Wednesday, December 4th, 2019 - PM - Read the Bible Every Day? (Deut. 6)

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Meditating on God’s Word leads to a prolonged, propserous, and pure spiritual life with God’s blessings.

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right as we get started going from Deuteronomy chapter 6

But I have tonight is a little bit of a deviation from the new series 17. We looked at the list of qualifications for the king that got people and among those things was that the king would be one who read the word of God. So I'm proposing the question tonight because it is kind of the origin of how I came up with. This message was explicitly say You should read the Bible everyday.

It's questions like that, which should hopefully we'll leave you by the word of God to find something that I Endeavor to do in this process and well, you can see maybe my subtitle there that I've LED you on a little bit as me what my conclusion was. but again We hear it. So often are your pastors will tell us the teachers will tell us and Christian School teachers know our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Will encourage us down that app know they did the things that your Sunday school teacher always told you do read your Bible and pray everyday, right? That's what you should do while I'm going to tell you that the healthy thing to do and I'm going to go into various reasons why this is something that you should want to do is to read your Bible everyday. Now does it say it in so many words that the Bible says the read everyday? Well, we're going to look at that as we go through this maybe it doesn't use it in the same brings ology that we would give it to each other. But I believe there's some hints in scripture which lead us to a at the very least. We should want to be in God's word every day. If not, I'll give you the rest of what I have to say cuz we're going to look at some specific words where I believe there's some leaning towards this thought of reading your Bible everyday, even if the word agreed isn't exactly there. So you're Deuteronomy chapter 6. Go ahead and read a few verses and I'll get into what I have to say today. I do Rana me chapter 6. Starting at verse 1. Now. These are the commandant the statutes in the judgments which the Lord your God commanded to teach you that he might do them in the land within go to possessive fear the lord by God and my son son all the days of my life and that guy days maybe prolong. Here there for o Israel and observe to do it that it may be well with me and that he may increase mightily as the Lord God of my fathers have promised the in the land that floweth with milk and honey hear o Israel. The Lord. Our God is one Lord and thou shalt love the Lord. Thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy might Lord. I pray tonight that you would help even me Lord is I consider the the rest of this message that I would be one also I could take that you would have for me through this message that I would be encouraged to be in your word as much as I possibly can and for your people here tonight that they would have that desire at not not even so much for just forward for your word Lord, but for you yourself tour to have more of you and their lives and much of what we get of that comes through your word is you teach us and go And even as we've already sung that he would open our hearts Lord. It's something that we would pray for a message and something that even as we leave this place tonight as we go to our individual places Lorde devotion of Living Lord that we would be once whose Hearts seek to be open to what your word has to say. And I pray that for this message tonight in Jesus name. Amen. All right. So we're also coming up on New Year's and you know that new years is often the time of people talk about resolution. Well, I think it's a good thing to do any time of year that if there's something that you feel like you should be doing that you're not already doing or something you feel like you can do better like reading your Bible. Then there's no better time like tonight then to start that Tradition now do your New Years, of course at the time of people make that for public in and make a big deal out of it, but December 4th can be tonight when you choose to read the word. God more for your daily life. So Deuteronomy chapter 6 those first by verses that we went there and really the whole chapter. I'm going to give you several reasons. These are not all the reasons in scripture why you should read your Bible, but I'm going to give you three reasons tonight while you should read your Bible and the first of those tonight found in Deuteronomy 6 is that your Christian life will be prolong. Don't you want to live a long healthy life now that may not necessarily mean that you live to be 969 years old or maybe hundred and twenty. I've been I've heard of various people who have lived long lives at and it's not so much into the number of you gives you it may be that You might not live to be quite that long. But yes that the thought really behind that is not so much that the number of years but the fact that you would live longer than you would otherwise if you were to be someone who chose not to live for God in for his life. So looking at you Toronto me chapter 6 hear your Christian life will be for long. First of all, let's see how the heart is instructed to you see in the first verse there Deuteronomy 6 it says now, these are the Commandments the statutes in the judgments. So what he's done there is really encapsulated was already been spoken in Deuteronomy chapter 5, and if you're familiar with what's been taking place up to that point in Deuteronomy, that's where he gave the retelling of the Ten Commandments fact that the name of the book itself Deuteronomy is the second telling of law. So this is Moses as they're getting ready to go into the promised land now being given discharge. concerning what they have been instructed So Commandments they establish a pattern for living and it says they're the end of that verse that you might do them in the land with it. You go to possess it saying you're getting ready to go in the kind of lice that I want you to live. Now. We know that in the New Testament it says that there's there's nobody it humanly speaking that they able to keep the entire law, but I will tell you that it is a good guy to have to be able to if you're not stealing from your neighbor. You're not lying to your neighbor. You're not very me a list of Commandments and do what that says that that's a good guide for your life. And just as it was for them. It is also a good rule for us as well. Now one day we're to go into the promised land did they are the conditions upon which they would remain in the land hinged upon whether they would be obedient to what God Said or not. And so they're did eventually come that time. In fact you go to the end of Feed the list of all the key and you find that both Israel Israel already by that point the northern kingdoms the 10 Northern tribes had already been taken into Exile and then eventually the southern tribes Judah Benjamin would also be taken into Exile because of their Disobedience to the word of God and God intended for them to he did not see that realized in their own lives. Sew pattern for living it also established a healthy fear verse 2 that now might have to fear the lord by God to keep all his statues in his Commandments already up to that point because I different situations like with Moses Moses had gone up on the mountain and received the Commandments and then come down and so they were different situations where God revealed himself to Moses a very special way and so in Moses came down from some of those there is one particular at I think it was Exodus 34. I might be wrong where when Moses came down his face was shining and the people were afraid when they saw that so they had to put a veil over his face. So I was just kind of the Aftershock. So to speak of the glory that he had had been shine upon him by the Lord. But anyhow, is it to fear the lord your God? Does the word fear can be various things? In fact, it could in this context even mean from there the word from which is derived mean to be afraid and adjusted the people were afraid when they looked at the face with hoses. Just as you would think of someone a high-and-mighty who had all the power of the universe at their disposal and had done various things in the life of the children of Israel up to that point, which would have struck fear into them performing various Miracles and causing various catastrophes. He was wanting to be you might be afraid now whether that is being afraid in the sensitive like like shaking in your boots. Beer would depend upon whether which side you were on in terms of obedience. Where do you obey Lottery disobeying?

