The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. PSALM 19:7
We live in a society where the value of words has been greatly diminished. We often talk about “mere words.” Actually, words can bring life and death. Words are powerful. They can steal hope away, and they can give it back again. God’s Word brings his resurrecting power.
The spoken word was not despised in Bible times. Rather, scholars suggest that ordinary words were highly valued. “In Old Testament times the word was regarded as being alive, and so was portrayed as being sent out of the heart (mind/brain/mouth) of a living person, to leap to the goal at which it was directed. Then, when it arrived, it did the work of the speaker who had sent it forth, for it conveyed the power of the speaker to change the heart or the mind of the hearer of the word.”[1]
True Christians place a very high value on words, even if we live in a world that prefers to value image. Apologist Ravi Zacharias is credited with saying, “In the beginning was the Word, not video.” Jesus, the Son of God, is described as the Word of God. God could hardly express his high view of words in a stronger way than that. The Bible, so-called “mere words” written down on a page, is what God has left us by which we can know him. The Bible is, of course, not God; we don’t worship it. But God’s words shape us, and they can save us. They teach us how to live, but more than that, when they are read or listened to and are united with the power of the Spirit who inspired them, they give us life.
In March 2007, John Piper placed the following words on his Website in a post entitled “The Morning I Heard the Voice of God.”
Let me tell you about a most wonderful experience I had early Monday morning, March 19, 2007, a little after six o’clock. God actually spoke to me. There is no doubt that it was God. I heard the words in my head just as clearly as when a memory of a conversation passes across your consciousness. The words were in English, but they had about them an absolutely self-authenticating ring of truth. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God still speaks today. . . .
As I prayed and mused, suddenly it happened. God said, “Come and see what I have done.” There was not the slightest doubt in my mind that these were the very words of God. In this very moment. At this very place in the twenty-first century, 2007, God was speaking to me with absolute authority and self-evidencing reality. I paused to let this sink in. There was a sweetness about it. Time seemed to matter little. God was near. He had me in his sights. He had something to say to me. When God draws near, hurry ceases. Time slows down.[2]
Very few articles have prompted as many Christian bloggers to comment on them. Fierce discussions ensued on many blogs about exactly what Piper meant. This voice he heard was real and vibrant and full of emotional and spiritual impact. It was directed specifically at him, and since his ears were open, a sense of refreshment and renewed courage resulted. This voice of God was leaping out at Piper through the words of the Bible. Words written on a page that had been handed down for thousands of years were producing a restorative, or if you like resurrection, power in a receptive heart.
John Piper’s experience illustrates exactly what I mean when I speak of God’s reviving Word. In revivals, a hunger for God’s Word returns. Sermons often become longer, sometimes lasting all day. A biblical example of this is found in Nehemiah 8–9, when the first five books of the Bible were preached to people for prolonged periods. Similarly, in revival times throughout church history, people could not hear enough of Holy Scripture, and amazing things happened as they received God’s Word.
As we learned earlier, what is true of a multitude of people during a revival may also be true of individuals at other times. I believe God’s Word can revitalize us and connect us with revival power for our daily lives. As a result of Jesus’ resurrection, the same Spirit who inspired the Bible has been sent to work in our hearts and bring the Bible to life for us. It is through the Word of God that we connect with the power of the risen Christ. A potent proverb says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). This is true of all words, but it is especially true of the Word of God.
One place in the Bible where God’s Word is honored, possibly more than anywhere else, is Psalm 119. Although this psalm talks a lot about God’s laws and commands, these words are used interchangeably with the Word of God. The psalmist was a man who loved God, a man after God’s own heart (compare 1 Samuel 13:14). He loved God’s law because it was God’s Word. He loved God’s Word because it revealed to him the God he loved. At the time of David, only the Law, Joshua, Judges, and perhaps Job and Ruth would have been written. For us, however, everything the psalmist says here about the law applies to the whole Bible.
Psalm 119 richly describes the reviving effects of the Word of God. The key question for us to consider is, how does God’s Word come to life and connect us to Christ’s resurrection power? As we examine some verses from this psalm, we will identify several things that God’s Word does to us in order to revive us. Mere words on a page can of course do none of these things. It is necessary for the enlivening power of the Spirit to take God’s Truth and apply it to us. Notice how many of the verses discussed below are essentially prayers to God to ask him to do something to us so that the Word can be effective in our lives.
