Never Ending Joy

Palm 161-168 -  7 Things the Word of God brings to your life

If the Word is optional in your life it will be absent from your life.

1. Fearlessness

(161) Princes have persecuted me without cause, but my heart fears only your word.

There is no fear of his persecutors.

Fearlessness is a feeling you can’t lose.

The kind of fearlessness we get from the Word of God is knowing we can’t lose!

Matthew 10:28–31 CSB

28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. 30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

This is a command. How do I fulfill it? How do I “not fear”?

The Word tells us how:  (Matt 10:19-20) – Principle: Grace comes when you need it.

Matthew 10:19–20 CSB

19 But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you are to speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, 20 because it isn’t you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.

Knowing this through the Word gives me confidence and pushes away dread of what may come my way.

Necessary ingredient: Getting to know and spending time with Jesus through the Word

“my heart only fears your word.” We’ve seen in 119 that he prioritizes God’s Word.

By spending time walking with Jesus daily by reading the Word (which is how we know Jesus in the first place), we connect with Him and learn to hear His voice:

John 10:27 – “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.”

John 10:27 CSB

27 My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.

2. Joy

(162) I rejoice over your promise like one who finds vast treasure.

It’s the promises of God found in the Word of God that lead to great joy. The more I read the Word, the more I understand that, ultimately, the promise of God is Himself; His promise to dwell among us in a tangible way.

Though He is omnipresent, when we fail to walk with Him daily, the sense that He is present is not always manifested among us. Where it is not manifested, sin can reign. Where sin reigns, Joy doesn’t.

Joy is manifested where God’s presence is. You experience more joy when you experience more of Christ. You experience more of Christ the more you are in the Word.

This needs to happen within the Body of Christ. Paul calls for this in Philippians 2:1-2

Philippians 2:1–2 CSB

1 If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

3. Purity

(163) I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your instruction.

Purity results from eliminating anything from your life that lead to sin.

This doesn’t come from willpower, but a change of our will from the inside.

By nature, we love rather than abhor “falsehood.” (SIN)

The Word reveals these things and empowers us through the transforming work of the Spirit to “mortify” them.

The more we are in the Word, the purer we become.

4. Perspective

(164) I praise you seven times a day for your righteous judgments.

7 times indicates constant praise.

The only way you will praise God throughout the day because of his righteous judgments about life is if we understand God’s rules about life are actually liberating rather than constricting.

The only way we gain a godly perspective is to have our thinking matured as we spend time in the Word.

5. Peace

(165) Abundant peace belongs to those who love your instruction; nothing makes them stumble.

There won’t be peace in your life until you have submitted to Christ’s authority and ordered your life in keeping with the Word which leads to peace that He will hold you fast and keep you from stumbling.

Philippians 4:6-7 – Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6–7 CSB

6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Notice “reading the Word” isn’t mentioned there. The point is, you won’t know that promise except for reading the Word!

6. Hope

(166a) Lord, I hope for your salvation...

Through the Word, we learn that Jesus is our hope!

Hebrews 6:19–20 CSB

19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

The nature of our hope in Jesus – 1 Peter 1:3-9

7. Obedience

(166b-168) … and carry out your commands. I obey your decrees and love them greatly. 168 I obey your precepts and decrees, for all my ways are before you.

I have always been a big advocate of calling for obedience to Christ and to Scripture.

A few years ago, the call to obey led to an uprising. I was labeled a legalist because I repeatedly called for the church to obey the Word, to obey Christ, to obey the Spirit’s leading. You know why I did that? Because it’s all throughout Scripture. The letters of Timothy alone are packed with instruction Paul commands Timothy to obey.

• The New Testament alone contains 1,050 commands for Christians to obey, which can be grouped under about 800 distinct headings 4. These cover every aspect of life—spiritual, moral, relational, and practical.

Contextual Emphasis Throughout the Bible

Obedience in Scripture is not just about rule-following—it reflects:

• Love for God (John 14:15)

• Faithfulness (1 John 2:3–6)

• Blessing and prosperity (Deuteronomy 28:1–14)

• Consequences for disobedience (Genesis 3, Deuteronomy 28:15)

Chattanooga is full of people who feel their way up and down the streets, which is why we have so many accidents. They put on their blinkers when they feel like it. They stop at red lights when they feel like it. People die that way. People die by obeying Jesus when they feel like it, too.

The call of the gospel is to call to obedience that starts with, “Follow me.” That’s not a request. It’s a call surrender and a command to give up your sinful way of life, for life! Real life! So, repent.