Devotion

Action of Devotion

Here we go, I’m excited to be up here. We have two professionals and two amateurs. I don’t mean to brag about Brother Jason and myself, but take it for what it is worth...

In all seriousness, something special can be attributed or said of a midweek fellowship, especially of those in attendance.

We may express feelings of tiredness, fatigue, being drained with work, caring for the home and family but the fact you show up demonstrates a level of faithfulness.

This faithfulness displays we are faithful.

The faithful are to mediate on and obey God’s law.

We can show our devotion to God in many ways, including being in attendance, not forsaking the assembly, raising our children to love and serve God, but love for God’s law is also an expression of devotion to God.

To devote is to give all or a large part of one’s time to (a person, activity, or cause).

In the next several moments, I want to look at the action of devotion. Devotion to God’s Word!

It has been said...

“Our Holy Bible in the only eternal thing human hands will ever touch.”

How will we handle this action?

Brother Sheer once told me something along the lines of balancing our physical fitness with reading the Word of God. We put time and effort into our physical fitness but what about our spiritual fitness?

Look at our passage...

Ps 119.2 Blessed are they that keep

This keep in the Hebrew means to watch, to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey)

As I was studying and writing this, Brother Jason was on duty. He was keeping his post; that is, guarding his post.

Here it is…Keeping is an action…Don’t settle for inaction.

What are we to keep?

Ps 119.2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies

This carries idea of the witness of God. His testimonies in the Word of God are gloriously declared to the world and certified beyond contradiction.

Psalms, Volume 3: Songs of Discipleship Psalm 119

Testimonies. This word refers to God’s statement about Himself and the world in general. The term describes the Ark of the Covenant in the tabernacle and later in the Temple, and the tablets of the Ten Commandments kept in the Ark. Overtones of the legal system are here as well as in the other synonyms. His testimonies are His record of the things He knows to be true. Variations of the root appear in verse 2 and in twenty-two others places in the psalm.

In addition to keep, we need to seek. Once again, we see an action.

Seek means to tread, frequent, or visit.

Think about is this way, our local tattoo parlors and bars are frequented by the military and our local populace. The military in here needs to frequent or seek Him in order to impact them!

How are we, as Christians, to seek Him?

Ps 119.2 …with the whole heart.

The best way I can define this is by an illustration. Drew and Jayden please come up here. I need your help.

What can you purchase with a dollar?

What can you purchase with a torn dollar?

How useful is a torn dollar? It is not useful, neither is half-heartedness!

In the same manner, God desires are whole heart and we ought to give Him our best.

Take action…the action of devotion.

Follow Orders

Before I begin on this next verse, I want everyone to quickly note the date, text the date to someone!

Here once again the Psalmist said

Ps 119.5 O that my ways were directed

If anyone knows what it means to be directed, it is Freedom Baptist Church. Most of us were directed to Twentynine Palms. Directed conveys the idea of an order.

In one sense, I just gave out an order to note the date.

Orders are to be executed, that is, followed. Once again, inaction is not an option.

In this verse, we are not talking about orders from our Commanding Officer, civil authorities, but our Creator.

Continuing on, we read

Ps 119.5 To keep thy statutes!

Psalms, Volume 3: Songs of Discipleship Psalm 119

In verse 5, and twenty other times, we read the word “statutes.” This term has the force of an inscribed royal decree. In the Pentateuch it is often coupled with one of the other words in this list, usually “commandment.” As in our legal system, it is a more particularized legal requirement rather than a broad statement demanding good behavior.

From the Strong’s Concordance, statute signifies an enactment; hence an appointment.

It has to do with the process of passing legislation.

Did you catch that “an appointment”? The most significant appointment we will ever keep is the appointment with our Savior!

According to Heb 9.27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

What am I doing to ensure other are made aware of this appointment?

I stand before you guilt and can say “Not enough!”

The number eight is stamped all over this psalm. Each section has eight verses; one commentator said, the word “eight” in Hebrew literally means “abundance, more than enough”; it is the number of new beginnings. It is as though the writer is saying, “God’s Word is enough. If you have the Scriptures, that is all you need for life and godliness.”

Indeed, the Bible points us to Christ: He is the Living Word about whom the written Word speaks.

Somebody, what is the date? I’ll close with this; tomorrow is July 8. Make a commitment today that God’s Word is more than enough and live it today, tomorrow, and beyond!

God’s people are to be wholehearted in their devotion to him

Dt 6:5; Ro 12:1

See also Dt 30:1–3; Jdg 5:2; Ps 119:2; Je 29:13

Examples of devotion to God

Ps 42:1; Php 3:7–8

Caleb and Joshua:

Nu 14:6–9; Nu 32:11–12; Jos 14:7–12

2 Ki 23:1–3 Josiah and his subjects; 2 Ch 15:12–15 the people of Judah

The psalmists:

Ps 27:1–4; Ps 40:7–8; Ps 84:2; Ps 119:57; Ps 119:135–136

Paul:

1 Co 2:2; 1 Co 9:26–27; 2 Co 1:8–10; Php 3:13–14; Col 1:24; Col 1:28–29

Examples of devotion to other people

Mt 26:35; Jn 6:68

See also Ru 1:15–17 Ruth to Naomi

Jonathan to David:

1 Sa 19:4–5; 1 Sa 20:12–13; 1 Sa 20:41–42

Spouses to each other:

Eph 5:22–23; Eph 5:28–29; Col 3:18–19

2 Co 8:1–5 the Macedonian churches to Christians in poverty

Examples of devotion to a specific task

The leaders and people of Israel to building the temple

1 Ch 28:2–3; 1 Ch 28:6; 1 Ch 28:9–10; 1 Ch 29:1–6; 1 Ch 29:17–19

Nehemiah and the people of Judah to rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem

Ne 2:4–6; Ne 2:17–18; Ne 4:13–18; Ne 4:21–23; Ne 6:15

Jesus Christ devoted to his mission

Luke 9:51 KJV 1900

51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

See also Mt 16:23; Lk 4:1–12; Lk 4:16–21; Lk 22:42; Jn 9:4; Jn 19:30

The disciples devoted themselves to the ministry of the church

Ac 2:42; Ac 5:42; Ac 6:1–4; Ac 8:4