You can be proactive in the sense of respecting God. You respect what he says in his word and choose to do what he says we're going to get into some of the heart behind that later on but he's getting some instruction here regarding a matter of the heart which will get to and describe in more detail later. So, of course the whole thrust of what we're talking about in his promise you that your Christian life will be prolonged is mentioned at the end of that verse there. So the first parts of that were kind of more instructive in the sense of do this, this is more the result of what is going to happen. If you do this, he said that died days may be prolonged. So if you are to continue obeying God and doing what he says and respecting what his word says your days are going to be prolong. Your days are going to be extended and rather than think of various examples, like maybe the the rebellion of Korah, but you can go back to where core I decided he was going to use criticizing the priesthood. And then because he rose up in Rebellion against God at that point Godzilla to bring a story short he cut his life short through that circumstance. So his life was not prolong because he chose to disobey and go against what God has commanded. So that guy days may be prolonged. Is there a new testament precedent for that? Well, John says there's a sin unto death and we pray not for it. It may be that God in his wisdom chooses to take one of us out of the way because he feels like he has no more purpose for us because we've chosen to tarnish his name in such a way that he will cut our life is short, but there was a promise here to the children of Israel that if you are to observe and fear and respect God and your days would be prolonged. In fact, you go back to chapter 5 their verse 16. What does it say about honoring your father? And your mother is says that your days may be prolonged. Hey the words of the wise there. So anyhow that your days may be prolonged and again, it's not only length of life, but quality of life verse number 3. Here there for all Israel and observe to do it. But you want to take note of that phrase observe to do observe to do is not just to do but it's observed to do in all explain that a little bit later that it may be well with thee You don't want just many days. You want many good days. And these are quality days that you would have and then that he may increase mightily and garden deal would head up to that point showed himself faithful in that province in allowing the nation of Israel to be enlarged despite there being in Egypt as they had been in a couple of generations previous there that their number Drew So not only length of life but quality of life there. But all of this was Guided by their love for God it is not just we're going to do what God says we're going to do what God says because we love God and we want to do what God says, which is really the thrust of it because he says they're in verse for hear o Israel the Lord. Our God is one Lord and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might and we see that repeated a number of times in the New Testament when Jesus is approached about so what is the greatest commandment? And really that the summer you hold of that is loving loving your neighbor as yourself, of course would be keeping that certain of The Commandments are there would fall into that and loving God would fall into various Commandments which are given even hear back. If you Toronto me chapter 5 days, they're kind of people have categorized them that way so you could summarize it all by saying that love love God and love your neighbor. So it's all summarized in that. Would you would you do things to hurt someone if you love them, would you disobey them and disrespect them if you love them the answer would be no. And so that's really the heart of this whole keeping of God's Commandments keeping the word of God and respecting. The word of God is having that love for God that you would want to do what God says, if you're going to probably hear a little bit of that theme throughout as what I give you some of these thoughts. So we see the heart instructed. We also see the heart explained verse number 6 and these words which I command thee this day shall be if I'm hearts and thou shall teach them diligently unto thy children shall talk with them when the window is down when they'll Rises stuff.

