God's Word & Daily Life: Psalm 119:161-168

Introduction: When we think about God’s Word, we can be guilty of relating that to one day, Sunday. Many Christians, and I would say we are guilty of this at times, tend to view the Bible as only for Sunday. We separate the Scriptures from our daily lives to our detriment. God’s Word is a rich treasure that is meant for Monday through Saturday. It changes our daily lives, and this portion of Psalm 119 offers us four ways that God’s Word affects our daily lives.

I. CHANGES OUR DAILY RELATIONSHIPS- 119:161

The first aspect of our daily lives that should be affected by God’s Word is our relationships. We are individuals created to be in relationship with other people. We have families, relationships with fellow workers, and church relationships. We also have problematic relationships.

The psalmist mentions these princes who persecute him without cause. These are leaders who were persecuting the psalmist. We all face relationships that present challenges, but God’s Word helps us work through these situations.

How? By focusing on God’s Word. His heart, his entire being stands in awe of God’s God. When dealing with the challenging relationships we must keep our focus on God’s Word. It helps us focus on God’s sovereignty in those difficult times, we learn how to extend love others, how to be patient in struggles. It changes our relationships on a daily basis. That family member that is always a challenge is looked at differently, the trying worker is met with God-inspired patience, and so forth.

II. CHANGES OUR DAILY VALUES- 119:162, 164, 167-168

God’s Word should change our values, our daily values. These values range, but the Word of God changes our values.

A. Values of worth- 162, 167

What do you see as worthy? How do we react with the Word of God? Do we response like “one who finds great spoil”? The Word of God changes what we find as worthy. Our fallen states provide us with a completely different view of what is worthy. We value things that are worthless, or as second rate, compared to what God deems as worthy.

For example, we place a high value (i.e., worth) on money, whereas the Scriptures display money or wealth as means to an end. Another example is sex, our society puts sexual gratification at the height of human experience, whereas the Scriptures display it as good within the prescribed limits.

The psalmist, on the other hand, values God’s Word more than anything. Think about being a child and finding a five dollar bill on the ground. It was a wonderful day! The psalmist’s expression is like that. He valued the worth of the Word of God.

That is the same thought in 167. He keeps God’s Word with his entire being (soul) because he loves God’s Word exceedingly. He values it supremely.

B. Values of time- 164

It also changed the psalmist’s value of time. He states that he praises God seven times a day for His word. Notice, he not only praises God once a week for Sabbath, but every day, and multiple times a day.

The psalmist’s values were reflected in his use of time: he praised God constantly. Now, we find ourselves able to praise God for an abundance of reasons: health, physical senses, homes, cars, etc. But the psalmist focuses his praise to God on the Word of God. He valued the Word of God, demonstrated by his time spent on praising God for it. What des our use of time say about our values? What does our use of time with regards to God and His Word reveal? Do we spend our time, ample and adequate and an abundance of time praising God for the Word? Finally, the psalmist displays his values through his actions.

C. Values of actions- 168

His actions, his lifestyle, changed because of the Word of God. His life was different because of the Word of God, and one specific point connected to it.

Now, we know that one of the purposes of Scripture is to provide humanity with God’s righteous rules, His commands for us to live the way He intended.

He kept God’s Word because he knew God was watching. “For all my ways are before you,” the psalmist writes. Calvin, providing us with a better picture of this, writes,

“…for if we live not as under the omniscient inspection of God, the fickle lustfulness of the flesh quickly carries us away now one way and now another.”—John Calvin

Knowledge of this helped change the psalmist’s values as represented through his actions.

What do our values say about our commitment to God’s Word? Or, as we look through these, do you find yourself sorely lacking? What changes does the Word of God need to bring to your life?

The Word of God, the practical and timely Word of God brings changes to our relationships and our values. They also change our daily morals.

III. CHANGES OUR DAILY MORALS- 119:163

This contrast between love and hate has appeared once before in 113, where the psalmist says, “I hate the double-minded, but I love your law.” Our morals, what we deem right and wrong, have been devastated since the Garden of Eden. The promise the serpent made to them was they “would be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). The would be able to determine what is right and wrong.

