WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.379 Well, good morning, everyone. It's a great pleasure to have you with us, whether you're in the church or watching or listening online. 00:00:08.379 --> 00:00:20.440 Before we get into Psalm 119, I want to recognise two of our longest standing church members, Charlie and Nan Miller, who this weekend are moving to be near their daughter Avril in Bishop Riggs. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:25.699 For many years, Charlie was our organist at this service, The Breaking of Bread and others. 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:30.599 You'd often find him up here speaking or leading services or baptising people. 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:45.000 They were always the first at the church every Sunday morning so that Nan and Audrey McMillan could set things up for tea and coffee between the services and involved in lots of other areas, including building maintenance and coffee mornings. 00:00:45.939 --> 00:00:55.560 Nan and Charlie haven't been able to be with us for a while now because of their health, but we're thankful to the Lord for all they've done and been in our church over the years. 00:00:55.560 --> 00:01:00.160 And we wish them God's rich blessing in their new home. 00:01:00.260 --> 00:01:02.320 They will be watching, I think, this morning. 00:01:03.540 --> 00:01:10.299 Now, let's look at Psalm 119, and it is a great joy to be speaking on this passage. 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:16.480 For the last few weeks, we've been looking at the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. 00:01:16.980 --> 00:01:23.900 It's been very important teaching, but at the same time, it's been quite difficult and challenging. 00:01:23.900 --> 00:01:28.980 Jesus was talking about the law and our attitude to that. 00:01:29.600 --> 00:01:39.820 And it's great that we're coming straight from that to Psalm 119 because the subject matter there is exactly the same, but the perspective is quite different. 00:01:40.580 --> 00:01:43.080 Let me try to explain it with some examples. 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:54.480 Jesus was talking to people in this day who were used to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees and how they viewed God's word. 00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:56.480 And they came to it as lawyers. 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:03.659 They said, let's look in exact detail of what the words say and make sure we obey the letter of the law. 00:02:03.659 --> 00:02:15.240 But then they were thinking, well, we can find excuses to do things we want to that are not outside the letter of the law, even though they might not be exactly what people would expect. 00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:17.500 They had the attitude of a lawyer. 00:02:17.859 --> 00:02:21.659 Let's just look at the words and do that and no more. 00:02:21.659 --> 00:02:29.979 Jesus said to those who are listening to him, your attitude should be that of a disciple. 00:02:31.139 --> 00:02:32.560 You are my disciples. 00:02:32.819 --> 00:02:34.539 He was speaking largely to his followers. 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:37.079 And you are to follow my example. 00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:51.340 And you are to see the law not as a huge heavy burden, not as something that you are to obey just to the letter, but as something that is given to you by your loving Heavenly Father for your good. 00:02:51.860 --> 00:02:57.180 And you should look not just at the letter, but at the spirit of the law. 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.600 It doesn't just affect what you do. 00:03:00.760 --> 00:03:02.040 It affects what you say. 00:03:02.439 --> 00:03:04.160 It affects what you think. 00:03:04.540 --> 00:03:06.820 It affects your attitude to others. 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:18.020 If you're my disciples, your spirituality, your righteousness should be greater than those who just look at the letter of the law. 00:03:19.260 --> 00:03:21.140 Now we're coming to Psalm 119. 00:03:22.040 --> 00:03:26.380 And I suggest the attitude of the psalmist is more that of a fan. 00:03:26.720 --> 00:03:29.400 He's an enthusiast for the law. 00:03:30.420 --> 00:03:35.800 Now imagine a famous pop star, let's say Taylor Swift, and they bring out a new album. 00:03:35.800 --> 00:03:41.860 And their fans, as soon as they can, are wanting to listen to the music. 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:48.939 And they'll say things like, I can really identify with the emotions in that song. 00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:51.780 Or that's a really powerful lyric. 00:03:52.100 --> 00:03:53.260 It speaks to me. 00:03:53.860 --> 00:03:57.400 Or what a beautiful picture she's painting there. 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:02.280 And that's the kind of attitude that the psalmist has. 00:04:02.900 --> 00:04:04.439 He loves God's word. 00:04:05.099 --> 00:04:06.180 He loves the law. 00:04:06.640 --> 00:04:09.939 And he wants to do everything he can to obey it. 00:04:09.939 --> 00:04:16.579 Now that doesn't mean he's got his head in the clouds and he's kind of sitting above all the problems of this world. 00:04:17.300 --> 00:04:20.060 We'll see as we go through, I think starting with Graham next week. 00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:24.939 The psalmist had many enemies and those who would want to do him down. 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:26.199 And he recognised that. 00:04:26.199 --> 00:04:33.879 But he saw God's word, God's law, as being something that could sustain him and help him through that. 00:04:34.659 --> 00:04:38.819 So we come to a chapter of the Bible, the longest chapter in the whole Bible, 00:04:39.139 --> 00:04:51.259 that really is an exciting exposition of why God's law is a wonderful thing that we should cherish and we should obey. 00:04:51.259 --> 00:04:54.839 Now we'll come in a minute to the message. 00:04:55.399 --> 00:05:02.459 But I think since this is the first in the series, maybe I could spend a couple of minutes talking about this psalm as literature. 00:05:02.659 --> 00:05:04.360 It's very good poetry. 00:05:05.459 --> 00:05:09.379 And I would say actually it's a literary masterpiece. 