Somewhere in the middle of the Bible the Lord placed a big advertisement known as Psalm 119. This Psalm is, I believe, an ad for the Word of God. Just think of it for a moment: an ad for a book, right in a chapter of the book. Why, the Lord is as creative a promoter as we could find in Hollywood or New York City today. And He did it way before they thought up some of their tricks!
        This Psalm not only describes God's Word, but, like any good ad, it connects with the reader. We are told not only that God's Word is great, but also that we need it in our lives. His Word is great because He is great. If I may put it this way, beloved: The Lord says what He means and He means what He says. The Word is more relevant, valuable, and vital today than it has ever been. And I believe it is being more underused and flat-out neglected by us all. No one I know, including myself, is taking full advantage of the Bible today. So we can all be the target audience for this Holy Advertisement called Psalm 119.
       The Psalm is broken up into 22 sections, one section for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. We will be looking at just one section. "Lamed" is the name of the letter and the section we are studying. Each section contains 8 verses. The themes mentioned above are prominent, but expressed uniquely, in each section.

Psalm 119:90- "Thy faithfulness is unto all generations; thou hast established the earth, and it abideth."
       Do you need evidence before trusting the Word of the Lord? The earth, it's cycles and seasons, it's continuance is all there before us, beloved. Evidence of a powerful and Supernatural Creator and Author. And then there are the other planets and celestial bodies. Do you really think that they are all spinning in harmony today by accident? The Word of God says:
Psalm 119:91- "They (the universe) continue this day according to thine ordinances; for all are thy (God's) servants."
       In fact, when you and I refuse to obey God's Word today, we are in a minority in the cosmos. One preacher has said that the universe is like a giant pipe organ and the only sour note is found in the key labeled "mankind." But a serious diet of the Word can put us back in tune:
Psalm 119:92- "Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction."
        I need to remember to seek the Lord in His Word. It is said that you can find out something new about Jesus in every chapter of the Old and New Testaments. But you have to dig sometimes and be diligent and patient. Sometimes I chew on the Word, but I forget to swallow (neglect to apply it into my life). Owning a Bible is a whole lot different than studying it and living by what it says.
        The next part of our advertisement is a testimonial:
Psalm 119:93- "I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me."
The Psalmist knew that God's Gospel message brings life, real life. If the Bible to you seems like just dry words on a page, pray and ask God to open up your heart to His message. You, dear friend, may not even realize that you haven't been "quickened." The Lord is not as distant as you may have come to believe. God's Holy Spirit is here on earth and with you even now. Through His Spirit the Word is transformed into spiritual light and life. Seek Him there:
Psalm 119:94- "I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts."
        His Word is also our weapon (see Ephesians 6:17). Salvation is always followed by spiritual commission and service. Your mission may have differences from mine, but in carrying it out we all will struggle and find enemies as well as friends. And we need the Word to supply strength and spiritual success just as much after as before we are born again. Salvation isn't the end of the struggle (you just switch to the other army). And you need to be outfitted with God's resources:
Psalm 119:95- "The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies."
        In the world, you lean on yourself or whatever you can. With God there is just one way that works, and you find it only in His Word. The Psalmist is about to say that to him the Word surpassed all else he knew or knew about. You don't get that close to the Word by study alone. He was making the effort to live by it:
Psalm 119:9- "I have seen an end of all perfection; but thy commandment is exceeding broad."

        Friend, you need to go back and read the entire Psalm, all 22 sections. But first I want to close by sharing something about Jesus. There's a great anonymity to writing these studies. A safe distance. It's easy to try and sound holy sometimes. Unfortunately, people who live around me know when I don't practice what I preach. The Apostle John watched Jesus live His life here on the earth for several years. John actually began referring to Christ as "The Word."
John 1:14- "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
        Talk about a walking advertisement! What a testimony! I'm going to appeal to Christ right now to strengthen me (and you), beloved. Lord, make us more like You, more in tune with Your Word. Amen.
 

(click here BEFORE printing)             Bible Study INDEX             HOME