Blessed are they … who walk according to the law of the Lord. Psalm 119:1 (NIV).

A cursory reading of Psalm 119 clearly indicates that David loved the Scriptures. The first hint comes in verse 11 when he says, “I have hidden your word in my heart …” The heart, as we know, is the seat of our emotions. When we value someone we draw them to us … that is, we take them to heart. Who do you love? I love my wife, my children, my grandchildren, my dog, and more. But what about the Scriptures? Do we love God’s Word?

For many years I’ve researched why people do or do not connect with the Bible. Some people don’t read the Bible because they say it’s archaic, complicated, bigoted, unscientific, confusing or not true. Others, like the majority of church-going folk, will read some of it but never read it from cover to cover. In fact in Christian circles evidence suggests that it may be true to say that the Bible is the most popular least read book! Maybe that’s because Christians don’t really love the author, because if we did, we’d value every word He has to say to us.

Psalm 119 is laced with references to loving and to learning the Scriptures. In verse seven David speaks about how he ‘learns’ the Scriptures and in verse fifteen how he ‘meditates’ and ‘considers’ the Scriptures. God hasn’t given us His Word to be left on a dust covered shelf. He’s entrusted it to us because He wants us to study it. Yet research reveals that while the Bible is generally available and accessible, there’s only a small number of people who earnestly and responsibly study it personally, with their families, and with their communities of faith. Something’s lost that needs to be found.

How are you doing? Are you working up a spiritual sweat digging into the Scriptures? Or do you leave it to the pastor or read the latest popular Christian book. Now the last thing I want to do is make you feel guilty. Guilt, while it’s a motivator, is a poor one at best. But here’s the point, if you consider yourself to be a Christian, and it’s not your priority to regularly and consistently study the Scriptures, then you need to know there’s a problem.

David asks, “How can a young man keep his way pure?” Psalm 119:9. Then answers, “By living according to your word.” God’s entrusted the Scriptures to us for a reason – that we would live by them. What goes in is what comes out. If we spend two to three hours a day watching TV, playing video games, interacting on social media or texting friends, then these things will inform our values and actions. How we use time is critical. To live as God wants us to live we need to spend more time meeting with God through His Word. David chose to live by God’s Word. He considered God’s ways (Psalm 119:15), delighted in His decrees, and did not neglect His Word (Psalm 119:16).

Loving, learning and living by the Scriptures are the three foundational actions that inform the fourth action – leading others to the Scriptures. In Psalm 119:43 David asks God to not snatch His Word from his mouth and in verse 46 he mentions his intention to speak about the Scriptures before kings. While God has given us the responsibility to love, learn and live by the Scriptures, He’s also entrusted us with the important work of leading others to the Scriptures.

Some years ago I asked a congregation if anyone had shared the Scriptures with someone in the past week, month or year. There were about 100 people in the meeting and only 1 person indicated he had shared the Scriptures with someone during the past week while a few others said they’d shared the Scriptures with someone during the past month or year. Most of the people had never shared the Scriptures with anyone. Are you helping others to connect with God’s Word?

So according to Psalm 119 we’re to love, learn, live by the Scriptures, and lead others to it. And why is this important? Because the Scriptures aren’t an end in themselves. Because in loving, learning, living by and leading others to the Scriptures we’re loving, learning, living for and leading others to the One of whom the Scriptures speak – the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 (NIV).

Fourth century theologians described fellowship with God to be something like a dance composed of a sequence of choreographed steps.

God invites us to join His dance – to move in rhythm with Him. In the parlance of Galatians, “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” Galatians 5:25 (NLT). So why not accept His invitation? Here’s how you keep in step with the Spirit:

• Believe that everything you need to dance is already in you. When you asked forgiveness for your sin and named Christ as your Lord and Saviour, He took up residence, by the Spirit, in you (Colossians 1:28, 2:10). So don’t hold back. Your sinful nature has been crucified (Galatians 5:17, 24).
• Give yourself fully into the Instructors hands. God must lead and you must follow. It’s not for you to direct your steps (Jeremiah 10:23). He must determine your steps (Proverbs 16:9). The moment you move more quickly, slower, or in a different direction, you’re dancing with yourself – to the beat of your own drum. Don’t do that. Move as He moves you, respond to His touch and direction.
• Listen to the music. Heavenly music has its own beat. God’s music is not the world’s music. His music has unique melodies, harmonies and vocals. It’s beautiful – making “us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled” Galatians 5:22-23 (CEV).

Are you dancing? Don’t sit in the corner watching others move to the unforced rhythms of His grace. Move with Him. Do more than entertain the idea or feel the emotion. Step onto the dance floor and join God’s dance.

 

This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. 1 Samuel 17:46 (NIV).

Giants … They come in all shapes and sizes. David’s giant (1 Samuel 17) was nine feet nine inches tall … a bicep bulging, bronze breast-plated, boast belching, bone-breaking, man of war. What do the Goliath’s in your life look like? What’s towering over you? What’s making you hide, run away, or cower in fear? What’s the snarling, terrifying, depressing giant striding through your home, your dorm, your office, your classroom?

The giants we face today don’t wear 60 kilograms of armour or wield 7 kilogram iron spears. But they do brandish blades of abuse, abandonment, affliction, anguish, atrophy, or accusation. The giants we struggle with are people we can’t please, debts we can’t discharge, grades we can’t attain, cravings we can’t satisfy, pornography we can’t pull away from, deadlines we can’t meet, thoughts we can’t control, drinks we can’t deny, a past we can’t put to rest, or a future we can’t face.

Giants defy, dismay and dominate. How long has your giant challenged you? The Israelites had fought Goliath’s family before. Three hundred years earlier, Joshua had driven them out of the Promised Land. But they’d returned. That’s what giants do … they keep coming back. Our father’s and grandfather’s fights become our fights. Sickness stalks us, greed grips us, pride pursues us, and friendships fail.