00:05:09.560 --> 00:05:10.519 Let me explain why. 00:05:11.599 --> 00:05:13.259 First thing I've called alphabetisation. 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:15.459 That's a bit of a mouthful. 00:05:15.459 --> 00:05:20.259 All it means is something that's been put into alphabetical order. 00:05:21.219 --> 00:05:26.480 So if you have the psalm in front of you, you'll see it's divided into lots of sections, 22 of them in all. 00:05:26.899 --> 00:05:31.259 And at the top of each of them, there's likely to be a symbol and a word. 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:36.039 And the symbol and the word are letters in the Hebrew alphabet. 00:05:36.819 --> 00:05:39.819 Aleph, Bet, Gimel, and so on. 00:05:40.539 --> 00:05:45.279 So each section of the psalm is based on a Hebrew letter. 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:52.519 And I think in that, the psalmist is saying to us, this is something that is complete about God's word. 00:05:52.559 --> 00:05:56.519 If you like, it's the A to Z of God's word of the law. 00:05:56.599 --> 00:06:04.399 He wants to bring out as many as he can of the features of the law and of the things that we should treasure in it. 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:06.560 But there's more than that. 00:06:07.539 --> 00:06:09.519 There is also alliteration. 00:06:09.599 --> 00:06:14.120 Alliteration is when you start words with the same initial letter. 00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:19.159 So we could say Psalm 119 is a perfect poem of praise. 00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:27.380 And the most remarkable thing about this psalm is that in every section, all 22 of them, there are eight verses. 00:06:28.020 --> 00:06:32.920 And each verse in that section begins with the letter that's at the top. 00:06:33.380 --> 00:06:40.500 So the first eight verses in the Hebrew all begin with the letter Aleph, the second eight with the second letter Bet, and so on. 00:06:41.160 --> 00:06:44.640 And that, to me, is a most remarkable achievement. 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:50.519 Some of you know that I'm quite fond of alliteration, and it can be quite difficult to get it right. 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:57.539 A few years ago, a church member said to me, I really like it when you speak, Ian, because I learn new words. 00:06:57.819 --> 00:06:59.879 It's good to have some educational value, I suppose. 00:07:00.379 --> 00:07:05.000 But I think what he meant was, when you're trying to use alliteration to help people remember points, 00:07:05.379 --> 00:07:11.479 you might have three points that fairly naturally begin with the letter S, and then the fourth one doesn't so easily. 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:16.300 And you search through the thesaurus and find, yes, here's a word that will just about fit. 00:07:16.660 --> 00:07:20.680 And it might not be a common everyday word, like alphabetisation. 00:07:21.460 --> 00:07:25.040 So it's not always very straightforward. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:31.640 The great thing with Psalm 119 is you have no sense of strain in the alliteration. 00:07:31.700 --> 00:07:35.759 Now, it doesn't come out in English, but if you just look at the flow of the verses, 00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:44.599 in each section, the verses flow perfectly together, despite the constraint the psalmist has of starting with the same letter. 00:07:45.079 --> 00:07:51.079 If you just imagine in English, if you were writing something and you wanted eight verses that started with K, 00:07:51.319 --> 00:07:56.980 or with X, or with Z, or something like that, it is a really difficult job. 00:07:57.639 --> 00:08:02.019 I think what the psalmist is trying to get across here is a sense of order. 00:08:02.019 --> 00:08:09.159 In the midst of a chaotic world, in the midst of the chaos that his enemies would like to cause for him, 00:08:09.659 --> 00:08:12.779 he's saying God's word brings us order. 00:08:14.159 --> 00:08:19.000 And in the style of Hebrew poetry in each verse as well, you have two lines, 00:08:19.339 --> 00:08:23.379 and the second line either repeats the first line slightly differently, 00:08:23.699 --> 00:08:27.159 or maybe expands on it, or brings out a contrast. 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:33.560 But there is order, there is pattern, and the psalmist is saying here is something we can rely on 00:08:33.560 --> 00:08:35.899 in a constantly changing world. 00:08:36.500 --> 00:08:41.580 God's word stands, and it stands in a really orderly way. 00:08:42.100 --> 00:08:45.700 He uses alliteration to great effect. 00:08:47.320 --> 00:08:50.100 And then finally, I didn't quite manage to get my alliteration today, 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:53.460 but the third word I've used is illustration. 00:08:53.460 --> 00:08:57.680 Not so much in today's passage, but as you go through the psalm, 00:08:57.960 --> 00:09:01.600 he compares God's word to quite a number of things. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:02.639 He says, 00:09:02.759 --> 00:09:04.980 It's sweeter to my lips than honey. 00:09:05.620 --> 00:09:07.920 It's a path I can run along. 00:09:08.519 --> 00:09:12.320 It's a lamp for my feet, and a light for my path. 00:09:12.700 --> 00:09:16.480 It's more precious than gold and silver. 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:21.139 And these illustrations, these pictures of the psalmist paints for us, 00:09:21.460 --> 00:09:26.180 help us to understand more just why he loves God's word so much, 00:09:26.620 --> 00:09:29.580 why it is so precious to him. 00:09:30.220 --> 00:09:32.600 So it's a great work of literature. 00:09:33.340 --> 00:09:37.960 But of course, the important thing is what does God want to say to us through it? 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:41.620 And one more thing before we come to look at today's passage. 00:09:41.620 --> 00:09:47.820 There are eight words that are repeated constantly throughout the psalm in the Hebrew. 00:09:48.340 --> 00:09:51.560 Almost every verse has at least one of them. 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:57.720 Now, unhelpfully, most English translations translate two of the Hebrew words as word, 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:00.720 and verses 9 and 11 are the first occurrences. 