30 Days in the Bible, Day 18: Psalm 119:9-16

With all the access we have to information these days, we don’t often worry about memorizing material we come across. When my children ask my wife a question, she’ll tell them, “You have the knowledge of the universe in your pocket. Look it up!” With smart phones, tablets, computers, and other devices, we can find almost anything we want to know pretty quickly.

I believe that technology can be a real blessing for learning the Bible. Having the Bible on my phone makes my devotional reading easier, since I can have it at my fingertips in seconds. However, we can take the ease with which we can access Scripture and use it as an excuse to not get the Word into our hearts and minds. While the Bible on a phone is convenient, it isn’t always there to help us fight temptation or to find a verse to comfort or challenge someone with whom we are talking.

Years ago, when I was a child (yes, a very long time ago indeed!), Bible memory was an important part of our Christian education. As I grew older, I went through the Navigators Topical Memory System (still a very good resource). To this day, I often recite verses in the venerable language of the King James Version that I memorized during those days.

I think several factors have led to the lack of emphasis on Bible memory. First is the gradual elimination of Sunday school and related programs for children in the church. This is where much of my memorization began. Second is the proliferation of Bible versions. When most churches used one version, we heard the Scriptures in the same way everywhere, and it often allowed us to memorize passages almost by osmosis. Third is the way that society in general has placed less emphasis on memorization, including in our education system. All of these create new challenges for getting the Word into our hearts.

The psalmist mentions his own practice of hiding God’s Word in his heart. Jesus used memorized Scriptures to resist the temptations Satan threw at Him. Paul cited the Old Testament constantly in his epistles. Throughout the Bible, we see the results of having the Word not just at our fingertips, but in minds and hearts.

Bible memorization is an important spiritual discipline, one which you will find helpful if you make the effort. Choose a good translation of the Bible, set up a list of verses to memorize, and just get started. I find it helpful to print business-card sized reminders, or write out the verses I’m learning on pocket-sized slips of paper. Whatever tools help you, start to get God’s Word into your heart, and see how it works out into your life.

[NOTE: The Navigators have provided a list of verses from their Topical Memory System on their web site for free. You can find that list here.]

30 Days in the Bible, Day 13: Psalm 119:97-104

Many ancient cultures produced what is called by scholars today “wisdom literature.” The Israelites were no exception. The Bible contains several books that are entirely written in that genre, including most of the poetic books of the Old Testament. While Psalms is not entirely a wisdom book, it contains many references to wisdom, and several psalms would be considered pieces of wisdom literature. Wisdom was a prized attribute for a person in ancient cultures.

Our own culture generally values knowledge over wisdom. What is admired is the “expert” who has detailed knowledge about a particular field. Where modern thought falls short is in what the purpose of knowledge is. One can accumulate facts forever, yet never really use them to make a difference in life or society.

Ancient cultures can teach us a lot here, but we must be careful. Wisdom writings from other ancient civilizations stress the importance of wisdom for the individual. The wise person is one who can control himself and who uses what he has gained to make his own life better. Wisdom arises from pondering one’s own experiences and drawing the proper conclusions from them.

Biblical wisdom has a different emphasis. Wisdom comes not from personal life experiences, but from the Word of God. By meditating and studying the Word, you can learn to live a life that is directed by the Lord, and that avoids many experiences that give you a more painful kind of experience. (Ecclesiastes is a wisdom book written by someone who learned the hard way!) Since God is both omniscient (all-knowing) and wise, His revelation can point you in the right path.

Following the Scriptures doesn’t mean you will never have difficult experiences. (See Job.) What it will do is enable you, as you follow the precepts of God, to ensure that you don’t create difficulties for yourself through disobedience. This section of Psalm 119 (the “mem” section, for those keeping track of the alphabet) links the study of the Word with obedience to the Word. Wisdom thus becomes the practical way we put the Word into practice in our lives.

Even when going through trials, we can find wisdom in the Bible to take us through those times. We will have troubles, illness, loss, and struggle, but we can rely on the Word of God to guide us through those times. Let God’s wisdom, revealed by the power of the Holy Spirit through His Word, guide you along the path of your life.

30 Days in the Bible, Day 11: Psalm 1

What does it mean to meditate on the Word of God? The psalmist uses an intriguing word here for “meditate.” It is a word that is often used to describe the growling of a wild animal such as a lion. This is not the roar of a sudden attack, but the extended sound that might be made to warn off an enemy that is approaching.