Few things concerning that the explanation of the heart. Are you seeing her six? It is not just I'm going to have a list of these things that I'm going to do and I'm going to have a checkbox where when I see those things I'm going to check those things off the list. Hopefully your Christian life is more than just checking checks off of a checkbox but more because it's pretty it's a part of who you are that you will do those things naturally because that's who you are as a Christian these words which I command you this day shall be in buying parts and we're going to mention verse verse later, which I'm sure you're familiar with Psalm 119 verse 11 i hidden by word in my heart that I might not sin against thee. We're making it a part of Who We Are So God's work to become a part of your being second of all God's word should become a part of your living. You see that first number 7 you're talking about teaching your children at these various times when you sit down when you walk by the way, when you lie down when you rise up, it's just talking about all the different aspects of our daily living so we should keep God's word as a part of all of that and as we go about and of course, this is naturally you can tell from the context given to parents know when you're teaching children that's you private use everything as a teachable moment and particularly as the word of God is concerned you want to make sure that you're taking advantage of his many opportunities as you can to teach God's word. So you see that also up verses 8 and 9 there? God's word should be a part of your surroundings your binds them for a sign up online handed it up find the find them for your hand is almost as if right now. Might be a bad example here. But you know, sometimes when students would cheat on their test their palms are in different places or watching Little House on the Prairie recently watching. What's your name? I know that Example The Good the good thing. I want to draw from that his it is as if we were keeping the word of God always at our hands always keeping it in a place where we can see it. So hopefully you can get over my example and you can take take the good from that always have them at your hands and also as frontlets between thine eyes, so it would be kind of like if you have like a ball cap or something in your day's going to dangle something off your ball cap it may I know maybe people Inviting creative ways to remind themselves to do things. I try to hide things in certain places so that they'd remember to do those things. And so I got two ways in which you can remember the word of God and I've heard of people how when they're trying to memorize scripture maybe when they're they get into their car. They pulled out their visor and they have maybe a three-by-five card or something. There may be something like that. This is a very practical saying maybe that we could draw from this so trying to trying to pull some good things back into this and get away from the the bad examples that if I get it but find good ways, but you can memorize scripture make it a part of your being a part of your living in a part of your surroundings. So the verses 10 through the end of the heart active. God says there's going to be a time when you dwell in people's houses to build these houses there Wells that are there you didn't dig those. Well, there's going to be various Furnishings around there when you had nothing to do with it and God is going to bless you with these things but be wearing those times. When are we most likely to look to God is it in the times of Plenty or is it in the times of need usually it's going to be a lot of people are going to the Lord and that's fine. No we need to do that and got to think your don't just remember be in those times. Maybe then. Drying up a little bit more out then what it says here, but Tell when you're full of all these good things and don't forget the Lord. No, don't forget these things. Don't forget to fear me in to serve me. He's already mentioned that back in first number to Windows X happened. Don't forget at that time. Not only remember in times of Plenty but in times of Battle verses 16 through 19, he's talking about how they're going to drive out their enemies. And he's giving them warning Neil. Don't be like the other nations around you now, there's going to be a Dollar Tree that you're going to encounter don't adopt that idolatry. No don't attempt to God with these things.