00:10:01.620 --> 00:10:08.639 In the NIV, the others are translated law, statutes, precepts, decrees, commands, and laws. 00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:12.299 Now, these words obviously all have similar meanings. 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:18.340 Future speakers may go into more detail about the shades of difference between them. 00:10:18.819 --> 00:10:22.220 But let me just highlight the first one, the word law. 00:10:22.980 --> 00:10:25.240 That in Hebrew is Torah. 00:10:26.039 --> 00:10:29.679 And you may know that the Torah, in the technical sense, 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:34.539 is the first five books of the Old Testament, the books of the law. 00:10:34.539 --> 00:10:39.879 But I think in this, in using law and all the other words, 00:10:40.279 --> 00:10:43.620 the psalmist is going beyond just what is written down. 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:46.539 That is the key way in which God speaks to us. 00:10:46.779 --> 00:10:51.759 But the psalmist is looking at all ways in which God reveals his will to us 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:54.419 and points us in the right direction. 00:10:54.980 --> 00:10:59.919 Primarily through his word, but also through what we might call the natural laws, 00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:05.479 that we have a conscience, even people haven't any knowledge of God or of the Bible. 00:11:06.019 --> 00:11:08.360 There is some understanding of right and wrong. 00:11:09.299 --> 00:11:12.860 And then there's God speaking into our individual situations. 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:17.939 And at times we have a real sense that God is leading us in a particular direction, 00:11:18.419 --> 00:11:21.500 consistent with his word, but leading us in a particular direction, 00:11:21.979 --> 00:11:24.000 and we need to follow it. 00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:27.819 And I think these words encompass all of these ideas. 00:11:27.820 --> 00:11:31.660 Otherwise, I'm going to focus particularly on how they apply to Scripture, 00:11:32.200 --> 00:11:36.020 but bear in mind that there could be a wider application. 00:11:37.140 --> 00:11:39.920 Okay, let's get stuck into today's passage then. 00:11:40.020 --> 00:11:42.740 There are two sections, Aleph and Bet. 00:11:42.800 --> 00:11:45.660 As I said, each of them has eight verses. 00:11:47.320 --> 00:11:51.280 And I'm going to call the first section, the path of obedience. 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:57.419 The psalmist is thinking, how can I enjoy God's blessing? 00:11:58.039 --> 00:12:03.939 And I'm longing to be the kind of person who really obeys God. 00:12:04.759 --> 00:12:07.839 So it begins in verses one and two, if you've got them in front of you, 00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:10.299 with the word blessed or blessed. 00:12:11.319 --> 00:12:14.759 Now that's the same word that's used right at the beginning of the book of Psalms 00:12:14.759 --> 00:12:19.000 in a similar context of the person who walks in God's way. 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:25.100 It's also, of course, the same word in English as the Lord Jesus used in the Beatitudes 00:12:25.100 --> 00:12:30.340 when he presented the Christian counterculture that he was bringing out. 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:34.659 And he said, you're really blessed if you follow in these ways, 00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:37.500 if you have these kinds of attitudes. 00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:41.860 Being blessed refers to having a real deep-rooted joy, 00:12:41.960 --> 00:12:44.759 not necessarily happiness, a real deep-rooted joy, 00:12:44.759 --> 00:12:50.220 and a satisfaction as you enjoy walking in God's way. 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:55.039 But look how high the standard is that the psalmist sets. 00:12:55.799 --> 00:12:59.700 Verse one, we're to walk according to the law of the Lord. 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:02.980 Verse two, we're to seek him with all our heart. 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:05.639 Verse three, we're to do no wrong. 00:13:06.580 --> 00:13:10.600 Verse four, we're to fully obey his precepts. 00:13:10.600 --> 00:13:13.120 That's a really high standard. 00:13:13.759 --> 00:13:18.159 And we may look at it and think, how can I possibly achieve that? 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:19.720 Well, in one sense, we can't. 00:13:20.100 --> 00:13:24.259 Only Jesus was able fully to obey God's law. 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:27.200 But that doesn't mean that we can't long for it 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:31.620 and use God's word as the basis for living our lives. 00:13:31.659 --> 00:13:35.060 And that's what the psalmist expresses in verses five to eight. 00:13:35.059 --> 00:13:43.859 He looks at himself and he feels he doesn't yet match the person he's describing in verses one to four. 00:13:44.299 --> 00:13:47.439 He's not achieved the standard that he would set himself, 00:13:47.879 --> 00:13:54.039 and he's concerned he could be put to shame and could even be forsaken by God. 00:13:55.159 --> 00:13:56.799 I wonder if you ever feel like that. 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:01.299 There are some people you meet who just seem to ooze holiness. 00:14:01.299 --> 00:14:05.659 Not because they tell you how good they are, they definitely don't do that. 00:14:06.019 --> 00:14:13.299 But you can sense in them a real closeness to God, a humility, a gentleness, an evident spirituality. 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:18.659 They'd be the first to tell you that they're still sinners like us. 00:14:19.199 --> 00:14:24.719 But in them, there's a Christ-likeness that many of us can only aspire to. 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:29.220 And that may make us almost despair, as the psalmist is beginning to do here, 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:36.379 at our own lack of holiness, at our own lack of devotion to God and to his word. 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:41.440 Well, the good news is that if we truly seek God through his word, 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:47.720 we don't need to be ashamed, and we certainly don't need to worry he could forsake us. 