GOD’S WORD BRINGS REVELATION TO US
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18).
God must open our minds so we can understand his Word. David asked God to reveal himself to him in his Word. We need God to shine into our hearts. Like the hymn-writer, the Christian is aware that “I once was blind, but now I see” (compare John 9:25). As Paul said, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
Since we don’t physically see the face of Jesus today, how then do we see him? It is predominantly through the Scriptures that we meet God. As we read and pray over the words of the Bible, we can expect God to go on revealing himself to us throughout our Christian lives.
The revelation mentioned in 2 Corinthians is of the risen Jesus. Jesus made this astonishing claim about himself: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). Through the Scriptures, we are meant to hear Jesus’ voice. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). As we read the law, even then we see him. He is revealed from the beginning of this Book to its end—it’s all about Jesus.
This experience of seeing Jesus, of revelation, is not a once-for-all encounter. I’m sure many of us have known times when we listened to a sermon or read our Bible or a Christian book or had a discussion with a Christian friend, and a light suddenly went on. What we had never understood before unexpectedly became plain, and we could say, “I see it now!” At times we gain from the Bible a sense of being recharged or revived. If God is a reviving God, a resurrecting God, we may expect this to happen often as we read his Word.
William Cowper explains how God’s full revelation is not given to us all at once: “If it be asked, seeing David was a regenerate man, and so illumined already, how is it that he prays for the opening of his eyes? The answer is easy: that our regeneration is wrought by degrees. The beginnings of light in his mind made him long for more.”[3] We too can ask God to shine his light on us and reveal his truth to us.
Praying for revelation can have certain dangers. We need not ask God for guidance about something already made clear in the Scriptures. For example, we need not ask God whether to be baptized, nor if we should commit adultery; we must simply obey the biblical commands. Spurgeon explains, “The light which they beg is not anything besides the word. When God is said to enlighten us, it is not that we should expect new revelations, but that we may see the wonders in his word, or get a clear sight of what is already revealed.”[4]
GOD’S WORD BRINGS RESURRECTION LIFE TO US
“My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!” (Psalm 119:25).
As we recognize our desperate state before a holy God, God in his grace comes to us by his Word and says, “Live!” This is what happens when we become Christians, but it is also an essential part of the ongoing experience of the Christian who immerses himself in the Word of God and prayer. This is mentioned in several other places in the Bible:
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. (Psalm 19:7)
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Today we are privileged to have so much more of the Bible than was available to David. Like David, the Scriptures can renew our spirits and sustain us even if we are feeling discouraged or in despair. When we feel low in energy and life, well-meaning words of support and comfort may be welcome, but a lifeline from God’s Book will do more to energize and revitalize us than anything else our family and friends can say or do.
GOD’S WORD STRENGTHENS US
“My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word” (Psalm 119:28).
The life-giving force of the Bible is here described as robust enough for us to lean on when we are feeling weak and lonely and depressed. As earthly food keeps us alive and refreshes us, God’s Word sustains our souls, encourages us, and lifts us by focusing our minds and hearts on him.
Even some great men of God like Elijah became depressed. But God’s servants learn to feast on his Word; they understand the enormity of its power. The Bible is full of verses that can become a kind of daily spiritual medication we can use, several times a day if necessary, to remind ourselves of God’s promises. Spurgeon explains:
Whatever your particular need may be, you will find some promise in the Bible related to it. Are you faint and feeble because your way is rough and you are weary? Here is the promise—“He gives power to the faint.” When you read such a promise, take it back to the great Promiser and ask him to fulfill His own word. Are you seeking for Christ and thirsting for closer communion with him? This promise shines like a star upon you—“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Take that promise to the throne continually; do not plead anything else, but go to God over and over again with this—“Lord, You have said it; do as You have said.” Are you distressed because of sin and burdened with the heavy load of your iniquities? Listen to these words—“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” You have no merit of your own to plead why He should pardon you, but plead His written promises and He will perform them. Are you afraid that you might not be able to hold on to the end and that after having thought yourself a child of God you should prove a castaway? If that is your condition, take this word of grace to the throne and plead it: “The mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you.” If you have lost the sweet sense of the Savior’s presence and are seeking him with a sorrowful heart, remember the promises: “Return to me . . . and I will return to you.” “For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.” Feast your faith upon God’s own Word, and whatever your fears or wants, take them to the Bank of Faith with your Father’s note, which reads, “Remember your word to your servant in which you have made me hope.”[5]
GOD’S WORD TEACHES US THE TRUTH
“The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever” (Psalm 119:160).