So not only in times of Plenty or times a battle but also times of teaching first number 20 through the end of the chapter there. Have you ever had these moments where maybe as a parent your know you're sitting down maybe on the stove fire sitting down and easy chair sitting down eating a snack and then a little one comes over and has one of those serious questions of life for you and then forces you to have to answer those questions father in this proposed to me really here. Did this child asks, his father know what do all these testimony given their of give me my history and people will say you don't know where you came from and know your history it and if you if you don't know your history than your thoughts. So give me the history. This isn't just the attacking another layer to the keep the Commandments just Just like that, you know the ends with some of the things I've already said but also and I've heard it said by some that is there is some help in knowing why you're doing some of what you're doing and giving some of this history. He's giving some of that why we do these things that we do know, why do we know that you keep what's something that you have tried to teach somebody and why why do we do those things? Is there a purpose behind it? Now that I feel could be something mundane and maybe it's just cuz it's something we do, but when it comes to the word of God and doing things that the that we are asked to do maybe by spiritual leader know why do we do the things that we do? Is there a Biblical precedent for the things that we do? So it's important to know that there are sometimes reasons for the things that we do now. Yes, we ought to obey God that that's that's a done deal. But we also in many cases we have to keep in mind why we're doing what we're doing. I want to point out verse number 24 hear the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes this again part of the explanation here. To fear the lord Our God for our good always that he might preserve Us Alive as it is this day? You see that phrase in there for our good always. Sometimes we think that the things that God especially the things that God asks us not to do it is just a big killjoy for its it's just supposed to be a big sister. Ruin our fun. Well, God says these things are for he said for them. This is for their good and you're the New Testament says that to First John chapter 5 verse 3 at least Commandments were written and they're not Grievous 1st John 5:3. So therefore our good to whatever God has said. So we see that they have been instructed. It's been explained and they're showing two different tests. That might come along and their obedience to God. So this comes along with the promise in that chapter that your Christian life will be prolonged. Yes. You are one who chooses to read the Bible and read and know God's word. So secondly tonight your Christian life will be prosperous. And for that I'll have you go to Joshua chapter 1 again. These are very familiar versus and hopefully I'm just putting you in remembrance as Peter might say of these things, but another said that I'm not telling you these things because you don't know them, but because you do know that I believe.

Doug and just remind you of things that perhaps you've already heard many times before I Joshua chapter 1 and also keep a finger in Psalms chapter one will but mostly will be looking at this park Joshua chapter 1 verse 8 prosperous.

The first of all looking at the command Ranger here. So we seen verse number 8 in this book of the law shall not depart out of my mouth, but now shut meditate therein day and night. So that's the commands that give in there and this is now after Moses has passed off the seen this isn't a whole lot of time later after Moses has already given the instruction in Deuteronomy 6, but now Joshua is taking the reins. He's getting ready to leave the children of Israel into the promised land to take advantage of all the promises that God has given them but when the same reminder to them He said this book of the law shall not depart out of my mouth. So my encouragement from this is to say don't let God's word cease from being a part of your speaking. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. So let's talk about your mouth. Now. What do you think about your mouth? You're probably what if I just want to mention that phrase your mouth. You're probably thinking about this part of your face, right your mouth the other place or maybe you've already eaten dinner you did you put it in your mouth, right and you use your mouth for speaking also, so then that's that the figurative sense of this. There's a literal sense where you're talking about the physical now, but then there is also the that which the amount is used for in terms of speech that comes out of it. So he says this book of the law shall not depart out of my mouth. So I had that phrase there in my encouragement there that you should let God's word cease from being a part of your speaking. So when you're thinking about your mouth and terms of speaking. What are the different ways to understand if you were to take the literal sense of no don't let this book of the law depart out of your mouth. Then you would never open your mouth to share the word of God and that's kind of the opposite of what we're looking at here. Don't let it depart out of your mouth. It is not so much a matter of not speaking it it's more a matter of not losing. Hold on the things that should be present in your mouth. And what are the things that you allow your mouth to do? And in fact, I'll bring us some versus later that talk about the two things that come out of our mouths. So that what it means there in terms of not letting the book of the law terms that point not letting that depart out of your mouth. That's not losing hold of the the things that Moses had said and allowing those things to be kind always ready at your lips.

