59.399 So we earnestly seek him, but we also rely on him to make our efforts fruitful, to reveal the treasures that he has in his word. 00:05:59.399 --> 00:06:03.719 Sometimes we don't long for his commandments. 00:06:04.099 --> 00:06:06.339 Sometimes we're cold. 00:06:08.060 --> 00:06:10.719 But I think that's okay. 00:06:10.839 --> 00:06:12.000 Sometimes you go through those times. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:22.279 Sometimes it's enough to want to read God's word or to want to want to read God's word, right? 00:06:22.920 --> 00:06:29.860 And it's kind of like when we're sick and we don't have much of an appetite. 00:06:30.060 --> 00:06:31.819 Sometimes the best thing to do is just to eat a little bit. 00:06:32.620 --> 00:06:34.339 And that will help us regain our appetite. 00:06:35.160 --> 00:06:37.779 Or I think about coming to frostbite. 00:06:37.779 --> 00:06:42.719 You know, when that happens, the cold will go down into the deeper layers of your skin, to the nerves, 00:06:42.939 --> 00:06:46.199 and you kind of lose feeling, you know, in your hands, in your feet. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:52.419 But the best way to counter that is just to get next to the fire, rub your hands together, start getting warm. 00:06:52.579 --> 00:06:58.559 So, you know, if you're getting cold, don't be discouraged, but keep going, keep eating, keep feeding, 00:06:58.899 --> 00:07:01.379 and ask God for that appetite to rekindle your hunger. 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:05.000 Verse 132 says, 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:09.420 Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name. 00:07:10.300 --> 00:07:15.160 So, we see that the psalmist wants God to turn to him and be gracious to him. 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:17.920 And verse 135 also says, 00:07:18.660 --> 00:07:20.800 Make your face shine upon your servant. 00:07:21.819 --> 00:07:28.300 And, you know, this is God's way with those who love his name. 00:07:28.300 --> 00:07:31.699 God's name reveals his character and who he is. 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:35.879 And God makes a face to shine upon us, shows us who he is. 00:07:36.460 --> 00:07:39.480 And we get to see that, to enjoy him. 00:07:39.900 --> 00:07:46.660 I think of a couple instances in the Bible where people have seen this and just declare who God is. 00:07:46.660 --> 00:07:52.680 So, there's, in Genesis 16, Hagar is running away from Sarah, who's oppressing her and abusing her. 00:07:53.280 --> 00:07:58.360 And God appears to Hagar and promises her that her descendants will be too numerous to count. 00:07:58.900 --> 00:08:00.000 And Hagar calls God, 00:08:00.540 --> 00:08:02.400 You are the God who sees me. 00:08:02.940 --> 00:08:03.060 Right? 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:04.860 So, God is the one who sees her. 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:06.860 And God sees us and cares for us. 00:08:06.860 --> 00:08:11.020 Genesis 22, when Abraham is about to kill his son Isaac. 00:08:11.740 --> 00:08:12.860 And God provides. 00:08:13.100 --> 00:08:15.400 Abraham names that place the Lord will provide. 00:08:15.980 --> 00:08:18.040 And God's the one who sees us and will provide for us. 00:08:19.060 --> 00:08:26.000 And, you know, God is able to make his face shine upon us because of Christ. 00:08:27.340 --> 00:08:34.500 We're able to ask God that he reveals himself to us and bestows his pleasure upon us. 00:08:34.500 --> 00:08:36.600 Because he hid his face from the Lord. 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:39.399 He took away his pleasure from him. 00:08:40.379 --> 00:08:44.419 And, you know, as we read about this past week, as we heard on Sunday, 00:08:45.460 --> 00:08:46.820 the Lord was mocked. 00:08:46.899 --> 00:08:48.200 He was beaten for our sake. 00:08:48.820 --> 00:08:51.200 He suffered in our stead. 00:08:51.720 --> 00:08:54.480 And because of Jesus, sin no longer has dominion over us. 00:08:54.500 --> 00:08:55.840 We can make that prayer for ourselves. 00:08:56.539 --> 00:08:57.539 Verse 133, 00:08:57.639 --> 00:08:59.680 Let no iniquity get dominion over me. 00:09:00.200 --> 00:09:01.320 There's nothing in our lives, 00:09:01.460 --> 00:09:05.560 nothing that's been discouraging us that we resign ourselves to. 00:09:05.700 --> 00:09:06.519 We can always have hope. 00:09:06.860 --> 00:09:12.840 And so because of Christ, sin no longer has dominion. 00:09:13.680 --> 00:09:17.779 And Hebrews chapter 7, 25 says, 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:21.580 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:25.080 because he always lives to intercede for them. 00:09:25.080 --> 00:09:30.300 And so we can come to God tonight through faith in Christ. 00:09:30.379 --> 00:09:30.840 Have hope. 00:09:32.600 --> 00:09:33.639 Make lofty prayers. 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:36.340 Ask him to make his face shine upon us because of what Christ has done. 00:09:36.660 --> 00:09:36.960 All right. 00:09:38.379 --> 00:09:38.720 All right. 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:41.120 With that, Gary, can you lead us into the next song? 00:09:41.120 --> 00:10:11.100 Thank you.