GOD S WORD FILLS MY HEART

Transcription

1 SESSION 2 GOD S WORD FILLS MY HEART The Point God s Word teaches us all we need to live well. The Passage Psalm 119:9-16 The Bible Meets Life Manuals, how-to books, and online videos abound to teach us any number of techniques and skills. When it comes to what really matters living life only one source will give us all we truly need: God s Word. The Bible gives us the answers we need for the moment. As we read His instruction, God will also guide us to understand His Word. The Setting Psalm 119 is beautifully arranged in 22 eight-verse sections, each beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. And, each verse within that section beginning with that same Hebrew letter. In this second stanza (in Hebrew the bet stanza, vv. 9 16), the psalmist emphasized his desire to live a life of purity before God by following and delighting in God s Word. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 29

2 What does the Bible say? Psalm 119:9-16 (HCSB) 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping Your word. 10 I have sought You with all my heart; don t let me wander from Your commands. 11 I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You. 12 Lord, may You be praised; teach me Your statutes. 13 With my lips I proclaim all the judgments from Your mouth. 14 I rejoice in the way revealed by Your decrees as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on Your precepts and think about Your ways. 16 I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. 30 Session 2

3 THE POINT God s Word teaches us all we need to live well. GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes DISCUSS: Invite your group members to discuss Question #1 on page 21 of the PSG (Personal Study Guide): Are you more likely to wing it or follow instructions? Allow time for each person to respond. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 22): Some people love a well-planned vacation. Others think all that planning simply gets in the way of a real vacation. You can schedule a memorable vacation by filling every moment with events, tours, and activities. Or you can be spontaneous, reserving or purchasing nothing ahead of time. Do you follow a plan or do you wing it? TIP: Additional teaching ideas for each session in this quarter are available at BibleStudies ForLife.com under the Leader Extras tab. Notes ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): In advance, obtain a set of printed instructions for assembling a camping tent and display several copies around your meeting space. Allow group members to preview the instructions, then ask: If you were planning to assemble a tent, how important would these instructions be? and What part of the instructions do you find most helpful? Allow time for discussion, then ask, What would you risk if you ignored them? Discuss how God s Word is our set of instructions for life, given to us by the One who created us. While we may be able to construct a tent without the instructions, the stakes are much higher if we disregard God s Word. (Note: A quick Internet search of tent instructions produces a variety of printable options.) SAY: God has spoken to us through His Word and Psalm 119 shows us just how valuable His Word is for living life. GUIDE: Call attention to The Point on page 22 of the PSG: God s Word teaches us all we need to live well. PRAY: Transition into the discussion with prayer. Pray for group members to have a teachable heart as you spend time studying God s Word. Have Pack Item #3 ready to display after your discussion of Question 3. PLAYLIST PICK: A Thousand Generations by Brenton Brown BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 31

4 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Psalm 119:9-11 (HCSB) 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping Your word. 10 I have sought You with all my heart; don t let me wander from Your commands. 11 I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You. DISCUSS: Question #2 on page 23 of the PSG: How have you benefitted from God s Word in recent years? SAY: Psalm 119 recounts the many benefits of God s Word, and especially its ability to give us guidance and instruction. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Psalm 119:9-11. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGES 23-24): In verses 9-11, the psalmist showed us how we can guard our hearts. Guard your heart by keeping the Word of God (v. 9). Sin comes naturally to us (Romans 3:23), but it is possible for us to live in a way that pleases God. When we follow the Word of God, our actions and speech will be marked with purity and righteousness. Seek the Lord with all your heart (v. 10). Verse 10 expresses both a holy desire for God and a humble dependence on God: I have sought You with all my heart; don t let me wander from Your commands. Store up the Word in your heart (v. 11). The language of verse 11 is the picture of one who places valuable treasure in a safe, special, or secure place and then keeps watch over it to make sure nothing happens to it. ALTERNATE QUESTION: How would you describe your experiences with memorizing Scripture? DISCUSS: Question #3 on page 24 of the PSG: What are some ways we can move from reading God s Word to treasuring God s Word? (Note: This is a great chance for your group members to share successful methods they ve found for learning and memorizing Scripture.) LEADER PACK: Display Pack Item #3, Memorization Tips poster, and use it to discuss any additional ideas for Question Session 2 TRANSITION: When we treat Scripture like a treasure we cannot afford to lose, we re led to a deeper understanding of God and His Word.