So we have not only your mouth but your meditation you see the other part of that you have that the negative side of the commands. I ain't got the positive side of the command. He says but now she out meditate there in day and night and what do you think of the word meditation and I'm Pastor Walker to see if described this recently sometime within the last few weeks. Anyhow that I can recall where there are some out there who thinks medication is this some kind of purging of the mind or a Altered States of B. Is the kind of a I like weird spiritual kind of experience and some would make it to sound like that. We're really and as he's described. It's just the opposite of that you're filling your mind. And in this case, you're focusing your mind on what you said. They're the first part of the book their first there this book of the law meditate there in meditate on that. Think about that Focus your mind upon that now this word meditation it if you were going to go to the root word of that is associated with the sound some kind of animals make or the like that like a dove no Chui Or or maybe like a lion kind of kind of softly growling.

And don't get this way. I'm getting ready for lunch, or you can even be associated with nonverbal communication. Sometimes that happens out of her mouth like a like a groaning or up a moaning of some kind and and that's kind of where the origin of this word is in terms of meditation as part of that definition of that word. There's another part of it that I found very fascinating. I proposed the question earlier does the bible specifically say that you should read your Bible everyday? Well, let me throw this thought out to you when it comes to the definition of this word meditation hear one of the other definitions that was given for that word was a reading in undertone. So let me give you an example of what this might entail so I was studying last night and I was kind of reading through various passages. In fact, I was looking at this one at the time and this is when it occurred to me and I was just trying to think about what is this verse mean?

I'm kind of hurting the words and the words. It's kind of think about what it would almost think that I'm sitting there looking at my life.

I think he may be more in those terms of of meditating. So does the Bible say specifically to read everyday? Well, what does it say in the first year when he says meditate bow shot meditate there in At what time at night? So right now it may be think 12 hours ago. Now, what was it like 12 hours ago in this time without finding that would be the day. So that's the opposite. So you have the day and the Knights of the sun is out. The sun is down is which pretty much was in compasses anytime of the day in the begin imagine so

It says you should meditate there in at those times. So that would be just by there all the time right. That would cover just about every hour of your 24-hour day when you're sleeping.

I don't know what to say about when you're sleeping, but knowing it whenever you're awake, you have more control over what is going through your mind into subconsciously sometimes run into some weird things, but Meditate Darren day and night. So the word of God should always be something that is a part of our thinking whenever whenever were consciously going about our business and that's something that should even as I kind of got on earlier just always ready at our lips should not depart from our mouths. We should be in your there's a verse that says we should be prepared to give an answer for the hope that lieth in us from 1st Peter 3. So always be ready and having that fought in our mind of something surrounding the word of God. Maybe it's something that that we read earlier in the day that's coming to our mind maybe a circumstance. We are in reminds us of a verse of scripture as sometimes happens at work and I hear a song on the radio and then it reminds me of

