Psalm 119:11

Pastor Rick preached on Psalm 119:11 yesterday. It is fascinating to me how God can take what we are learning and struggling through in our own lives and align them with sermons or studies that we are doing. Even though the angle that Pastor took yesterday was different than what I've been dealing with, I think that what he said enlightened my own understanding.

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

Pastor's point yesterday was that we posses in our hands the very words of God. It is God's spoken word to us. However, the question is not whether I have a Bible, but do I have the Bible in me? According to this verse, it is not owning and simply reading the Bible that keeps me from sin...rather it is the storing up and treasuring that changes me and keeps me from sin. He related that implanting the word of God will help in my striving for holiness. It will prevent wrong thinking in me, it will provide counsel, instruct my prayers, lead my life, relieve temptation, help against afflictions, and grant grace.

One thought that I've been mulling over in my heart and mind is how much my own thoughts are more affected by the culture around me rather than the Word. I find myself thinking that small, sinful thoughts are fine. I let so many small "unhurtful" ideas slip in and take root in my mind. I am bombarded day in and day out with our culture and what the world says is normal. The problem here is that I am more inundated with the culture around me than the Word of God. Pastor's sermon yesterday was (probably obvious to most) an epiphany that if I am storing and treasuring, meditating and thinking upon scripture then everything the world tells me will automatically go through the filter of God's Word...and that ought to align what I believe is true and right with what God says is true and right.

I was also struck with the realization that I read the Bible with my own cultural view dictating how I understand the truth I read, when the opposite ought to be true. I must read the Bible and allow it's truths to dictate my cultural view. I am finding that many things that I perceived to be true growing up are not necessarily biblical. As a girl I soaked in what people told me was right and wrong. I created my own conclusions about stories and characters in the Bible. I listened to what others said was in the Bible rather than digging in and reading for myself. Once I got older I began to read the Bible based upon preconceived ideas that had developed throughout the years. These preconceived ideas have been blown up and shattered in many cases because the Word of God will shatter lies if we read it and pray to understand it rather than read it through the filter of our own beliefs. These two realizations have given me a new appreciation for the work of the Holy Spirit in my life as I know I cannot do it on my own.

It often seems that the growth I have experienced in the last couple of years has led me to understand more and more who I am and more and more who God is. My sin is more evident to me than ever before...but the beauty of this is that God's grace and love is more precious and beautiful than at any other time in my life. His Word is the only thing that will continue to show me His beauty and grace. It is the only thing that will change me.