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:53.779 The writer to the Hebrews says that God rewards those who earnestly seek him. 00:14:53.779 --> 00:15:00.279 And he's made a way for us to find forgiveness through Jesus, through his death on the cross, 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:05.379 and then through the Holy Spirit, we can learn God's way. 00:15:05.740 --> 00:15:11.059 We can be enabled to live in the way that the Lord Jesus lived to the extent that we can. 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:16.779 We can be given the strength to obey, and we know that God never gives up on us. 00:15:16.779 --> 00:15:22.939 Even though we fail time and time again, if we are really seeking God, 00:15:23.339 --> 00:15:28.339 if our trust is really in the Lord Jesus, he will welcome us back, 00:15:28.699 --> 00:15:33.079 and he will help us to live the way that we should. 00:15:34.059 --> 00:15:37.419 So we should be looking for the blessings of obedience. 00:15:37.620 --> 00:15:41.339 We should be longing to be obedient to God's word. 00:15:41.340 --> 00:15:45.019 But we need to recognize we don't do that in our own strength. 00:15:45.500 --> 00:15:48.160 We do it as we come to know the Lord Jesus better, 00:15:48.660 --> 00:15:52.240 and to live in the way that he lived. 00:15:53.800 --> 00:15:56.540 Let's move on to the second of the two sections. 00:15:56.660 --> 00:15:58.460 I'm going to spend a little bit longer on this one. 00:15:58.899 --> 00:16:02.160 I've called it the pursuit of obedience. 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:06.740 And the key verse here to understand where we're going is verse 9, 00:16:07.439 --> 00:16:08.620 where the psalmist says, 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:15.959 how can a young person stay on the path of purity by living according to your word? 00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:20.779 Now, it says young person equally would apply to those of us who are older. 00:16:21.419 --> 00:16:23.419 And in the following seven verses, 00:16:23.419 --> 00:16:28.179 the psalmist tells us seven things that we should be seeking to do 00:16:28.179 --> 00:16:32.100 so that we can be obedient to God's law. 00:16:32.500 --> 00:16:37.539 So that we can walk in the path of purity he talks about. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:42.740 So let's just very quickly go through these verses and learn from them. 00:16:43.459 --> 00:16:44.980 In verse 10, the psalmist says, 00:16:45.100 --> 00:16:46.759 I seek you with all my heart. 00:16:47.579 --> 00:16:51.279 Do not let me stray from your commands. 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:54.339 So the first thing when we come to our Bibles, 00:16:54.439 --> 00:16:56.179 when we come to God's word, 00:16:56.519 --> 00:16:59.559 is that we need to be seeking for God. 00:16:59.559 --> 00:17:04.000 At one level, reading the Bible is very good in itself. 00:17:04.940 --> 00:17:08.700 A daily habit of reading the Bible is very important for Christians, 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:12.240 but it's not just so we can tick a box and say, 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:14.740 I did my devotion today. 00:17:14.740 --> 00:17:17.359 We need to come to God's word, 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:23.420 looking for God to speak to us and looking to build our relationship with him. 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:29.640 Letting him reveal himself through his word and then going on to obey it. 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:32.599 We should be looking for Christ, the Lord Jesus, 00:17:33.079 --> 00:17:39.620 in all the scriptures as they increase our understanding of who he is and what he's done. 00:17:39.619 --> 00:17:42.259 And as we seek for God, 00:17:42.819 --> 00:17:46.139 then we will find him and we'll be given the strength, 00:17:46.239 --> 00:17:47.179 says the psalmist, 00:17:47.399 --> 00:17:50.739 not to stray from God's command. 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:54.639 We come to the Bible seeking to know our God better 00:17:54.639 --> 00:17:57.899 and to become more like him. 00:17:59.239 --> 00:18:01.219 Then in verse 11, the psalmist says, 00:18:01.339 --> 00:18:03.459 I've hidden your word in my heart 00:18:03.459 --> 00:18:07.059 that I might not sin against you. 00:18:07.059 --> 00:18:11.980 I think this refers to memorizing the Bible verses. 00:18:12.839 --> 00:18:16.599 When we learn the Bible and learn verses and passages, 00:18:17.059 --> 00:18:21.799 they give us our best weapon when we face temptation to sin. 00:18:22.279 --> 00:18:25.460 Paul describes it as the sword of the spirit. 00:18:26.159 --> 00:18:31.619 It's the weapon that Jesus used three times when he was tempted by the devil. 00:18:31.619 --> 00:18:37.259 I look back to when I was a boy and I remember two passages in particular 00:18:37.259 --> 00:18:38.799 that we learned then. 00:18:39.579 --> 00:18:43.500 One of them, our father got me and my sisters to learn. 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:47.039 It was the opening verses of John chapter 14. 00:18:47.979 --> 00:18:50.879 And here at church, our Bible class leader, Jim McDowell, 00:18:51.139 --> 00:18:54.959 got us learning Isaiah chapter 53. 00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:59.620 And these two passages have stayed with me throughout the years. 00:19:00.140 --> 00:19:03.120 I could still, I think, recite them in the authorised version 00:19:03.120 --> 00:19:04.220 that we learned them in. 00:19:04.700 --> 00:19:06.940 And they're such precious scriptures, 00:19:07.180 --> 00:19:09.640 such precious teaching from the Bible. 00:19:10.180 --> 00:19:13.640 And I'm so grateful that we were taught them. 00:19:13.640 --> 00:19:18.700 I just wish I'd learned more of the Bible when I was young. 00:19:19.120 --> 00:19:20.660 I learned lots of memory verses, 00:19:20.800 --> 00:19:24.420 willing enough to recite them back to the teacher on a Sunday morning, 00:19:24.660 --> 00:19:27.460 but they didn't really sink in. 00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:31.820 And it's much more difficult to learn as you grow older. 00:19:32.460 --> 00:19:34.860 I'd encourage everybody, particularly young people, 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:38.940 but everyone to spend time memorizing key scriptures. 