Psalm 119:77 A WORD-SHAPED LIFE TAKES DELIGHT IN GOD'S WORD
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· 27 viewsThe third part of a Word-Shaped Life, focusing on the delight to be had in the Word of God
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Psalm 119:77 A WORD-SHAPED LIFE TAKES DELIGHT IN GOD'S WORD
Psalm 119:77 A WORD-SHAPED LIFE TAKES DELIGHT IN GOD'S WORD
A Word-Shaped Life is a life that is shaped, guided, and molded by the Word of God. It is a life that has taken on the Word of God so fully that the Word of God filters our thoughts, our desires, and our actions.
As we have studied Psalm 119, we have witnessed the psalmist’s intense love for the Word of God. It is like a young man who has fallen in love with a young lady. She is all he thinks about, desires, and talks about. His friends and family grow aggravated because the young man is so smitten by the young lady.
Whenever they go out to eat, his friends ask him what he wants, and he replies, “She always get the salad.” Or, when they go to the movies, he says “She loves romantic comedies.”
The question his friends ask themselves about him is, “Is he insane?” Now, we know that he is not insane. In fact, he is probably more sane then ever, because the young lady will help mold him into a respectable member of society. No, the word insane does not describe him. The word delight, however, does.
The Cambridge English Dictionary defines delight as, “something or someone that gives) great pleasure, satisfaction, or happiness.” (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/delight, accessed 24 May 2020)
Thinking of my own personal life, my wife is my delight. She is such a sweet, fun-loving lady! I enjoy life with her. I am happy. The same can be said of my children, all little bundles of joy. I am delighted to be pastor of Warrior Creek Baptist Church. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
Now, we are discussing how a Word-Shaped Life Takes Delight In God’s Word. And, as we have seen numerous times in this study, God’s Word is practical, sufficient, and brings joy in the midst of sadness and peace in the midst of turmoil.
In our time this evening, I want to discuss several points: 1) A Word-Shaped Life Takes Delight In God’s Word As Foundational to Life, 2) A Word-Shaped Life Takes Delight In God’s Word Regardless of Present Circumstances, and finally A Word-Shaped Life Makes Requests on the Basis of the Word of Delight.
Brothers and sisters, we must take delight in God’s Word, for life, for compassion, and for the glory of God.
I. A WORD-SHAPED LIFE TAKES DELIGHT IN GOD’S WORD AS FOUNDATIONAL TO LIFE—For Your law is my delight
I. A WORD-SHAPED LIFE TAKES DELIGHT IN GOD’S WORD AS FOUNDATIONAL TO LIFE—For Your law is my delight
While the psalmist’s request appears first, logically it takes place last. In other words, as we will note in the final point, it is the basis of the psalmist’s delight in the Word of God that provides the request. So, let us examine this first.
Now, it is important that we keep in the back of our minds the definition of delight: “something or someone that gives) great pleasure, satisfaction, or happiness.” Thus, the Word of God is delightful to the psalmist.
A Word-Shaped Life takes delight in God’s Word as foundational to life. The psalmist describes a state in which he lives: delighting in the Word of God. One thing we have learned in this psalm (119) is that he loves the Word of God, it is his life.
Consider these verses in this psalm:
I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.
Your testimonies also are my delight; They are my counselors.
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.
I shall delight in Your commandments, Which I love.
Their heart is covered with fat, But I delight in Your law.
There are three more references in this psalm to delighting in God’s Word, but I think these provide enough proof that the Word of God was foundational to the life of the psalmist.
Brothers and sisters, what of our lives? Do we look to the Word of God as the foundation of our lives? Does it guide our daily lives? Does it help us plan our futures? Does it affect our relationships with each other? With our children? Grandchildren? Parents? Spouses? In-laws? Out-laws?
You see, when the Word of God is foundational in your life, your life will look different.
Consider our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Word of God was foundational for Him. In His temptation by the devil, His thrice-repeated phrase was, “It is written...” (Matt. 4:4, 7, and 10). To Jesus, the Word of God was foundational for His life, and even for His death and resurrection. I encourage you to do a study for all the times the Old Testament is cited in the book of Matthew.
But I continue, what about our habits? Are they shaped by the Word of God? Do we go about, seeking our own pleasure and comfort (not that those are wrong in and of themselves), or do we sacrifice some of the niceties of life for a greater purpose?
How can you tell if the Word of God is foundational for your life? I think when we reach the same sentiment as Asaph in Psalm 73:24, “Who have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.”