The word took on another meaning later, and it is used in the Bible of both the godly and the unrighteous. The idea is the thoughts of the heart, or the plans that are mulled over either to engage in rebellion against God or to consider His truth. Perhaps the meaning came from envisioning people muttering to themselves, or, in the case of meditating on Scripture, people reading it aloud softly to themselves.

The word implies an extended consideration of its object. If we are going to meditate on God’s Word, we can’t just read through it quickly and move on without thinking about it. We also should be moving past what occurs to us immediately to ponder the full depth of what the Bible says in a given passage.

Some passages will require more meditation than others. There are places in Scripture where I don’t believe any human being will ever fully grasp completely. Other passages relate straightforward information that can be understood with a few moments thought. We need to give the Word the full attention and time that it requires to unfold its meaning to us.

You can overthink what the Word says sometimes. I love reading the writings of early Christian authors, but some of them tried so hard to find a “spiritual” meaning for everything that they took stories and made every detail fit into some preconceived idea they thought was needed to make the Bible suitable for a sophisticated Roman audience. In the process, they made the Bible say things it didn’t intend (at least not in that place).

We must be careful that we don’t do the same kind of thing today. When we meditate on the Bible, it can be tempting to make it apply to our own situation in such a way that it looks more like wish-fulfillment than faith in what the Lord says. That’s why meditation requires deep thought, and an understanding of the rest of the Word. As we go “day and night” into the Word, and gain a broader as well as a deeper understanding of what the Spirit says through it, we will be able to apply Scripture to life in a way consistent with God’s intentions.

Reading the Bible in large chunks to gain a grasp of the full revelation of God is a valuable practice, one I engage in myself. It must be balanced, however, with time spent truly thinking about what specific passages teach us. A genuine understanding of the message of the Bible doesn’t happen overnight. It requires time, and a lifetime of study and meditation will continue to find depths of knowledge and wisdom we haven’t seen before. God speaks through His Word; we need to take the time to listen.

30 Days in the Bible, Day 9: Psalm 119:105-112

If you grew up in a Sunday school or children’s program at a church, you probably memorized Psalm 119:105 at some point. (If you didn’t, you can do it now!) The verse is a tremendous reminder of the fact that the Word of God serves to illuminate for us the correct way we should live. Without it, we could not find our way through the darkness that sin creates in our world.

The remainder of this section of Psalm 119 (the “nun” section*) shows us how that darkness can affect us even when we follow the Lord. These verses speak of the trials we may face in our lives. Verse 107 speaks of suffering, which affects everyone at some time. Many scholars believe that David wrote this psalm, and he certainly experienced suffering in his life, some of which came even though he did what was right in God’s sight. Christians can expect that we will face trials and troubles in our lives as we live in a world corrupted by sin. Yet we can hold up in suffering as we rely on what the Word tells us about our Father and about our Savior.

Verse 109 speaks of danger that even threatens his life. Whether this was a specific danger or just a general statement of the hazards of life, it is a reminder that each day our lives may be at risk. None of us is guaranteed another day. Some Christians today are at risk of being killed, imprisoned, tortured, or exiled for their faith. Even as we face the risks of each day, we must not forget what the Bible teaches us, and allow the Word to draw us to the Lord so He can bring us through.

The danger in verse 110 is different. Here it isn’t the dangers and risks of everyday life, but the challenge of those who oppose God and want to trap us into falling away from Him. By remaining true to the teaching that God has given us in His Word, we can avoid straying from the proper path that it illuminates. The world wants to pull us away from Jesus, and to silence our witness. By remembering the revealed truth given to us through the Word, we can stand in times of trial and temptation.

The Word truly is a light for us, but it isn’t just a light that shines when all is going well. It is a light that takes us through darkness. We certainly live in a dark world today, just as those who lived in David’s time did. That true Word of God, now fully revealing the Savior and Lord who is its central theme, is just as effective for us today as it was for those who first read it. We must continue to allow its light to shine on the paths of our lives so that we might walk in way that please and honors Jesus Christ.

*Psalm 119 is an example of an “acrostic poem,” in which the alphabet is used to give structure to the poem. This psalm is divided into 22 8-verse sections. Each verse of a section begins with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and the sections go through the alphabet in order. In this section, each verse begins with the Hebrew letter “nun.” If you ever wondered why your Bible has Hebrew letters at the head of each section of Psalm 119, here’s your reason.

30 Days in the Bible, Day 8: Psalm 19:7-14

[NOTE: In the “30 Days in the Bible” devotional, the reference for this is given as Psalm 10:7-14. It is actually Psalm 19:7-14. This is a typo on my part, and one I failed to correct before sending the document to be printed. I apologize for the error.]

