God’s Ordinances

“May Your loving kindnesses also come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your word; So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word. And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your ordinances. So I will keep Your law continually, Forever and ever. And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts. I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings And shall not be ashamed. I shall delight in Your commandments, Which I love. And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.” Psalms 119:41-48 NASB

God’s Word is eternal and powerful. The Bible is the Lord’s and it is true, raw, alive….. providing a firm foundation to stand upon, the Bible transcends time, culture, and circumstances, it reveals to us God’s character and His nature. When believers prayerfully and wholeheartedly seek to read, meditate, and follow God’s Word…  not out of obligation or habit… but to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, we will know God intimately and that is worth far more than the investment in time and energy given to study His Word.

My friend, God has spoken to us through the Bible. His Word. (John 1:1 in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.). We must believe it and receive the Truth as our way to victory.  Jesus didn't teach: 'I am a way, a truth, and a life.' Christ declares that He is the ONLY way, truth, and life. No man or woman can come to the Heavenly Father except through Jesus the Christ. This means that anyone who claims to honour Jesus while advocating other ways to get to God, truth, or life eternal without Jesus is deceived or a deceiver. 

The Word of God is written down under the direction of Holy Spirit. It was not written to our thinking heads but to the innermost part of our hearts. This is why we may find the Bible so hard to understand. We are trying to comprehend it using our thought processes.  Instead we must allow the Word of God to inspire our hearts so that He can enlighten our minds.  I suppose that is why Holy Spirit promoted us to study Psalm 119, it is the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 verses. It’s teaching is to celebrate God’s word and give instruction to His people as the Psalmist beautifully expresses awe and adoration of our holy holy holy God.

Psalms 119:1-24 NASB How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart. They also do no unrighteousness; They walk in His ways. You have ordained Your precepts Lord, that we should keep them diligently. Oh that my ways may be established to keep Your statutes! Then I shall not be ashamed when I look upon all Your commandments. I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments. I shall keep Your statutes; do not forsake me utterly!”  How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.  Blessed are You, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have told of all the ordinances of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word. “Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law. I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. My soul is crushed with longing after Your ordinances at all times. You rebuke the arrogant, the cursed, who wander from Your commandments. Take away reproach and contempt from me, for I observe Your testimonies. Even though princes sit and talk against me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes. Your testimonies also are my delight; They are my counsellors.”

Amen! So many distractions in this world and in this culture attempt to pull us away from God. We are constantly bombarded by viewpoints, images, and ideals that contradict those in the Bible. It is all too easy to find our hearts straying from God and towards those things that satisfy our flesh, our appetite, and our desires. Christians must remain diligent and steadfast in seeking God and keeping His kingdom forefront in our minds.  Our thoughts and our focus determine what actions we will take. 

When we treasure something, we invest time and energy into it. Our material possessions, our careers, our education, and our relationships all have the capability to become earthly treasures which can easily take captive of our hearts and minds. The more we exalt earthly treasures and belongings, the more we’ll be consumed with worry about losing them. The remedy is to grab hold of and cling to Jesus. 

Its not an easy hike. Following God and living out His Word comes with great sacrifice. There will be times we feel alienated from family, friends, and coworkers. We may be persecuted for worshipping Jesus Christ and for defending the Word of God. We may be spoken against and misrepresented by those in higher positions of authority at work, in our churches, and even in our families and communities.

However, we must remain faithful to Jesus, absorbing the Word of God as our anchor. We will stand firm without fear, because we rest in the knowledge that this earth and our journey in it is temporary. 

Whoa! What a question to reflect on! God, thank You,strengthen our hearts when we are confronted and attacked by those who oppose You, oh Lord generate in us a fierce passion for Your Word such that we will not hesitate to defend it boldly and fearlessly. In Jesus’ we pray, Amen.

What hesitation or fear prevents you from sharing the Bible, spreading, and defending the Word of God?