In other words, give me Jesus, and nothing else, and I shall be satisfied! A Word-Shaped Life Takes Delight In God’s Word As Foundational to Life. It is a state of being. Let the testimony of your life be that you delight in God’s Word. It is the foundation of your life.
But, consider secondly,
II. A WORD-SHAPED LIFE TAKES DELIGHT IN GOD’S WORD REGARDLESS OF PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES—For Your Law is my delight
II. A WORD-SHAPED LIFE TAKES DELIGHT IN GOD’S WORD REGARDLESS OF PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES—For Your Law is my delight
Again, while it does not directly say that the psalmist is experiencing any turmoil, we would be foolish to consider otherwise. His request is for “comfort.” He wanted relief, an easement. These thoughts are not tethered to joy and fun, but hardship and difficulty.
For example, in Genesis 43:14 Jacob uses it to describes his request to God for his sons when they appear before their brother.
Another example gives us even further descriptive detail. In 1 Kings 3:16-28 we read of the account of the two women, both having infants. During the night, one of the infants died, and the woman with the deceased baby switched her’s our for the living baby.
The women brought them to Solomon, and Solomon, in his exceeding wisdom, commanded the child to be cut in two. The mother of the child “was deeply stirred,” and told Solomon to give her to the other woman. She sought relief with the saving of her child’s life.
More examples could be provided, but for now let it suffice to say the psalmist was undergoing a trial. It was not a pleasant time in his life. But, as the psalmist comes to recognize, A Word-Shaped Life Takes Delight In God’s Word Regardless of Present Circumstances.
We have discussed this in our look at Psalm 119:75. But it is such an important lesson to grasp, and one that we are prone to forget frequently. Like my children constantly forgetting that you cannot smear Cheetos Crumbs on the couch, we forget that we can take delight in God’s Word regardless of our circumstances.
In his book, A Theology of Biblical Counseling, Heath Lambert offers six categories in which we experience suffering. I think they are helpful in this present discussion, because we will find ourselves in one of these are at time or another, and often in several.
“Suffering and Human Sinfulness”
We often experience trials and difficulties as a result of our own sinfulness. Think of the drunkard. He chooses his alcohol again, alienating himself from his family, friends, and his fellow employees. He suffers because of his sin.
“Suffering and the World”
We discussed the God-Hating World in 1 John 3:13-14, but this is another category in which we experience suffering. Think of governments persecuting Christians. Or, employers making Christian employees lives difficult. Or, family members who mock believers. Great suffering comes in the face of the world, that collective expression of rebellion against God.
“Suffering and the Devil”
While we do not talk of this often, the devil is an enemy of the believer. Not only are we image bearers of God, but we are also tokens of God’s redeeming grace. The devil hates believers, and Peter speaks of him walking around like a lion attempting to devour us. This is great suffering.
“Suffering and the Pain of Others”
We experience suffering because of the pain that others are enduring. When a child is hurt, the parent hurts. When a family in the church experiences pain, the church experiences pain.
“Suffering and Confusion”
Suffering often brings confusion. We do not understand why we are going through this situation, or why an individual is experiencing pain, or why she did not get the promotion, or why they cannot have children.
In addition to those circumstances of suffering, we also experience confusion over major decisions. Lambert notes several potential decisions: marriage or divorce, work more for more money or make less and spend more time at home, whether or not to challenge a straying friend, or whether we should take a new medication or simply die. What suffering is caused by this confusion as well!
“Suffering and Death”
Heath Lambert, A Theology of Biblical Counseling, 248-255
Finally, Lambert notes the suffering that accompanies death. We are all experiencing suffering with the death of Mr. Stewart Babb. He was a loving husband, a great father and grandfather, and he was a dear friend to many of us. We are suffering because of death.
I am sure that we can add many more categories of suffering. However, our point is to understand how we can live A Word-Shaped Life [that] Takes Delight In God’s Word Regardless of Present Circumstances.
How do we take delight in God’s Word regardless of circumstances? Briefly, I want to offer two ways. With each of these, I would recommend taking one each month and focusing on it for that month. I will explain that more momentarily.
Taking delight in God’s Word regardless of present circumstances means having the right priorities (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10; 6:19-21; Psalm 73:24)
This does not mean you do not experience pain. Rather, it means that in spite of the pain you continue to delight in God’s Word. It is a matter of priority. Your relationship with God is the most precious relationship you have.
It is a trust, based on the character of God as revealed in the Word of God, that exceeds the present circumstances.
You can implement this in your life by dedicating an entire month to evaluating all of your priorities in light of the passages referenced above. Whenever you experience a difficult circumstance, look to these verses, and ask God to reveal to you your treasure. This will help you live a life that takes delight in God’s Word regardless of present circumstances.