We think of the Bible as a book, but it might be better to view it as a library. Not only are there 66 individual books in the Bible, written by 40 or more authors, but there is a variety of literary genres represented. There is narrative (stories), poetry, epistles (letters), wisdom (sayings), apocalyptic (strange-seeming writings about the future), and several other types of writing. Most books contain more than one kind of literature; for example, many prophetic books are written in poetic form. When we read Scripture, we are getting a cross-section of the kinds of writings that were written over 1500 years of history.

Despite all the differences in form and style, however, the Bible has one message to convey. Every genre brings out different aspects of that message, and we may find we appreciate some forms more than others. The Bible tells us about God, about His standards, about our condition, and about the way of salvation.

In the Old Testament, the Law was the revelation of God’s holiness and the terrible price that had to be paid for sin. Prior to the coming of Jesus to fulfill His earthly ministry and mission, the Law, with its sacrifices, showed that sin required the shedding of blood for forgiveness. The lambs, goats, and bulls that were sacrificed pointed to the ultimate sacrifice that would be made when Jesus went to the cross and sacrificed Himself for the forgiveness of our sins.

The psalmist here uses several words to describe the Word of God. Many of these words refer to aspects of the Law, including the word for Law (Torah) itself. He writes of statutes, precepts, commands, and decrees. While each of these terms has a slightly different shade of meaning, the idea that comes across is that whatever is written in the Word has an incredible value for us.

Perhaps more striking is the inclusion of “fear” in the list. We think of the “fear of the Lord” as our proper response to the majesty of God, not a fear that trembles afraid but one that recognizes our place in light of His glory. Here, though, the emphasis is probably more on the Word as what demands that reverential fear, the revelation of the Lord that calls us to come before Him with humility and holy respect. That use of the term fits in with the general structure of the poetry here.

Each word is connected to both an attribute and an effect:

1)      The Law is perfect, which refreshes the soul.

2)      The statutes are trustworthy, providing wisdom to those open to it.

3)      The precepts are right, and a source of joy for the heart.

4)      The commands are radiant, enlightening the eyes of our hearts.

5)      The fear is pure, and eternally existing.

6)      The decrees are firm, all of them righteous.

This could be a discussion for many posts, but the point is not to dissect the Word into its various component parts and assign them each a specific value, but to open up a larger, glorious vision of just what the Word is and does. As we continue to read and study the Word, may all of its parts continue to bless us in a variety of ways.

What Israel forgot

In reading through the Bible, I have once again arrived at the Psalms. (Some years I use a system that reads an individual psalm each day, but this time I'm reading straight through.) By reading through the entire book over a few days, you can pick up repeated themes and phrases that the psalmists use, which can be very enlightening.

There are a number of psalms that refer to the events of Israel's past. These historical reminisces served as a reminder to Israel of what the Lord had done for them, both in blessing and in judgment. In a corporate setting, they would be a call to the congregation to pause and reflect on the relationship between Israel and God.

One word that struck e as I read through this time was the word "forgot." After recounting many of the awesome acts of God, several psalms note that Israel forgot what god had done and went their own way, chasing after other gods. As a result, they came under the Lord's judgment.

The psalmists don't dwell on why Israel forgot. They had the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, as well as the Law and the other extant scriptures. There were priests, Levites, and prophets to teach and remind the people of the Lord's work. I suspect there were two major reasons. First, that when they didn't need the Lord to do great and awesome things, they grew complacent and ignored the fact that God was active in their lives every day. Second, when they didn't see everything go their way, they were tempted to follow the latest "god" who promised to fulfill their desires.

These same reasons, complacency and selfish desire, are just as tempting today. My family is currently going through some struggles, and I'll admit I started wondering when God was going to do something about it. I forgot all the times that He had been faithful, and even beyond faithful, in bringing us through tough times before. As the situations are beginning to resolve, I freely acknowledge my own shame and embarrassment at my wavering faith.

To cure myself, I started doing what the psalmists did: writing down all that God had done for me and for my family in the past. As I recalled His faithfulness, I gained encouragement through the memory of His love, mercy, and faithfulness (as well as a stinging sense of rebuke at my own "forgetting"). It was an exercise well worth the time and effort, as it brought back my lapsed memory of the goodness of God.

So let me recommend this: if you're going through some hard times right now, stop and write down all the times you can recall that God brought you through the trials and into blessing. Think of how He has provided for you, how He has comforted you, and how He has blessed you even through the tough times. If you're like me, when you do this you will regain a sense of confidence and faith in the Lord, and be encouraged as you continue to go through whatever you are experiencing in your life.