5 THE POINT God s Word teaches us all we need to live well. Psalm 119:9-11 Commentary God s Word will keep us from sin. Verse 9: The Hebrew term for young man can be used for persons in the range of ages from a baby to an individual nearing full adulthood. The goal of this young man was to keep his way pure. This is a reference to moral purity. The psalmist s question also makes the assumption that the individual desires a life of purity. Because we are fallen human beings living in a fallen world, the psalmist s desire to keep his way pure is an ideal rather than an achievable reality. However, God still requires us to live lives of purity, even though at times we will fall into sin. The answer to this question of purity or cleansing began with the action of keeping God s Word. Jesus also made this connection between purity/cleansing and God s Word (John 15:3; 17:17), as did His halfbrother, James (James 1:21 25). The Hebrew term dabar (translated word ) conveys the sense of God s communication to His covenant people, or what God says to them. The Hebrew term for keeping is the same word used in verse 4 (translated there as kept, the term means to keep watch or stand guard). Verse 10: Because he sought the Lord with his whole heart, the psalmist made a request or prayer to God: he did not want to wander from God s commands. The Hebrew word for wander has the figurative meaning of going astray morally. The more literal meaning is to meander or swerve. If he wandered away from God s commands the psalmist would wander away from God and off God s path for his life. The Hebrew word (mitsvah) translated commands generally refers to the specific conditions of a covenant. God s commands reveal the direction God intends for our lives so that by obeying those commands we will be blessed. Verse 11: The psalmist had treasured God s Word in his heart. He had stored up God s teaching in his innermost being. The Hebrew word translated treasured conveys the idea of protecting something valuable. It also implies storing up God s instructions so that they might determine one s behavior. Consistent obedience to God s Word would prevent the psalmist from sinning against the Lord. His desire was an ever-deepening relationship with God. One of the common definitions of the Hebrew word translated here as sin is to miss the mark (like an archer missing a target with an arrow). We sin when we choose to think or act in a way that goes against God, His will, and His law. The Bible is clear that no one is able to live a life free from sin (1 John 1:8-10). However, as previously noted, our inability to live sinless lives does not mean we can disregard God s command that we live holy lives (Leviticus 20:26; 1 Peter 1:15 16). BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 33

6 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Psalm 119:12-13 (HCSB) 12 Lord, may You be praised; teach me Your statutes. 13 With my lips I proclaim all the judgments from Your mouth. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Psalm 119:12-13 SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 24): In verse 12, the psalmist blessed God with his praise: Lord, may You be praised, and followed this with a request: Teach me Your statutes. It s a cycle: When we encounter God in His Word, it leads us to worship Him. And as we worship Him, we desire to know Him more and more through His Word. SUMMARIZE THE COMMENTARY (VERSES 12-13): God Himself is with us as we study His Word and seek to obey it. The Holy Spirit, who inspired the writers of the Bible, helps us to understand the meaning of the Bible passage being read, studied, or memorized (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit also helps us apply His Word to our lives. Once we know God s Word with our minds and hearts, the natural result is for us to share with others the truth we find there. The psalmist declared all the judgments (v. 13) from God s mouth. ALTERNATE QUESTION: Where do you see opportunities to proclaim what you encounter in God s Word? DISCUSS: Question #4 on page 25 of the PSG: What helps you engage the Scriptures in a meaningful way? (Note: Help your group to consider practical ways to prioritize, study, and follow God s Word.) ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Create a Spotify public playlist with the Winter Playlist Picks found on page 161, then send the playlist link to your group members. Encourage your group members to find a time this week to personally worship God, thanking Him for all He has given us in His Word. TRANSITION: In the next verses, the psalmist moved from knowing and treasuring God s Word to joyfully celebrating all that he found there. 34 Session 2

7 THE POINT God s Word teaches us all we need to live well. Psalm 119:12-13 Commentary God guides us to understand His Word. Verse 12: This verse begins with praise and concludes with a petition. The Hebrew word translated praised is related to the words meaning knee and to bend the knee. The psalmist praised God by (figuratively or literally) bending his knees to Him in humble submission. We can honor God by bringing praise to His name for all He is and all He does. The psalmist requested that God would teach him His statutes. We need to learn the things God has revealed in His Word. However, we cannot learn God s statutes on our own. As God has declared, For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways (Isaiah 55:8). How does God teach us His Word? We don t have to guess. Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that He (Father, Son, and Spirit) is the primary Teacher of His Word. God s Spirit, who inspired the writers of the Bible, helps us to understand the meaning of the Bible passage being read, studied, or memorized. Jesus told His disciples, But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit helps us understand and apply His Word to our lives. To be teachable, we must have a proper regard for God and His Word. The word teach is frequently used in the Bible with God or His representative as the subject and with a person or group of people as the object. To teach requires relaying previously unknown information to a person. Therefore, we can never teach God; He can always teach us. The Hebrew term for teach in one of its forms has the meaning of being trained, with the expectation that the instruction will be put into practice. Verse 13: Once we know God s Word with our minds and hearts, the natural result is for us to proclaim it. The psalmist proclaimed God s judgments. The Hebrew term for proclaim has the meaning of declare and even celebrate. The psalmist filled his heart with God s Word (Psalm 119:2,7,10-11). Consequently, he could proclaim all God s judgments. He could share with others the truth of God s Word because he had studied it and incorporated it into his life. One of the ways we incorporate God s Word into our lives has to do with remembering. One of the key themes in the Old Testament is remembering the mighty deeds that God has done for His people. This was particularly true in regard to God s freeing the Israelites from bondage in Egypt and leading them to the promised land of Canaan. Remembering what God has done for us in the past strengthens our faith in God in the present and celebrating His mighty deeds gives Him the praise and glory that He deserves and desires from us. For the psalmist, the proclaiming of God s Word was an integral part of his life. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 35