Maybe what I'm hearing isn't always the most Pleasant thing but sit in the scripture and that's a good guard and we're going to talk a little bit later about guarding ourselves. In fact as we get through the rest of this first year, I'm going to explain to you this font of observing to do so, we've seen the command render. Now, we're going to see the purpose revealed the whole purpose of all of this. Don't let it depart out of her mouth meditate during day and night that sound messed up serve to do according to all that is written therein. So all that is written in these books of the law that they had at that point. Whatever Moses had penned up to that point so that you may observe to do So is it a couple different verbs there that are put together observe to do. The word observe there has the idea of of guarding or watching or protecting so that the thought that I had that goes along with this is what I'm about to say here by encouragement for this this to proactively protect your ability to obey God's word. And is it true that sometimes we put ourselves in bad situations where we make it difficult to do the right thing. We want to make it easy for ourselves to do the right thing. Guess what's up? We're going to come to a first later, which I've already mentioned which talks about hiding the word in a hard that we might not sin against God. That's that's a proactive measure to make sure that we're not sending and there's a similar kind of thought here by not letting in the book of the law depart out of our mouths by meditating on those things that we are observing to do according to all that is written. We are protecting our ability to be able to obey those things because we constantly have those things on our mind. So observing to do kind of like the the Watchman in the Watchtower, you know, that's an army were coming and the Watchmen were to fall asleep. In fact, even in the Bible. There are situations explained. I think it's it is Ezekiel the blood of those people's hands on him because if he doesn't do his job don't know maybe not be guilty of allowing something through the doors at the gates of our being here that is going to lead us into some form of Destruction would pass from disobeying God and falling into sin and sin does bring us into destruction. So the thought of observing to do there, so the purpose revealed now the result realize the end of the first there for then Thou shalt make that way prosperous and then Thou shalt have good success. This is what's going to happen. If you do these things, that's the kind of a simple summary of that. My phrase to go along with that is this expect Effectiveness when you've obeyed God's word you expect that you're going to live a can like when the Bible talks about the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous, man. It accomplishes something we pray tonight for some who are sick and sometimes we'll go to the doctor and we'll look for a prescription. We want something that is effective to be able to treat that the people of this world have a cinnamon stick condition and they're coming to us and looking to us for a prescription which is going to help them y'all are we going to be able to give them something that is effective and being able to treat there since it condition well, Let me explain from the Spurs how I come to this Fraser expect Effectiveness when you obeyed God's word. So a couple of key words here. And again, I'm going along with the main point here that your Christian life will be prosperous than thou shalt made it to Highway prosperous and the word has the idea of of cutting through or crossing or being strong or to be effective would be another way to phrase that if it if an army is going to be prosperous. Maybe they have an objective that they're trying to they're trying to maybe break through some kind of a fortification or an enemy line if they're going to prosper in that then that means they're going to be successful and being able to break the Enemy Lines achieve whatever that objective is that is the idea of being prosperous Here Again part of that definition was being strong and if you look through Joshua chapter 1 there. How many times is the Lord trying to encourage Joshua be strong and of good courage? And so that he's giving him the secret here to finding that strength in this verse so then the other word success which is related to it. Is it is a word that kind of surprised me when I looked it up a little bit when you look at the word success and it's a big Hebrew word that use for this has the idea of understanding or comprehension causing someone to consider something or to be taught so that this is kind of the idea behind success. Forgot who it was that said this recently recently.

Talking about doing the right thing and then later you'll be glad that you did the right thing. Even if you don't know right now then doing the right thing is what you should do. So kind of related to that. I thought you know, you should do the right thing maybe right away. You don't feel like doing the right thing. But you know that by doing the right thing by the time you've done the right thing, you'll feel good about the fact that you've done. The right thing. Is that Pastor Walker. Yeah, you know the right thing yet do the right thing, but there you go.

Do the right thing right way? All right now.

Said they started doing the right thing and being glad that you've done it now when you've done the right thing, do you sometimes things to yourself? Help out now. I know why I should have done that. And now I know why it was good for me to have done that and and don't know these are thoughts that go through my mind. Like what I don't know if I should be glad that I did that I think about what the consequences would have been otherwise So this idea of having good success relates to the idea of understanding or comprehension?

No, do these things and you'll be glad that you did them? You'll understand when you've done those things that what God has told you that like was said back in Deuteronomy 6. These are for our good and God has intended it to be that way. So looking lastly tonight not only to

Hyperlite prolong and to prosper but also to be pure and I've already mentioned to this verse let's look at it. Psalm 119.

starting at verse number 9 Psalm 119 Where it says wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed to their to according to Thy Word? With my whole heart have I sought thee? Oh, let me not Wander from my Commandments die word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against the Tell lastly tonight your Christian life will be pure when you read the Bible. So, how are we how do we achieve this cleanliness in that? Again? This is speaking to speaking the Believers tonight. How how do we make our way to clean?