We have struggled since this period of human history until the present day. Now, this is not to say that everything we come up with is completely opposite to God’s Laws. The natural law, as Paul discusses in Romans 2:12-16, provides a basic morality within the various human cultures and societies. In general, humans the world over know that it is wrong to take a human life. In general, humans know that it is wrong to take something that does not belong to you. That is the natural law.

However, with that said (and numerous examples could be offered), we also witness a constant battle for what is right and wrong. In our present society, we discuss issues related to marriage, the sanctity of life, governmental responsibilities and limits, and all of these reflect a sense of what is right and wrong. How in the world, then, do we determine our morals?

We follow the psalmist’s example, we develop and intensify a hatred of every falsehood, deception. We must cultivate a growing hatred of sin, beginning with a despising of our own. At the same time, we need to see the positive changes to our morals by learning what is right.

All this stems from God’s Word. The psalmist learns his morals from the Word of God. This is desperately needed among Christians today. Rather than saying, “Well, I think...” or “My view is that...” we should say, “The Scriptures state this...” or “God says this in the Word...” Our morals are not gathered from the world, from policies, or from general society, they are brought from the Word of God. As we think about God’s Word & Daily Life we need to remember this includes our morals, our views of what is right and wrong on a daily basis.

How we handle our marriages, our parenting, our work, our past times, all of it should stem from God’s Word. The way we file our taxes, obey the various laws of the land, and interact with political entities should stem from God’s Word. Our entertainment choices, what we read and intake, all should stem from the morals gathered from God’s Word.

IV. CHANGES OUR RELIANCES- 119:165-167

The final point we look at this evening is how we see God’s Word’s and our reliances. Now, by reliances I mean what we look for help. When we experience a life-shattering point, to what do we turn? What do we rely on for daily encouragement?

These reliances speak much about us. What we turn to for help reveals what we hold dear. It reveals what we trust in, and this is telling.

A. The Word provides us with true peace- 119:165

This verse is a wonderful truth of Scripture that we often neglect. The Scriptures provide us with peace, true and event-spanning peace. When we love the Word of God we enjoy great peace.

When the Word of God is our reliance we enjoy peace and a freedom from the stumbling of life. The reliance, though, is based upon the love of God’s Word. This does not simply mean that you have an affection for the Word of God, it means it is a value that one holds, much like the love a husband has for his wife.

I want you to see this picture. Here is a statement of biblical truth. When you love God’s Word, and study it and meditate and memorize it, you will enjoy great peace and nothing will cause you to stumble. Think about this, in our present day we are experiencing great uncertainty. What will happen if they get elected? Or, if they get reelected? What will happen to the nation? Or, the economy?

What is the Christian’s response? What is the response of the one who loves God’s Word? Great peace, like sitting on the sands of the beach while the waves roll and the breeze through your hair. The Word should be our reliance for peace.

B. The Word provides hope- 119:166

The Word provides peace but it also provides hope. Now, hope is one of those words we know the common definition of but that does not translate to the biblical concept of hope. For example, if you play the lottery you hope you will win. This is the world’s understanding of hope. Or, we hope the Cowboys will go to the Super Bowl.

No, the biblical concept of hope is assured expectation. It will happen, it just is a matter of time. It is an expectation. There is no question whether or not it will happen. The psalmist states that he hopes for God’s salvation. He also does the commandments of God. There is a unique connection to God’s Word and hope for salvation (i.e., deliverance). We have hope through the Scriptures. We mentioned this from Romans 15:1-4, but it bears repeating. [GREEN TAB]

We experience change in reliances as we grow in the knowledge of God’s Word. We gain hope.

CONCLUSION

How does the Word of God work in your life? Has it made a practical change in your life, on a daily basis? I am not asking does your Sunday morning look differently than others. I am asking does you Monday morning look different?

I am asking does your marriage look different? Does your parenting look different? Does your work ethic, do your morals, does your civic responsibility look different because of the Word of God?

Evaluate your relationships based on the Word of God.

Evaluate your values on the basis of the Word of God.

Evaluate your morals on the basis of the Word of God.

Evaluate your reliances on the basis of the Word of God.