It is important that we fill our minds and hearts with God’s truth and not with lies. If God cannot lie, then neither can his Word. When we focus on God’s Word, we inevitably find ourselves focusing on righteousness and not sin. As we read the Scriptures, we find that we can obey Paul’s command in Philippians: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (4:8). As we read the Word, we meet God, and as a result our appetites and desires change, and we become more like Jesus.
God’s Word is true. If the Bible is going to revive us, we must be able to trust it and believe that it is completely reliable. Some theologians today claim that to believe Scripture is completely true and without error (inerrant) is a new and therefore incorrect view. But this is very misleading. Berkouwer, contradicting this, says, “There can be no doubt that for a long time during church history certainty of faith was specifically linked to the trustworthiness of Holy Scripture as the Word of God. . . . From its earliest days the church held that Scripture is not an imperfect, humanly untrustworthy book of various religious experiences, but one with a peculiar mystery.”[6]
Thankfully, many today still believe the Bible is without error. One such individual is my previous pastor, Tope Koleoso. He has a favorite saying that fits well at this point: “We mustn’t stand above the Bible; we must stand under it.”
GOD’S WORD GIVES US HOPE
“Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope” (Psalm 119:49).
“Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word” (Psalm 119:74).
“My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word” (Psalm 119:81).
God’s reviving Word gives us hope! If there is one thing that the resurrection is meant to do, it is to give us hope—and that hope goes beyond the grave. Hope is closely related to faith, and we see in the New Testament that it is indeed God’s Word that produces such faith in us, since “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
Hope is infectious, as is despair. Therefore, we need to surround ourselves with people who will instill hope in us—a hope that is rooted in the Scriptures and not based on a whipped-up delusion. True friends who help us dare to believe the Bible are precious gifts. Scripture, soaked in prayer, ultimately gives us hope, lifts us up, and gives us life. God wants us to be aggressive in how much we place our hope in his Word. Many prayers recorded in the Bible show people reminding God of his promises and almost “suing” him to act. God responds to that kind of prayer—prayer that is mixed with his own Word.
We have examined many ways in which Psalm 119 describes the good that the Bible can do to us. We will now consider several ways in which we can appropriate God’s Word.
GOD’S WORD IS WHERE WE CAN SEEK HIM
“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments” (Psalm 119:10).
When we come to the Bible with a humble receptive heart, we may expect to meet the risen Jesus through its pages. We do not come to the Word only to grasp intellectual truth or to get our doctrine right, although those things are important. It is God we seek, and it is him we can encounter. Whether or not we know and understand it fully, he is the desire of our hearts. More than anything, it is God we need.
Many of us attempt to fill our lives with things that are not worthy of such investment as they can only satisfy for a time. This is a path that becomes an unending journey. The child who feels lonely does anything he can to please his classmates. When that fails, he supposes that growing up and leaving school will be the answer. Then he finds himself longing for a girlfriend, and then a wife, a better job, a better car, a better house.
For many of us, this pattern only keeps repeating itself. The emptiness never goes away. Why? Because we don’t understand that our desires were meant to be satisfied by God. We try to replace God with things that have no eternal significance. Even doing things for God can come out of an emptiness or lack of purpose. We must seek God and be satisfied in him before we can begin to reach others.
How do we seek God? Primarily we will find him in the Bible. Some say theology is boring, but theology is simply the study of God. Since when was God boring? Rather, he satisfies us and gives us joy!
GOD’S WORD IS TO BE STORED IN OUR HEARTS
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).
One purpose of Scripture memorization is to help us defeat sin. David speaks not just of storing Scripture in our minds but also of getting it into our hearts. John Wesley explains, “I have laid it up in my mind like a choice treasure, to be ready upon all occasions to counsel, quicken, or caution me.”[7]
Spurgeon elaborates, “There, laid up in the heart, the word has effect. When young men only read the letter of the Book, the word of promise and instruction is deprived of much of its power. Neither will the laying of it up in the mere memory avail. The word must be known and prized, and laid up in the heart; it must occupy the affection as well as the understanding; the whole mind requires to be impregnated with the word of God.”[8]
GOD’S WORD TEACHES US HOW TO LIVE
“Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes!” (Psalm 119:12).