8 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Psalm 119:14-16 (HCSB) 14 I rejoice in the way revealed by Your decrees as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on Your precepts and think about Your ways. 16 I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Psalm 119:14-16 SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 26): The psalmist declared a steadfast devotion a delight in the Word of God. He committed to meditate on, think about, delight in, and not forget God s instruction and His ways (verses 15-16). SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 26): Scriptural meditation is misunderstood and neglected by many believers, but it is a vital spiritual discipline. Meditation in Eastern religions involves emptying your mind, but biblical meditation means you fill your mind with the things of God. Hebrew poetry doesn t rhyme words; it rhymes thoughts, meaning the writer places similar phrases together to connect ideas. So the parallel thought to meditate on Your precepts (v. 15) is think about Your ways (v. 15). Meditation is concentration, fixing our eyes on something with intense focus, undivided attention, and steadfast devotion. ALTERNATE QUESTION: What tends to keep you from engaging in and following God s Word? DISCUSS: Question #5 on page 26 of the PSG: How can we position ourselves to be transformed, rather than just informed, by God s Word? (Note: Help your group to consider attitudes or behaviors that will lead us to take in God s Word and act on it. How do we move beyond simply reading it?) DO: Instruct group members to complete the activity on page 27 of the PSG on their own. If time permits, encourage volunteers to share their responses. DIGGING DEEPER: Evaluate your current approaches to the Bible and rate yourself on the following scales. (Note: The PSG contains a scale for each item.) Reading God s Word Memorizing God s Word Obeying God s Word 36 Session 2

9 THE POINT God s Word teaches us all we need to live well. Psalm 119:14-16 Commentary Rejoice in what God teaches us in His Word. Verse 14: The writer listed five actions he either was taking or would take in regard to God s Word. The first action mentioned in this section is that the psalmist rejoiced. Once again the psalmist praised God for His Word (Psalm 119:7,12). But in this case, the praise caused the psalmist to express joy. The psalmist reflected joy in the way revealed by God s decrees, a synonym for God s Word. The Hebrew term for the word way means a route or journey. In this context, the word metaphorically refers to a person s conduct, his way of life. This way is clarified by the phrase revealed by Your decrees. It is God s way. The psalmist explained how he rejoiced as much as in all riches. The psalmist placed great value on God s Word, as much as a person would place on attaining great wealth or valuable property. Jesus used similar language concerning the value and single-minded focus that one should place on the kingdom of God (Matthew 13:44 46). Verse 15: The second action mentioned in this section is that the psalmist would meditate on God s precepts. Meditation involves much more than reading; it means focusing on in depth, spending time in reflection, and contemplating the meaning. Generally speaking, the difference between Eastern meditation and biblical meditation is this: in Eastern meditation, you empty your mind of everything; in biblical meditation, you fill your mind with God and His Word. The psalmist s third action was that he would think about God s ways. The Hebrew term translated think about means to examine, to look intently at. Interestingly, it also carries the connotation of looking at something with favor or pleasure. God s ways refer to God s instructions as to how a person should live life. Verse 16: The fourth action mentioned in this section is that the psalmist would delight in God s statutes. To delight in means to take pleasure in, to enjoy, to love, to admire, to revere, and to honor. The object of the psalmist s delight was God s Word. The psalmist s delight could possibly be seen in his previous actions of treasuring (v. 11), praising (v. 12), and proclaiming (v. 13) God s Word. To further reinforce and explain the psalmist s respect for God s Word, he wrote a fifth and final action emphasized in this section. On the basis of the previous actions in these verses ( rejoice, meditate on, think about, and delight in ), the psalmist made the promise or perhaps focused on the goal of not forgetting God s Word. Given the psalmist s previous actions in the first 16 verses as well as the remaining 160 verses of this psalm, his promise/goal of not forgetting God s Word certainly rings true. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 37

10 5 minutes LIVE IT OUT Notes SAY: What will you do this week to fill your heart and mind with the Word of God? GUIDE: Lead group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 28 of the PSG. Make an honest evaluation of your heart. In what area of life do you most struggle with sin? Ask God to reveal one way you can move away from this sinful habit and depend on the Holy Spirit to help you fight this battle with perseverance. Become familiar with some user-friendly Bible study resources. Commentaries, Bible dictionaries, and concordances are indispensable tools that will help you deepen your knowledge of God s Word. Need a place to begin? Check out My WORDsearch Bible at for a collection of free online study aids. Invite others to join you in Bible study. Part of your spiritual growth includes growing with other believers as you study and worship together. Have a friend who isn t connected to a small-group Bible study? Extend an invitation for them to join this one. Wrap It Up SAY: Sometimes we just need clear instructions in life. Thankfully, we re not left on our own to discern what we should do because God has spoken to us through His Word. Commit to seek guidance and instruction from Scripture this week, then enjoy the blessings that accompany obedience. Additional ideas for your group are available at BibleStudiesforLife.com/AdultExtra 38 Session 2