00:19:39.280 --> 00:19:42.720 So that you know your Bible, not just when you read it, 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:44.600 but actually you can think about it, 00:19:44.660 --> 00:19:47.299 you can meditate on it at any time. 00:19:47.600 --> 00:19:50.519 And when the time of temptation or trial comes, 00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:55.059 you'll be given the strength to be victorious over sin. 00:19:55.420 --> 00:19:58.120 We should memorize the scriptures. 00:19:59.940 --> 00:20:03.500 Verse 12 says, teach me your decrees. 00:20:04.120 --> 00:20:08.100 I think this is bringing out the value of studying God's word, 00:20:08.600 --> 00:20:12.279 of making a real effort to understand it. 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:15.900 Some parts of the Bible are really straightforward, 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:19.160 and we can understand them very easily. 00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:22.440 Paul says to the jailer in Philippi, 00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:26.600 believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. 00:20:27.360 --> 00:20:28.200 That's simple. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:30.819 That's the gospel in a nutshell. 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:31.740 It's unambiguous. 00:20:32.380 --> 00:20:34.559 Salvation, forgiveness for sin, 00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:37.620 comes only through faith in Jesus. 00:20:37.619 --> 00:20:43.079 But many parts of the Bible are really quite difficult to understand. 00:20:43.219 --> 00:20:47.679 People spend years studying them and maybe never get to the bottom of them. 00:20:48.219 --> 00:20:51.239 But we need to have that desire to study God's word 00:20:51.239 --> 00:20:53.679 and to really understand it. 00:20:54.139 --> 00:20:56.859 Understand the context in which it was written. 00:20:57.739 --> 00:21:00.359 Sometimes the words in the original Hebrew or Greek 00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:04.000 have shades of meaning that don't really come out in English translations. 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:07.680 Or there are passages we might not understand properly 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:10.940 if we don't look at them in the light of other parts of Scripture 00:21:10.940 --> 00:21:13.660 that are maybe more straightforward. 00:21:15.079 --> 00:21:18.079 Now, in many ways, studying the Bible these days 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:20.480 is easier than it's ever been in the past. 00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:23.799 There are so many resources available to us. 00:21:23.799 --> 00:21:25.579 But we need to be careful. 00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:29.639 I use EI quite a lot and it can be enormously helpful, 00:21:30.339 --> 00:21:32.680 but we mustn't accept it unquestioningly 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:35.259 because it can easily mislead us. 00:21:35.720 --> 00:21:37.799 It is not a person, 00:21:37.919 --> 00:21:40.759 it's not someone who knows Jesus telling us 00:21:40.759 --> 00:21:44.299 it's a computer bringing together lots of different sources. 00:21:45.480 --> 00:21:48.940 Commentaries can also be very helpful in bringing out the truth, 00:21:49.019 --> 00:21:50.559 but can also lead us into error. 00:21:50.639 --> 00:21:52.399 So be careful what commentaries you read. 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:55.080 Make sure they have a high view of Scripture 00:21:55.080 --> 00:21:59.720 and ask Graham or myself or others if you want some recommendations. 00:22:00.840 --> 00:22:02.840 Even when you hear teaching at church, 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:06.460 I hope all the teaching that we give you is sound and biblical, 00:22:07.040 --> 00:22:10.200 but it's good to be like the Bereans in the book of Acts 00:22:10.200 --> 00:22:12.019 who heard Paul preaching 00:22:12.019 --> 00:22:15.200 and then went away and searched the Scriptures 00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:18.320 to see whether what he said was true. 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:19.560 And hopefully if you search the Scriptures, 00:22:19.559 --> 00:22:24.039 it will confirm that what you hear here is the truth. 00:22:24.639 --> 00:22:27.679 But above all, we need to ask God to teach us. 00:22:28.679 --> 00:22:32.220 Commentaries, computers, people who have studied the Bible, 00:22:32.579 --> 00:22:34.220 they're all very helpful. 00:22:34.879 --> 00:22:38.599 But ultimately it's God who will lead us into truth. 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:41.299 Or to quote from Jesus, 00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:44.359 that it is the Holy Spirit whom Jesus has given us 00:22:44.359 --> 00:22:47.059 who will lead us into all truth. 00:22:47.539 --> 00:22:52.159 He'll take the Bible and he'll apply it in our lives. 00:22:52.159 --> 00:22:55.019 So we need to study the Scripture. 00:22:56.159 --> 00:22:58.519 Fourth thing is we need to speak it. 00:22:59.240 --> 00:23:03.680 With my lips, I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 00:23:03.740 --> 00:23:04.980 Verse 13. 00:23:04.980 --> 00:23:09.500 The psalmist said in verse 11 that he hid God's word in his heart, 00:23:09.559 --> 00:23:11.779 but it didn't mean he was hiding it from others. 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:13.680 He meant he was storing it there. 00:23:14.339 --> 00:23:19.860 And he says it's good to use our lips to talk about God's laws. 00:23:20.839 --> 00:23:24.420 Speaking the word to one another is really important. 00:23:25.420 --> 00:23:28.039 Paul says in both Ephesians and Colossians 00:23:28.039 --> 00:23:32.059 that we should speak to one another with psalms, hymns, 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:34.480 and songs from the Spirit. 00:23:35.299 --> 00:23:39.740 And the best Christian songs are very solidly based on Scripture 00:23:39.740 --> 00:23:42.240 and can help us all in our understanding 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:46.200 and help us to encourage each other in our walk with God. 00:23:47.180 --> 00:23:49.259 Alongside that, a good number of people in the church 00:23:49.259 --> 00:23:52.720 meet one-to-one to read the Bible and to study it together. 