Is it enough to know the Word? We may know the Word of God well but find it doesn’t affect our daily lives to the extent it should. Theology must not simply remain an academic exercise; we need to allow it to show us how to live. Often evangelical preaching fails to show us how to apply God’s Word in practical terms. There is a common belief that once biblical doctrine is preached, its implications will be obvious. But this is often not the case. Preaching should build a bridge from this world to the world of the Bible to allow us to understand the message and meet God, but then it must build a bridge back again to show us how to live.
Even if we are fortunate enough to listen to preaching that does work hard to apply the Bible, we may often still fail to understand how to respond personally. We each need mature Christians who know us well and can help us to live out the implications of Jesus’ resurrection in our own lives. Christianity was never meant to be a solitary faith. Although ultimately our greatest teacher is God himself, he works through people. God provides us with those whom he has called to help us, and it is up to us to find them and listen to them. Our prayer should be the same as the psalmist in asking God to teach us, but we must not be surprised when he answers us by sending someone to challenge us with his Word. Paul tells us:
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 competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
The Scriptures are a powerful weapon that must be wielded with love and specifically applied to us as individuals. We need nothing in addition to the Bible for all matters of doctrine and ethical conduct. Practical wisdom can be acquired elsewhere, even from non-Christians, and many helpful books teach us how to understand the Bible better and how to live in the light of Jesus’ resurrection.
There are, however, times when we face choices about which the Bible doesn’t seem to speak. For example, we might have to decide between two equally good places to live. At other times, two different biblical principles may both appear relevant to the same situation and seem to have contradictory applications. We might ask whether this is a time to show perseverance in a work situation that is difficult or if it is time to show boldness and move on into what will ultimately be a better role. The Bible on its own will not be sufficient to help us deal with multiple challenges. We need biblically saturated leaders and friends who can wisely teach us how to apply the Bible’s teaching to our specific situations. Such wisdom is a gift from God that is heightened by years of humbly submitting to God’s Word. It is imperative to find a church in which there are godly leaders we can follow in this way.
GOD’S WORD IS TO BE DECLARED
“With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth” (Psalm 119:13).
To whom should God’s truth be declared? The best person to start with is yourself. We can declare God’s Word as we read it. Reading Scripture aloud helps impress a passage on the mind, and often the powerful impact of the words will be made clearer. We can even use it like medicine—perhaps taking it like a pill three times a day.
Often God’s Word will suddenly appear new to us, even if we’ve studied it before. Suddenly we understand it in a fresh way. Reading a verse again several times the same day will help us remember it but, more importantly, will help write it on our hearts.
We can declare God’s Word in prayer. God loves it and is glorified when we declare his Word to him. We can also declare God’s Word when confronting the enemy of our souls in spiritual warfare.
We are all meant to declare God’s Word to others. Our commission is to share God’s Word, spreading the good news of the gospel. God wants each of us to teach others at least something from the Bible, even if it is only on a one-to-one basis. To put it simply, God wants us to learn the message, live the message, and then give the message. God intends and indeed commands us to pass along the things he has taught us.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! (Psalm 96:3)
One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. (Psalm 145:4)
This second verse is an encouragement to all of us who are responsible for teaching children, whether we are parents, family members, pastors, or Sunday school teachers. The word “commend” in that verse implies that something else is necessary when we declare God’s Word. Psalm 119:14 tells us what that is: “In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.”
When we commend God’s Word to each other or to another generation, it is imperative that we are enthusiastic about it, that it is something we really believe, and that it is something we love and delight in! Do we genuinely love the words of the Bible? If we are honest, there are probably times when we don’t delight in it the way we should. If that’s true, we need to pray and ask God to change us. However, don’t wait to feel delight before you begin to feed on God’s Word. Instead, read it, study it, memorize it, apply it, and declare it! Over time you will find that his words will become more valuable to you, more precious, more reviving than you had expected.
GOD’S WORD IS TO BE MEDITATED UPON
“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways” (Psalm 119:15).
