INTRODUCTION
How many of us equate blessings with material gifts and financial provision? It is natural to equate, isn’t it? And I am not denying the fact that the blessings of the Lord have to do with his provision; it has to do with material blessings, financial provision, healing and divine health. And I am glad and blessed to know that God has been good to me and my family all these years, and more so the last two years!
But I would like to see the blessings of the Lord as his divine strength and enablement to serve him and glorify his name. It is an awesome thing to be able to partner with God in the fulfillment of his grand story – to build the City of God, to establish the Kingdom of God, and to usher in the glory of the Majesty on High. I count it an honor and a privilege to have received the call of God about 38 years ago – a call to serve him, a call to partner with him, and a call to journey with him. It has been an adventurous journey of faith – a journey full of surprises but also a journey of faith, hope, and love. It has not always been easy. It has not always gone the way I anticipated it to be. It has also not gone the way God wanted me to walk, and the many times that he has to redirect me back to his ways.
Such blessing cannot be quantified. Such blessing is far better than silver or gold. To know that God had a plan and a purpose for your life and that you are walking in it is the greatest blessing a man could ever ask for. Looking back at my life I can come to a simple conclusion: there are things that are more important to keep and to treasure than what the world has to offer – all the grandeur, and all the accolades, and all the so-called success!
Let me list some of the things that I am beginning to treasure –
The Personal Relationships - Family who walked with me throughout life’s journey – my wife and my children, my brothers and sisters, and the extended family. The relationship becomes precious. There have been times that I took for granted my relationship with my wife – couldn’t see her beyond a helpmate (or housemaid!), a spouse (waiting on you – washing, cooking, and cleaning) BUT the very own flesh of your flesh and bone of your bone! Just recently….just recently (you know what I mean…)
Never again will I take my wife and children for granted! Never again will I take my friends, brothers, and sisters in the Lord for granted!
The Presence of God - the glimpse of the glory of God in my daily devotion, in my daily obedience, and in my daily task of serving him who is the King of kings and the LORD of lords. It has been an awesome 28 years of full-time service and still going. I must admit that many times there were thoughts that crossed my mind about quitting BUT the strength in going on for him is the glory of God that shines through those depressing moments.
What are those wonderful moments? Times when I saw lives being changed and transformed by the power of God. Times when I saw the miraculous hand of God working out the impossible things. Times when I was able to gaze into his presence and felt his love and warm embrace. Times when I experienced the grace of God in the midst of depression, sickness, and suffering. Times when I saw the mercies of God displayed without restrained when I failed him and fell into sin –pride, rebellion, and independence!
Never again will I take for granted the presence of God! Never again will I make the grace of God a thing to be trampled upon! Never again will I make the mercies of God cheap! I will not take for granted the glory of God – the light of his love – and be careful how I walk and how I live!
The Precious Word of God - Make shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. We need the Word- Jesus, the Living Word. We need the Word – the Scriptures, the written Word of God. Let’s see what the Word of God can do for us!!
THE BLESSINGS OF GOD’S WORD
I want to share about the blessings of God’s Word. Let’s turn to our text - Psalm 119:1-8:
1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! 4 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! 6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. 8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!
In this text we can learn THREE important principles about the Word of God: Seeking His Word (Verses 1-3), Keeping His word (Verses 4-6), and Learning His Word (Verses 7-8).
Seeking His Words
Psalm 119:1-3 - Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!
First, walk blamelessly in the law of the Lord. If we don’t spend time looking into the mirror of God’s Word we will never be able to walk blamelessly in the law of God. We need the instruction manual to help us live right for God. We need to spend quality time in his Word. Join the morning Bible Study. Get into the word of God. His word will correct us, prove us, test and transform us!
Second, keep our testimonies as a follower of Christ. His Word is the yardstick by which we can measure our lives as followers of Christ. We cannot use any other standard. Our testimonies as the follower of Christ is dependent upon our walk of obedience to his commandments as laid down in the scriptures.
Micah 6:8 - He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? This verse summarizes, in a nutshell, our testimony as a follower of Christ – (1) to do justice – live justly and peacefully; let your good works e the testimonies of your changed life; (2) to love kindness – be kind, generous, and considerate at all times; (3) to walk humbly – do not be proud, arrogant and haughty. God gives grace to the humble.