We keep the way clean up. Maybe I can put it that way. We keep the way clean by taking heed according to Thy word, which is the command given there. Brother be careful and that's kind of a thought here as well taking heed and maybe we don't use that specific phrase but it has the idea of being aware of in conscience. Someone who takes heed is someone who understands the situation. They they know what the right thing to do is they know what the consequences are there their they're aware of what's going on. They're taking heed. According to my word so they're going to do it in such a way that it's according to what God has said. No. Do you want to keep your way clean and make sure you're living according to what God's word says probably simple truth that's in Vinsetta lot, but can't be said enough. I think a 1st Corinthians chapter 10 verse number 12 where that that same phrase is also use nowhere for let him that thinketh he standard and talking about Temptation and how Temptation can overtake us. But God has given us that way of Escape now that we don't have to add that we can bear up to that Temptation that ties into what we're staying here hiding God's word in our hearts that we don't sin against God again. This is proactive. We're trying to we're trying to get ahead of a whatever this evil is and cut it off. so how to be clean second of all verse 10 gear how to beat completes verse number 10 says with my whole heart have I sought the we learned back in Deuteronomy chapter 6 love the Lord. Thy God with all thy heart with all my soul with all my mind and that this is a lot of the backdrop behind their keeping up the Commandments that they have been given having that love for God. Jesus said in John Chapter 14 verse 15. If ye love me keep my Commandments. We are showing that we love God when we do the things that he says. And you see inverse number 10 to desire to do the right thing. And do we have that desire to do the right thing verse number 10. You see it there. He says, oh, let me not Wander from thy Commandments. No don't because when that time of Temptation comes will be able to draw from that. Well of knowledge to be able to fight that Temptation. We don't want to fall into the Trap that the enemy for a flashlight have for us. So there's the desire not to disobey God thirdly how to be careful. I've already talked about taking heed. We're going to talk more specifically about how do we take heed? And it's by this action figure verse 11 die word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee that we see the object of protection there, which is the word of God by word. And don't the word word gear. I could stay at that way. There's there's a number of different Hebrew words used to translate the word word. But this is maybe less common one in a word that is often used when referring specifically to the Torah or to what God has said. So Thai word for that would tie back to Joshua 1:8 to tie back to Deuteronomy 6 when it's talking about the specific Commandments that they had been given by God and I word have I hid in my heart So that you see the object of protection we see the method of preparation being around Christmas. Maybe there are things that we've already purchased for certain people or or maybe the time will come on Christmas Eve in Mom and Dad's they don't come in to Mom and Dad's room. No don't know don't be snooping around to different places because maybe somewhere they've hidden presence around the house or in their bedroom. Usually that's my parents got them was in the closet. So if you ventured into Mom and Dad quad that you better beware cuz maybe you weren't going to get what you thought you were going to be hiding things with highest things that are important to us. We highest things that are valuable just like you might hide Money in a state for jewelry in a safe and you keep those things protected you put high value on those things. And so you put them in a place where someone can't just casually come in and take that away from you. So that's kind of the idea of this hiding here. We value God's work so much that were were were putting it in a place where nobody can take it away. So the word of God should be so much a part of us that it if for any reason anything ever happened in our country to where maybe we're in a situation like we hear some missionaries that have to go through serious situation. Sometimes the torture that he had to endure but there were times where they were trying to get him to to say various things in favor of your leadership in there and their their routine whatever but he would come back to trying to think of trying baby quoting versus of a of a of a ham or quoting scripture it always try to keep coming back to that so that he could be brainwashed by the things that they were trying to explain into him situations like that mean God forbid that we would ever have to You were that but in those situations, how how much are you going to be able to remember know? How much of God's word? Have you hidden in your car to where you're going to be able to stand strong in those times now? It's very unlikely. I would say and I and maybe I hope hopefully it won't be proven wrong on this but that none of us will ever have to endure something like that. Just think about your your average ordinary situations. No talking about temptations that we have to fight talking about people coming to us for answers. How prepared are we going to be in those times that maybe maybe he'll be like a week ago when I was standing on someone's doorstep trying to talk to a Catholic lady and I'm standing there trying to think of a Hertz at that. I wanted to tell her and I just couldn't quite get it out. Have you ever been in that situation before? We it's on the tip of your tongue, but you just that was a warning to me know that I should be more prepared with hiding God's word in my heart and making sure that you know, when those times come I have an answer for someone like that lady that I was talking to you. So always be prepared in those situations the best that you can and the best way to do that is just always the immersing ourselves in this book Someone. How do you keep your phone there and it never went back to it. But again, it has similar thoughts related to things that we've already talked about meditating in God's word night. We want to make sure that that's always a part of Who We Are