Christian meditation is about filling our minds, not emptying them, and is a discipline that is much easier than many people realize. If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. If your prayer is deteriorating into worrying aloud, it may be time to direct your mind away from running over the concerns of life again and again and instead to doing the same thing with a Bible verse. Meditation is allowing the words of Scripture to sift through your mind and be thoroughly examined in the same way that you would think about an issue that is worrying you. Allow Bible verses to run through your mind, consciously repeat them, and as you go through the day, let them permeate your thoughts. I love to program my mind with a few verses of Scripture, think on them for a while, and then go about my daily business. Often later that day, if I consciously bring back to my mind the same words, they make more sense. This is one way God’s Word shapes our thoughts and becomes part of us.
When we struggle with negative patterns of thought, we can train ourselves to replace those harmful thoughts with an appropriate sentence from the Bible. If, for example, we tend to feel inappropriate guilt for sin that has already been forgiven, when that thought enters our mind, we could develop the habit of replacing it with the words, “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).
When we are meditating we can ask all of the following questions: Who? What? Why? When? How? Where? Having asked those questions, we can then ask, So what? That is, what do I need to do, and how can I think or feel differently because of this verse? Here’s an example of how Christian meditation might proceed.
Let’s suppose I just read in the Bible that I have been adopted as God’s son. This is how my thoughts might flow: I am adopted by God. Who has been adopted? I have. By whom? By God! What does adopted mean? It means he chose me. Why has he done this? I suppose because he loves me! When did he do it? Ephesians 1 says, “before the creation of the world” (niv). How did he do it? It was through Christ and his death on the cross as well as his resurrection. So what implications does this have? I suppose I should realize I am special since I am God’s adopted child. Yes, but I must remember that I didn’t deserve it and it came at a great cost to Jesus. I should be as happy as a child adopted by earthly parents would be. How much more should I be happy if God has adopted me! I should be grateful, too. You know what? I am grateful! What this day has in store for me doesn’t seem quite so bad after all! One last thought: God never changes his mind, so I am safe, I’m secure. He’ll never let me go. Wow! Thank you, God! Later on, when my day is getting on top of me, I’m going to remind myself, I have been adopted by God!
RECEIVING GOD’S WORD
Earlier we saw that God’s Word brings revelation, revives, strengthens, and gives hope. We learned ways to connect to the life-giving power of the Bible. Is it any surprise that this Word was so precious to the psalmist? Is it any wonder that because of their diligent attitude toward God’s Word the Bereans were honored? “They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
We, too, should receive this reviving Word with all eagerness and in every way allow ourselves to be molded by the gift God has given us in his authoritative Word. It is the only Book that can give life. Through its pages we receive the gift of salvation. It is the only manual for life that reveals the truth about how we should live and who God is. The Bible is incalculable in its value to us. To try to live the Christian life without immersing ourselves in God’s Word is like trying to live without food.
If the Bible is like food to us, then prayer is like drink. Prayer connects us to the life-giving Spirit of God, who is often described as being like water. We must learn to feast on God’s Word and to drink in his presence through prayer. If we want to be connected to the power made available to us through Jesus’ resurrection, God’s Word and prayer are the most effective tools we can use to access that power.
If prayer and the study of God’s Word have become a chore, I pray that God himself will thrill you again and that he will give you the desire and ability to understand and apply his Word. May he help you pray in such a way that you receive an infusion of his reviving Spirit. Please pray for me too, that I may know the same thing in my life.
We have seen in this chapter and the previous one that prayer and Bible study are critical for experiencing the change that the resurrection brings. It is therefore not surprising that the apostles declared, “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). While those words apply particularly to church leaders, we can all put them into practice.
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REFERENCES
[1] George Angus Fulton Knight, Psalms, Vol. 2, The Daily Study Bible Series (Louisville: Westminster, John Knox Press, 2001), 223.
[2]John Piper, “The Morning I Heard the Voice of God”; http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2007/2021_The_Morning_I_Heard_the_Voice_of_God.
[3]Cited in C. H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, on Psalm 119:18; http://www.studylight.org/com/tod/
view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=119&verse=018.
[4]Ibid.
[5] Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Revised and Updated by Alistair Begg (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2003), April 28.
[6] G. C. Berkouwer, Holy Scripture, Translation of DeHeilige Schrift, ed. Jack Bartlett Rogers (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975), 11.
[7] John Wesley, Wesley’s Notes on the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1987), 219.
[8] Spurgeon, Treasury of David, on Psalm 119:11; http://www.studylight.org/com/tod/view.cgi?book=
ps&chapter=119&verse=011.
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