Taking delight in God’s Word regardless of present circumstances means having the right perspective (Psalm 46; Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28-29)
When you live a A Word-Shaped Life that takes delight in God’s Word regardless of present circumstances, you will have the right perspective of life.
This has an enormously broad application. But I think it might be helpful to apply it to our current situation with the coronavirus.
As the entire world is experiencing difficulties accompanying this virus, it is easy to lose sight of the God who is in complete control. It is beyond our ability to understand God or His ways, and this knowledge, this Word-Shaped facet of our lives, enables us to have the right perspective.
Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon titled Divine Sovereignty, states,
“What are we? and what do we make of ourselves, when we expect that God and his ways should be upon a level with our understanding? We are infinitely unequal to any such thing, as comprehending God. We may less unreasonably expect that a nut-shell should contain the ocean. If we were sensible of the distance which there is between God and us, we should see the reasonableness of that interrogation of the apostle, Rom. ix. 20. ‘Who art thou, O man, that repliest against God?’”—Jonathan Edwards, Works, Vol. 2, 108.
Seeing God as He is presented in Scripture will enable us to have the right perspective and take delight in God’s Word. For this point, take one month and, using the Scripture cited, apply these truths to every situation, in faith trusting the sovereign hand of our God. Again, it does not take the pain or suffering away, but it does help us take delight in God’s Word as we go through this life.
We have seen that...
A WORD-SHAPED LIFE TAKES DELIGHT IN GOD’S WORD AS FOUNDATIONAL TO LIFE
A WORD-SHAPED LIFE TAKES DELIGHT IN GOD’S WORD REGARDLESS OF PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES
These two form the bridge to the truth that...
III. A WORD-SHAPED LIFE MAKES REQUESTS ON THE BASIS OF THE WORD OF DELIGHT—May Your compassion come to me that I may live
III. A WORD-SHAPED LIFE MAKES REQUESTS ON THE BASIS OF THE WORD OF DELIGHT—May Your compassion come to me that I may live
The psalmist’s prayer is for compassion, for an easing or relief of one’s troubles. He prays for this “that I may live.”
Again, let me repeat that this request is based squarely on the delight the psalmist has in God’s Word. That is, the prayer is shaped by the Word of God.
This calls to mind Jesus’ statement in John 14:13, “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” That is, our prayers are shaped by Jesus, and they result in God’s glory.
You see, the psalmist’s prayer for easement results in life. We briefly discussed the fact that the psalmist’s present circumstances were anything but good, but this phrase gives us a little more insight. His life was on the table. His prayer, then, focused on the preservation of his life.
Living a Word-Shaped Life means making requests of God on the basis of the Word of delight. That is, God’s Word forms our prayers.
Donald Whitney, in his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, writes this about prayer,
“There is a sense in which prayer needs to be taught to a child of God no more than a baby needs to be taught to cry. But crying for basic needs is minimal communication, and we must soon grow beyond that infancy. The Bible says we must pray for the glory of God, in His will, in faith, in the name of Jesus, with persistence, and more.”—Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 70
As the psalmist was living a Word-Shaped life, his prayers were Word-Shaped.
Are ours? Do we pray that God will be glorified, regardless of the circumstances? Do we often pray for healing, for deliverance, for ease, without considering the weightier matters of growth, of God’s testimony, or of His glory?
Do we pray in accordance with God’s Word, or for our own will and way? I am afraid that most prayer conducted by Christians (myself woefully included) is not prayer that is Word-Shaped. It is comfort-shaped, ease-shaped, pride-shaped. It focuses on us, our wants, our family and friends, etc.
The psalmist, however, lived a Word-Shaped Life that made requests on the basis of the Word of delight. Do you see how living a Word-Shaped life affects everything?
A WORD-SHAPED LIFE TAKES DELIGHT IN GOD’S WORD AS FOUNDATIONAL TO LIFE
A WORD-SHAPED LIFE TAKES DELIGHT IN GOD’S WORD REGARDLESS OF PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES
A WORD-SHAPED LIFE MAKES REQUESTS ON THE BASIS OF THE WORD OF DELIGHT
Brothers and sisters, we must take delight in God’s Word, for life, for compassion, and for the glory of God. Use this verse, and the accompanying Scripture, and pray that God will help you develop delight in His Word so that you will have God’s Word as foundational to your life, so that you will take delight in God’s Word regardless of present circumstances, and so that you will make requests on the basis of His delightful Word. This will result in God’s glory and our good. Amen.