So again finishing up here how to be careful. We've looked at the object of protection, which is God's word the method of preparation, which is the hiking in our hearts. The reason for that of course is that we might not sin against God we're being proactive and I said that multiple times but I want to reiterate that 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 verse battles those those thoughts that might come into our head know. How are we going to fight those thoughts? What did Jesus do when he was tempted of the devil Matthew chapter 4 Luke chapter 4 whenever the devil came to him with some kind of a of a thought or an accusation. Jesus was in Hell the devil what's the word of God? So to speak and you'll be able to give him a quick answer about what the Bible said and guess what the devil went running after that. And so if we are prepared in such a way then we can keep the devil at Bay in our lives. Is he seeking whom he may devour but we don't want him to devour us. We need to always be ready with the word of God in our lives. So as soon as we conclude tonight, and this is concluding for good like pastors off and say preachers off and say this is your final Point. Well, I'll do it kind of summarize everything. All kind of let you in on the spot that I had an alternate title for tonight's message. If you're following along with the abyss prolonging and prospering now that my alternate title was live long and prosper. Lee. Ask you to remember.

Is that helps you to remember in to be encouraged to stay in the word of God? Those are reasons why you shouldn't be in the word of God as much as you possibly can everyday day and night and always keeping that at the tip of your tongue. And one of the thing I'll say in closing here is it is not so much a matter of keeping a strict schedule and it hearing to a strict regimen of reading the Bible so much as it's your whole entire attitude of how you view God in his word. If you love God and you love his word you are going to be in it all the time and that's really not the summary of all of us here. You see other versus here in Psalm 119 that speak to that And all y'all stay here with the first number 97, I believe it is. He says oh how I love thy law. It is my meditation all the day. As we leave from this place tonight.

We can meditate upon your what I've said or this is also something, you know, it's good to be here and to be focused upon the word of God. How much are we focused on the word of God when we leave this place am I hope and desire for myself? And for everyone else here is that and we would make that resolution even right now that we would make the word of God War part of our daily lives and more apart of our daily being so that it's something that we have that we can use to help us through our Christian Life and we can live long and prosper purely in a very very real way. And that would be my prayer even as we close now. So let's go ahead and close the word prayer.

Lord thank you for your word. Thank you for the fact that you placed upon your word in a preserving it for us and inspiring a for us and speaking to your word about how valuable that the wisdom found in your word is may it be something that as we leave here that we find to be more costly than gold and silver and precious stones. And that we would seek after it in such a way Lord. Help us Lord. Maybe there are people in this room who have gotten away from a regular habit of of reading and meditating and I'm just digging into your word in some way shape or fashion Lord. I pray that this would be the time that before you tonight. You're we can make that decision to Discard down that path again of not letting the words of your mouth depart from ours Lord and being people who always have the word of God on our lips and in our minds. And Lord for for others here tonight. I pray that you would continue to help and equip us Lord to be able to face the trials that we face to face the Temptations that come upon us to Face the People Lord who that we often see as we go about our daily lives that we would always be ready Lord's be able to share something from your word that might help and that my honor and glorify you because Lord mean we've done our homework. We've done the work of hiding your word in our hearts Lord and I'll be ready for those times Lord that it might help someone as we saying earlier tonight about finding the Savior Hallelujah that's in your word Lord that we can find the way of Salvation or there's a lot of things. A lot of things that we can explore through your word and then there's so much more that we can take that we can take you in and it can seem overwhelming sometimes Lord. There's just so much here help us Lord. Give us your grace that to be able to put as much of your word into our minds and into our hearts as we possibly can. And Lord help us to express our love for you by making your word high priority in our lives and obeying it Lord as we understand it and Lord continue to give us your strength and your health as we Endeavor to do this in Jesus.

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