Third, seek God with our whole heart. We need to seek God with an open heart but also with the open Bible. In it is the issue of life. It is true that “one day in your courts is better than ten thousand elsewhere”. We need to spend time in prayer, praise, and worship of our Father God. But we cannot prayer according to the will of the Father if we don’t know what it is? We cannot praise and worship him if we don’t have the knowledge of the Holy One. We need the Word of God to reveal to us the nature, the character and the full authority of the Father whom we exalt, we praise and whom we worship. The bible said that the “knowledge of the Holy One gives understanding.” If we want to understand, if we want wisdom to live well for the Lord we need to know the Holy One of Israel. The scriptures testify of the Holy One – so, in immersing ourselves in the Holy Scriptures we will discover the character, the authority, and the power of Jesus.
Keeping His Words
Psalm 119:4-6 - You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! 6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
What must we do to keep the Word of God?
First, we must keep the Word of God with diligent – meticulous, thorough, conscientious, careful, and attentive through careful study, through proper interpretation, and through intentional life application.
Second, we must keep Word of God with steadfastness – faithfully, with determination, commitment, and persistence. Do not let circumstance sway our trust and faith in the Word of God. His promises are always YES and AMEN! Nothing must not and should not separate us from the love of God. His word proves true. He is trustworthy. We must hold onto the word of God with tenacious faith – his Word will guide and led us. In his Word, we can find answers to every question and every difficulty.
Habakkuk 3:17 - Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.
Third, we must keep Word of God IN FOCUS – don’t let the voices of our past, the voices of the world and the voices of the devil rob us of the promises of God. I am sure there are times in your devotion that God causes his word to minister to you and you knew it deep within you. I am sure there are times a preacher’s quoted a scripture and it hits you. I am sure there are times when someone lay hands on you and spoke a word of God over you and you sense deep within you that it truly is God that is speaking to you. All of these should be kept in focus; run with it and see the fulfillment of the Word of God in your lives.
Learning His Words
Psalm 119:7-8 - I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. 8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!
The Word of God Will Corrects Us
2 Timothy 3:16 & 17 - All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
The Word of God is God-breathed and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Its uses are – (1) Doctrine - (AMP Bible puts it as “instruction”). It is a guide to the ways of God. (2) Reproof - Denotes a proof, proving, and a test which includes “conviction of sins. (3) Correction - It is discipline in obedience, a restoration to an upright state or right state resulting in improvement of life and character. (4) Instruction in Righteousness - An instruction in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action.
The reason God gives us his Word is so that the man and woman of God may be – (1) Complete - body, soul, and spirit, (2) Proficient - knowledgeable of who God is, (3) Well-fitted into the plan and purpose of God, and (4) Thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The Word of God Will Proves Us
Psalms 18:28-33 - (28) For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. (29) For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. (30) This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. (31) For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? (32) - the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. (33) He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.
VERSE 30: “…the word of the Lord proves true…” How did God’s word prove us?
1. VERSE 28 - Lightens my darkness
2. VERSE 29 - Spiritual power will be released; faith in action
3. VERSE 30 - Shows us the perfect ways of God.
4. VERSES 31, 32 - Spiritual strength
5. VERSE 33 – Made my feet like the feet of a deer – (a) Strength to overcome all circumstances, (b) Strong feet - can leap over mountains of problems and hindrances, (c) Causes us to ride on high, and (d) Eyes fixed upon the heavenly vision - things above.
The Word of God Will Tests Us
Psalms 105:15-22 - This portion of scriptures rehearsed about the great man Joseph. In Verse 16 the Psalmist noted that the Word of God tested him.
The Word of God Will Transform Us
Hebrews 4:12.The Word of God is – (1) Quick and powerful - the power to change lives, to transform. (2) Sharper than any two-edged sword - It affects every area of our lives; our will, joints, and marrow, thoughts, and intentions of the heart.
CONCLUSION
I started off sharing with you that there are some things that are important to me. In summary, they are –
1. Personal Relationships
2. Presence of God
3. Precious Word of God
I don’t want to leave with you today just some wonderful scriptures, thoughts, and ideas. I want to leave with you the thought that there are some things worth pursuing and pursuing it with all your heart. I want to make an appeal to your heart – to be open for God to move in and to touch and to help you feel the importance of his Word of life. I also want to appeal to your mind to seriously think through what it means to love the Lord your God with everything that is within you. I want you to consider the BLESSINGS OF GOD’S WORD for your life, your family, and your future. How can we be effective and relevant in a world that is bent on going its own independent way - away from God? How can we share with our loved ones the Gospel of the Kingdom? Our lives and how we live it makes a lot of difference. You and I must begin to take seriously to seek his word; to keep and to learn it well – and let it shine through our lives! That will make the difference to the Gospel of the Kingdom!
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