The Means of Knowing God

In Psalm 119:9 we find a question, “How,” we find an answer, “By,” and we find a secret that we looked at yesterday, “guarding it according to you word.” I want to continue in this by looking the means, “I have stored up your word in my heart.” Boice said here we find:

the best thing—God’s Word,

the best place—our heart,

and the best purpose—so that I won’t sin.

The means of sinless-ness is fueling the Spirit of God within us with the Word of God. You cannot walk in holiness and purity apart from the Word of God. To hide God’s Word in your heart is to treat it like a treasure…you guard it, you hold it, and you bury it deep inside and you enjoy it. Listen, this is nothing short of memorization. When we value God’s Word we pour it into our lives. I think this is one of the reason he spoke to young men in verse 9—young men and women memorize easier, but none of us are exempt.

How much of the Word of God is hidden in your heart? If you suddenly found yourself without your Bible and had no access—how much of it could you recall? Not memorizing the Word is sin…it leads to other sin. Maybe that’s why find so few sold out, wholehearted followers of Jesus—we are too lazy to hide God’s Word in our hearts.

The means is memorization and the goal is “that I might not sin against you.” Joseph was tempted by his master’s wife…he said, “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God.” How did he know it was sin? God’s Word was in his heart. When Jesus was tempted—He said, “It is written.” We must treat the Word of God as God’s Word…and we must keep it specifically and diligently. Your goal is purity and that involves not sinning. Not, not sinning less; not, not sinning just a little, and not, not sinning less than your neighbor, but not sinning at all…that’s the goal we must seek. Jesus said, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The Father said, “Be holy because I am holy.” That’s the goal!

He follows this with praise in verse 12, “Blessed are you, O LORD,” and then the request, “teach me your statutes.” We will see this all the way through this great Psalm. To know God’s Word means we must have God as our Teacher. You can’t know God apart from His Word and you can’t know God’s Word apart from His Holy Spirit. This is a living and active book and we need a living and active God to teach us. He must open our eyes, our hearts, and our ears so that we can understand it. The psalmist is committed to know…are we?