00:23:52.819 --> 00:23:55.579 We discuss it together in our growth groups. 00:23:55.579 --> 00:23:58.299 And in everyday conversation, 00:23:58.899 --> 00:24:00.799 whether it's with our Christian friends 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:03.259 or with those who are not yet Christians, 00:24:03.919 --> 00:24:06.799 there are opportunities to talk about the Bible, 00:24:07.579 --> 00:24:12.679 but we can obviously only do that if we know it for ourselves. 00:24:13.559 --> 00:24:15.279 So do when you're talking to one another, 00:24:15.740 --> 00:24:19.779 where appropriate, remind each other of what the Bible says. 00:24:20.139 --> 00:24:22.319 And when you're talking to those who are not yet Christians, 00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:25.539 don't be afraid to present God's Word to them. 00:24:25.539 --> 00:24:31.519 It is sharp, it's powerful, it is able to change their lives. 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:36.339 We're getting there, number five, verse 14. 00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:39.419 We should treasure God's law. 00:24:40.460 --> 00:24:41.179 Psalmist says, 00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:43.720 I rejoice in following your statutes 00:24:43.720 --> 00:24:47.779 as one rejoices in great riches. 00:24:47.779 --> 00:24:51.240 The psalmist will return time and time again 00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:54.799 to how much he values God's Word. 00:24:55.379 --> 00:24:57.139 It brings him great joy 00:24:57.139 --> 00:24:59.639 because it enables him to walk in God's ways 00:24:59.639 --> 00:25:04.680 and nothing can bring greater joy and satisfaction in life than that. 00:25:05.660 --> 00:25:09.299 It's very easy for us to take our Bibles for granted. 00:25:10.139 --> 00:25:13.180 You don't even need to carry a physical Bible with you. 00:25:13.619 --> 00:25:16.619 Most of us probably have the Bible on our phones. 00:25:16.619 --> 00:25:21.639 We can read it whenever and wherever we happen to be. 00:25:22.719 --> 00:25:24.439 But I wonder, do we, do I, 00:25:24.899 --> 00:25:27.679 really treasure it the way the psalmist did? 00:25:28.539 --> 00:25:29.579 And if we did, 00:25:30.019 --> 00:25:32.119 what kind of difference would that make 00:25:32.119 --> 00:25:34.119 to our lifestyles, to our attitudes, 00:25:34.500 --> 00:25:35.699 to our relationships, 00:25:36.179 --> 00:25:38.219 to our walk with God? 00:25:39.099 --> 00:25:42.000 This Word of God is the most precious book 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:43.519 that's ever been written. 00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:46.539 And we need to treasure it and value it 00:25:46.539 --> 00:25:47.420 and be so thankful 00:25:47.420 --> 00:25:49.799 that we have it in our own language 00:25:49.799 --> 00:25:52.139 and we can, anytime we want to, 00:25:52.420 --> 00:25:55.500 we can read it and refer to it. 00:25:57.359 --> 00:25:58.500 Verse 15 then, 00:25:58.579 --> 00:26:00.680 the sixth of the psalmist's instructions 00:26:00.680 --> 00:26:05.480 or comments on how we can keep our ways pure before God 00:26:05.480 --> 00:26:07.759 is that we need to meditate. 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:10.259 I meditate on your precepts 00:26:10.259 --> 00:26:12.599 and consider your ways. 00:26:13.099 --> 00:26:14.700 Now let's be clear of what we mean here. 00:26:15.480 --> 00:26:17.620 I looked up meditation on the internet 00:26:17.620 --> 00:26:20.140 and the suggested meaning was the practice 00:26:20.140 --> 00:26:22.120 of training your attention and awareness 00:26:22.120 --> 00:26:24.299 to achieve a mentally clear, 00:26:24.819 --> 00:26:25.779 emotionally calm, 00:26:26.279 --> 00:26:27.440 and stable state. 00:26:27.579 --> 00:26:29.279 Then talked about things like mindfulness 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:30.339 and body scanning, 00:26:30.440 --> 00:26:31.759 all sorts of others. 00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:35.059 That's not what the psalmist means here. 00:26:36.019 --> 00:26:37.640 Biblical meditation is about 00:26:37.640 --> 00:26:39.980 focusing our thoughts wholly on the Bible 00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:43.720 and of what God is saying to us through it. 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:47.339 Perhaps a verse or a short passage of Scripture 00:26:47.339 --> 00:26:49.059 and we're saying to God, 00:26:49.180 --> 00:26:50.000 speak to me, 00:26:50.359 --> 00:26:52.259 help me to understand it, 00:26:52.319 --> 00:26:55.879 but particularly help me to apply it in my life. 00:26:56.400 --> 00:26:59.059 We're not just to learn our Bibles by rote 00:26:59.059 --> 00:27:00.379 for the sake of it. 00:27:00.380 --> 00:27:02.680 We're not just to study it 00:27:02.680 --> 00:27:04.900 for intellectual stimulation. 00:27:06.040 --> 00:27:07.900 We're called to meditate on it, 00:27:07.940 --> 00:27:09.620 to let us change our lives, 00:27:09.800 --> 00:27:11.760 to shape our thoughts and our attitudes, 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:13.940 our words, our actions. 00:27:15.280 --> 00:27:17.260 How often do we read our Bibles 00:27:17.260 --> 00:27:19.360 and then forget about it 00:27:19.360 --> 00:27:21.560 as we go about our day? 00:27:22.260 --> 00:27:24.520 How often do we leave on Sunday morning, 00:27:24.660 --> 00:27:26.460 perhaps having enjoyed the service, 00:27:26.460 --> 00:27:28.319 but not really considering 00:27:28.319 --> 00:27:30.680 what God's Word has said to us 00:27:30.680 --> 00:27:33.819 and letting it change our lives? 00:27:34.819 --> 00:27:36.779 Let's not rush our Bible reading. 00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:39.920 Let's take time to meditate on it, 00:27:40.160 --> 00:27:41.840 to consider God's ways 00:27:41.840 --> 00:27:45.120 and to think how we can follow in them. 00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:47.139 And then finally, 00:27:47.439 --> 00:27:50.139 we need to prioritize God's Word. 00:27:50.239 --> 00:27:50.879 Verse 16, 00:27:50.979 --> 00:27:51.719 the psalmist says, 00:27:51.819 --> 00:27:53.379 I delight in your decrees, 00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:56.479 I will not neglect your word. 00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:57.139 In other words, 00:27:57.500 --> 00:28:00.599 I will prioritize my Bible. 