THANKFUL FOR GOD’S WORD

February 1, 2023

Seven times a day, I praise You,
Because of Your righteous ordinances.
Psalm 119:164

THE BENEFIT OF THE BIBLE. I love going to Psalm 119 because it reminds me of how powerful God’s Word is. I have such gratitude for it. Where would I be without the Word? I would not have known that God so loved the world that He sent Jesus (John 3:16). I would have only had a vague sense. The Bible brings clarity and solidity out of ambiguity.

HOW TO INTERPRET THE BIBLE. I wrote down the rules for biblical interpretation on the front page of my Bible so that I don’t drift:

1. Who is speaking these words? Psalm 119 has an anonymous writer. It might be Kind David, it might not, but it’s a Hebrew lover of God.
2. To whom are these words spoken? In this Psalm, they are spoken to the people endeavoring to follow God.
3. For what purpose are they spoken? Psalm 119 is a collection of meditations and prayers relating to God’s Word. This chapter brings focus to the subject of spiritual fitness. And it shows us the enrichment, guidance, principles, laws, commandments, approach, and follow-through that God has for us.
4. Under what period are they spoken? Psalm 119 was written in the Old Testament under the covenant of Moses prior to Jesus. Now, does that mean it is to be ignored or dismissed? Absolutely not. Because Paul the Apostle told Timothy that: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). That includes all Scripture – from Genesis to Revelation.

FALL IN LOVE WITH THE BIBLE. If your interest starts to lag in the Word of God, make yourself go back and look at Psalm 119. It takes about 15 minutes to read it out loud at a basic speed. Or stop and park on a particular verse that blesses you. It was written to inspire us to how much we need the Word!

PRAY THIS PRAYER:
God, thank you for Your Word! I pray You help me to discipline myself to dig in and spend time in these pages like never before, just falling in love with You. Then equip me to act on it and share it with others. Help me encourage Christians and engage people that are lost to come to know You, Lord. Amen!

God bless you!
Pastor Jeff Perry

or·di·nance, noun
An authoritative decree or direction: order.

^{Copyright © 2023 St. Louis Family Church, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. “Ordinance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordinance. Accessed 27 Jan. 2023.}