00:28:01.579 --> 00:28:02.759 I wonder if that's true of us. 00:28:03.619 --> 00:28:05.399 Where does our Bible sit 00:28:05.399 --> 00:28:07.019 in our daily priorities? 00:28:08.059 --> 00:28:09.500 Is it something we'll read 00:28:09.500 --> 00:28:10.559 if we have time? 00:28:11.179 --> 00:28:12.559 Maybe we'll skim through it 00:28:12.559 --> 00:28:14.759 and then get on with other things. 00:28:15.779 --> 00:28:18.500 Or is it the most important part of our day, 00:28:19.079 --> 00:28:21.419 along with spending time in prayer 00:28:21.419 --> 00:28:23.519 before and after we read, 00:28:23.879 --> 00:28:25.299 and something that we really, 00:28:25.480 --> 00:28:26.720 really don't want to miss 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:30.480 and we know we want to give good time to? 00:28:31.359 --> 00:28:32.799 Perhaps even more basic. 00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:34.759 Do we read our Bibles 00:28:34.759 --> 00:28:37.359 between coming to church on Sundays? 00:28:38.200 --> 00:28:39.460 Or some of us, 00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:40.480 if we come to church, 00:28:40.480 --> 00:28:42.960 that's our religious bit done for the week 00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:43.900 and we can go away 00:28:43.900 --> 00:28:45.599 and forget about it. 00:28:46.460 --> 00:28:47.279 The psalmist says, 00:28:47.400 --> 00:28:49.160 I will not neglect your word. 00:28:49.700 --> 00:28:52.200 That should be true of us as well. 00:28:53.420 --> 00:28:54.500 So how can a young person 00:28:54.500 --> 00:28:55.539 or an older person 00:28:55.539 --> 00:28:57.779 stay in the path of purity? 00:28:58.779 --> 00:28:59.620 By seeking, 00:29:00.259 --> 00:29:00.839 memorizing, 00:29:01.079 --> 00:29:01.599 studying, 00:29:02.220 --> 00:29:03.059 speaking, 00:29:03.559 --> 00:29:04.079 treasuring, 00:29:04.700 --> 00:29:05.640 meditating on 00:29:05.640 --> 00:29:08.620 and prioritizing God's word. 00:29:09.620 --> 00:29:10.540 Can I challenge you? 00:29:11.520 --> 00:29:12.720 Of these seven, 00:29:12.860 --> 00:29:14.259 which is the one you feel 00:29:14.259 --> 00:29:17.100 that you need to give most attention to? 00:29:17.560 --> 00:29:19.540 The one that perhaps you've neglected 00:29:19.540 --> 00:29:23.200 and haven't really done as you should. 00:29:23.259 --> 00:29:25.720 The one that will make the most difference 00:29:25.720 --> 00:29:27.300 as you move forward 00:29:27.300 --> 00:29:29.340 in enabling you to become 00:29:29.340 --> 00:29:30.780 more the blameless 00:29:30.779 --> 00:29:32.660 and blessed person 00:29:32.660 --> 00:29:34.799 that the writer talks about 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:36.099 in verse one. 00:29:36.319 --> 00:29:39.039 Living according to God's law. 00:29:40.359 --> 00:29:42.299 I want to finish by telling you about 00:29:42.299 --> 00:29:43.379 William Macpherson. 00:29:43.899 --> 00:29:45.259 That's a good Scottish name 00:29:45.259 --> 00:29:46.359 and William was Scottish 00:29:46.359 --> 00:29:48.879 but he emigrated to the USA 00:29:48.879 --> 00:29:52.500 near the end of the 19th century. 00:29:53.379 --> 00:29:54.960 He was a quarry worker 00:29:54.960 --> 00:29:56.359 and he rose to become 00:29:56.359 --> 00:29:57.359 the foreman, 00:29:57.420 --> 00:29:58.160 the superintendent 00:29:58.160 --> 00:29:59.480 in the quarry 00:29:59.480 --> 00:30:00.620 where he was. 00:30:01.720 --> 00:30:02.300 But one day 00:30:02.300 --> 00:30:03.680 he rather foolishly 00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:04.779 picked up 00:30:04.779 --> 00:30:06.320 a stick of dynamite 00:30:06.320 --> 00:30:07.220 that was live 00:30:07.220 --> 00:30:08.660 and it exploded. 00:30:09.180 --> 00:30:10.580 It blew off his hands 00:30:10.580 --> 00:30:12.680 and it left him blind. 00:30:12.800 --> 00:30:14.600 A horrific accident. 00:30:16.040 --> 00:30:17.720 And William Macpherson 00:30:17.720 --> 00:30:19.080 ended up 00:30:19.080 --> 00:30:20.800 in a care home. 00:30:22.040 --> 00:30:23.180 And while he was there, 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:24.000 the days obviously 00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:24.620 hang heavy, 00:30:24.720 --> 00:30:25.200 he had nothing 00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:26.440 that he could do 00:30:26.440 --> 00:30:27.279 in many ways 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:28.619 but what he wanted 00:30:28.619 --> 00:30:29.460 to do more 00:30:29.460 --> 00:30:30.599 than anything else 00:30:30.599 --> 00:30:31.779 was to read 00:30:31.779 --> 00:30:32.859 his Bible. 00:30:33.980 --> 00:30:35.099 But how could he do that? 00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:36.420 He was blind 00:30:36.420 --> 00:30:37.399 so he couldn't read it 00:30:37.399 --> 00:30:37.920 in the way 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:39.319 most of us can. 00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:41.079 He had no hands 00:30:41.079 --> 00:30:42.740 so he couldn't use Braille 00:30:42.740 --> 00:30:43.859 in the way 00:30:43.859 --> 00:30:46.519 that many blind people do. 00:30:47.639 --> 00:30:48.220 William Macpherson 00:30:48.220 --> 00:30:49.220 heard about a girl 00:30:49.220 --> 00:30:49.899 who was blind 00:30:49.899 --> 00:30:51.299 and who lost the sense 00:30:51.299 --> 00:30:52.160 in her hands 00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:53.940 and she read the Bible 00:30:53.940 --> 00:30:55.139 with her lips. 00:30:55.220 --> 00:30:56.599 She put her lips to it 00:30:56.599 --> 00:30:57.779 and that way 00:30:57.779 --> 00:30:59.439 to read her Bible. 00:31:00.099 --> 00:31:00.839 But when he tried 00:31:00.839 --> 00:31:01.599 to do that, 00:31:01.919 --> 00:31:03.000 he found that the feeling 00:31:03.000 --> 00:31:04.139 in his face was gone 00:31:04.139 --> 00:31:05.719 and that didn't work 00:31:05.719 --> 00:31:06.399 either. 00:31:07.240 --> 00:31:08.359 But by accident, 00:31:08.719 --> 00:31:09.799 as he was doing that, 00:31:09.879 --> 00:31:11.039 his tongue slipped out 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:12.299 and he realised 00:31:12.299 --> 00:31:13.179 that he could read 00:31:13.179 --> 00:31:14.859 or feel raised letters 00:31:14.859 --> 00:31:16.359 with his tongue 00:31:16.359 --> 00:31:17.599 by licking them. 00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:18.859 And he thought, 00:31:18.980 --> 00:31:19.659 that's the way 00:31:19.659 --> 00:31:20.779 I can read 00:31:20.779 --> 00:31:21.859 God's Word. 00:31:22.779 --> 00:31:23.779 It was slow. 00:31:23.779 --> 00:31:26.399 It was very painful. 00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:28.500 A lot of bloodshed 00:31:28.500 --> 00:31:30.079 as he tried to read 00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:31.740 the raised metal letters. 00:31:32.099 --> 00:31:34.259 But he persisted at it. 00:31:34.899 --> 00:31:35.940 And he read right 00:31:35.940 --> 00:31:36.740 through the Bible 00:31:36.740 --> 00:31:38.599 letter by letter 00:31:38.599 --> 00:31:39.579 by letter 00:31:39.579 --> 00:31:42.180 over several years. 00:31:42.899 --> 00:31:44.099 And then when he was finished, 00:31:44.180 --> 00:31:44.799 he went back 00:31:44.799 --> 00:31:45.940 and he started again. 00:31:46.399 --> 00:31:47.680 And then he did it again. 00:31:47.899 --> 00:31:48.879 And he did it 00:31:48.880 --> 00:31:50.180 a fourth time. 00:31:51.380 --> 00:31:52.260 Painstakingly 00:31:52.260 --> 00:31:53.520 reading God's Word 00:31:53.520 --> 00:31:55.000 and taking the time 00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:57.160 to learn it, 00:31:57.440 --> 00:31:58.640 to digest it, 00:31:58.920 --> 00:32:00.940 and to enjoy it. 00:32:02.140 --> 00:32:03.640 I'm very challenged 00:32:03.640 --> 00:32:04.620 by that. 00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:06.620 It's the kind of love 00:32:06.620 --> 00:32:07.480 for God's law 00:32:07.480 --> 00:32:08.240 that the psalmist 00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:09.060 talks about, 00:32:09.540 --> 00:32:11.100 but is it the kind of love 00:32:11.100 --> 00:32:12.360 that I have? 00:32:13.200 --> 00:32:14.180 It may well put us 00:32:14.180 --> 00:32:14.760 to shame 00:32:14.760 --> 00:32:16.100 as we think 00:32:16.100 --> 00:32:17.380 how perfunctory 00:32:17.380 --> 00:32:18.220 and superficial 00:32:18.220 --> 00:32:20.080 our reading of the Bible 00:32:20.080 --> 00:32:21.300 often is. 00:32:21.940 --> 00:32:23.080 It's so easy 00:32:23.080 --> 00:32:24.400 that we do it 00:32:24.400 --> 00:32:26.580 in just a short time 00:32:26.580 --> 00:32:28.240 and we forget about it. 00:32:28.240 --> 00:32:29.080 And what a contrast 00:32:29.080 --> 00:32:29.540 to someone 00:32:29.540 --> 00:32:29.960 who's spending 00:32:29.960 --> 00:32:31.040 years and years 00:32:31.040 --> 00:32:31.980 painstaking 00:32:31.980 --> 00:32:32.720 reading through 00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:33.280 the Scriptures 00:32:33.280 --> 00:32:35.080 and really benefiting 00:32:35.080 --> 00:32:36.240 from it. 00:32:36.940 --> 00:32:38.440 So let's resolve today 00:32:38.440 --> 00:32:39.160 that we are going 00:32:39.160 --> 00:32:40.520 to give God's Word 00:32:40.519 --> 00:32:42.259 the attention 00:32:42.259 --> 00:32:43.519 it deserves. 00:32:43.619 --> 00:32:44.680 We're going to learn, 00:32:45.079 --> 00:32:45.920 we're going to study, 00:32:46.299 --> 00:32:47.480 we're going to meditate, 00:32:47.639 --> 00:32:48.480 we're going to speak 00:32:48.480 --> 00:32:49.139 about it 00:32:49.139 --> 00:32:50.299 to each other. 00:32:51.160 --> 00:32:52.099 And above all, 00:32:52.319 --> 00:32:53.220 we're going to seek 00:32:53.220 --> 00:32:54.079 to obey it 00:32:54.079 --> 00:32:55.240 and to make it 00:32:55.240 --> 00:32:55.759 the basis 00:32:55.759 --> 00:32:57.359 for our lives. 00:32:58.259 --> 00:32:58.900 To have our faith 00:32:58.900 --> 00:32:59.519 in Christ 00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:00.259 as the Bible 00:33:00.259 --> 00:33:00.940 would teach us 00:33:00.940 --> 00:33:01.879 is the only way 00:33:01.879 --> 00:33:03.000 of salvation 00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:04.319 and to seek 00:33:04.319 --> 00:33:04.879 to follow 00:33:04.879 --> 00:33:05.859 in His ways 00:33:05.859 --> 00:33:06.819 and to be 00:33:06.819 --> 00:33:07.639 His disciples 00:33:07.639 --> 00:33:08.939 as we learn 00:33:08.939 --> 00:33:10.659 more of His will 00:33:10.659 --> 00:33:12.579 through His Word. 00:33:13.240 --> 00:33:14.019 Let's pray together. 00:33:16.419 --> 00:33:17.099 Our Father, 00:33:17.199 --> 00:33:17.639 we thank You 00:33:17.639 --> 00:33:18.139 for Your Word. 00:33:18.219 --> 00:33:18.699 We thank You 00:33:18.699 --> 00:33:19.139 that we have 00:33:19.139 --> 00:33:20.419 this wonderful treasure 00:33:20.419 --> 00:33:22.459 that is in our language, 00:33:22.959 --> 00:33:24.899 in words we can understand, 00:33:25.399 --> 00:33:26.439 that we can read 00:33:26.439 --> 00:33:27.859 at any time we want. 00:33:27.939 --> 00:33:28.359 We thank You 00:33:28.359 --> 00:33:29.179 that has so much 00:33:29.179 --> 00:33:30.219 to say to us, 00:33:30.659 --> 00:33:32.279 so much that will help us 00:33:32.279 --> 00:33:33.240 in our lives 00:33:33.240 --> 00:33:33.819 and particularly 00:33:33.819 --> 00:33:34.659 will help us 00:33:34.659 --> 00:33:35.699 to live the kind 00:33:35.700 --> 00:33:36.220 of life 00:33:36.220 --> 00:33:37.059 that You 00:33:37.059 --> 00:33:38.140 want us to. 00:33:38.680 --> 00:33:39.440 We pray that You 00:33:39.440 --> 00:33:40.180 will help us 00:33:40.180 --> 00:33:41.600 to treasure it, 00:33:41.840 --> 00:33:43.160 to value it, 00:33:43.519 --> 00:33:44.220 and to make 00:33:44.220 --> 00:33:45.180 the most of it. 00:33:45.779 --> 00:33:46.340 That we won't 00:33:46.340 --> 00:33:47.259 take it for granted, 00:33:47.779 --> 00:33:48.799 but that we'll seek 00:33:48.799 --> 00:33:50.160 to find You in it, 00:33:50.759 --> 00:33:51.340 that we'll seek 00:33:51.340 --> 00:33:52.620 to see Jesus 00:33:52.620 --> 00:33:54.080 in all the Scriptures, 00:33:54.819 --> 00:33:55.620 and that we'll seek 00:33:55.620 --> 00:33:57.160 to become more like Him, 00:33:57.559 --> 00:33:59.120 to be His disciples. 00:33:59.980 --> 00:34:01.080 Help us this week 00:34:01.080 --> 00:34:02.680 to spend good time 00:34:02.680 --> 00:34:04.660 reading and meditating 00:34:04.660 --> 00:34:06.140 on Your Word. 00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:06.820 Thank You 00:34:06.820 --> 00:34:07.340 for Your presence 00:34:07.340 --> 00:34:07.960 this morning 00:34:07.960 --> 00:34:09.000 and we commit 00:34:09.000 --> 00:34:09.840 ourselves to You 00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:11.039 now in Jesus' 00:34:11.260 --> 00:34:11.480 name. 00:34:12.340 --> 00:34:12.700 Amen. 00:34:12.699 --> 00:34:14.699 You