When we see Goliath take his stand we wince at his talk – shrink back at his taunt (1 Samuel 17:24). What chance do we have against this giant? Deeply shaken we lose hope (1 Samuel 17:11).

So we see Goliath. But do we see God? David saw the champion from Gath and heard his degrading defiance (1 Samuel 17:23). But David saw and heard something more. He saw the Lord. Everyone else was fixated on Goliath. Saul was shaking in his sandals and his soldiers shivering with fear. But not David.

Do you see God? David sees what others don’t and chooses not to see what others do. The Israelites see a man-killing hulk. David sees a giant-slaying God. How often do we major on giants when we should major on God? Are you complaining about people or griping about your problems? Are you spending time thinking about the stresses, strains or size of your giant? David doesn’t dissect the battle or niggle over the odds. That’s not to say that David doesn’t see Goliath. But while he sees the giant – he sees God more. David knew that the battle belongs to the Lord (Proverbs 21:31). Looking Goliath in the eye he cries: “You come at me with sword and spear and battle-axe. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock” 1 Samuel 17:45 (MSG).

When a giant is out for your blood you can do only one of two things: advance or retreat. David took him on. What are you doing with the giant in your life? Sometimes we try to ignore it or insulate ourselves from it. But we can only duck behind a work desk or hide out in a nightclub for so long. Sooner or later the work will run out or the party will be over.

Listen … Giants don’t give up or go away. They mock us, curse us, and threaten to destroy us (1 Samuel 17:44). Giants are no respecters of people. They have a single objective – to make road kill of us for the buzzards (1 Samuel 17:44). Cowering in fear isn’t an option. The only sure defence against a giant, is attack.

That giant in your life … it’s time to go on the offensive. David loaded his sling and took a swing. He beat Goliath with a swishing stone (1Samuel 17:50). The stone flew true and sunk into Goliath’s skull. The bronze greaved legs buckled under him, he crumpled to the ground, and died. Drawing Goliath’s sword from the sheath, David sliced off his head (1 Samuel 17:51).

So David got ahead (pun intended). But what about you? If you focus on the giant you’ll stumble, but when you focus on God, the giant tumbles. To be victorious you must take your eyes off the giant and look to the Lord. Read David’s words in 1 Samuel 17. Notice how he speaks more about God than he does about Goliath. David’s God thoughts far outnumber his giant thoughts. What ultimately gave David the edge over the Philistine was the fact that he’d enlarged his vision of God. Can we take on the giants of depression, alcoholism, insecurity, abuse, failure, anger, gluttony, immorality, rejection, homosexuality, hatred, jealousy, remorse, impurity, and the like? Absolutely … But not in our own power. The only way to successfully take on a giant and win is with God given strength. So look up, giant slayer. Ask God to make you a man or woman after His heart. For the battle belongs to the Lord.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22 (NIV).

How ought we to engage with God’s Word? It should start with confession of sin. “Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word” James 1:21. The reasons why people don’t read the Bible go far deeper than ignorance, busyness, disinterest or secularism. Sin prevents us from connecting with God’s Word. So when we read the Bible we must start by seeking forgiveness for sin and asking God to strip away our pride.

Once we’ve confessed sin we should study the Word diligently and intently. “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do” James 1:25. One of the reasons why people don’t develop in their engagement with the Word is because they only read it. Bible reading, in and of itself, is not enough for spiritual health and growth. But Bible reading coupled with Bible study helps Christians mature in their faith.

Studying the Word should be accompanied by Scripture memorization. James 1:25 urges us to not forget what we have heard. One way to “not forget” the Word is to memorize it. Are you memorizing God’s Word? Every year American elementary and high school children pit themselves against each other in a spelling-bee-style competition known as the National Bible Bee. The contestants have to memorize more than 2,000 verses. After several months of eliminations 300 children and youth compete in the finals. If young people can do it, so can you.

Confession of sin, studying intently and Scripture memorization should lead to an important fourth action – we must respond to God’s Word. If Bible knowledge doesn’t move us to action, we’ve missed the whole point of reading the Word. The acid test of Bible engagement is whether or not we’re becoming Living Epistles. If we read the Bible and don’t do what it says we deceive ourselves (James 1:22). Sadly, there are many people who read the Bible but don’t do what it says. When we read the Bible but don’t do what it says we’re like people who look in a mirror then go away and forget what we look like (James 1:23-24). So do what the Word says. For to have the Bible and not live by its directives is a spiritual catastrophe!

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12 (NIV).

Are you directionally challenged? Someone in my extended family once took five-hours to drive to the airport – usually a two-hour trip! After that incident I managed to persuade the family member to buy a GPS!

While a GPS device helps the directionally challenged get from point A to point B, it can’t help us navigate through life. Yet despite this reality scores of people journey through life not knowing where they’re going or how to get there.

Being directionally challenged in life can be fatal. “You may think you are on the right road and still end up dead” Proverbs 14:12 (CEV).

From God’s perspective we’re all directionally challenged and all need someone to show us the way. If we’re honest, we all know that. But will we admit it and will we ask for directions?

Most of the people mentioned in our history books were as directionally challenged as we are today. How did they try to navigate through life? Some of them made things to help them. They made idols from wood, silver and gold – senseless inanimate objects that could do no harm or good.

With all the so-called advances being made in society we’re still no different to the generations of people who preceded us. We write self-help books, listen to motivational speakers, or rely on science, artificial intelligence and technology. Our idols are crafted by philosophers, scholars, engineers, politicians and activists; yet they ultimately disappoint us because (if we’re truthful) they don’t compare to the greatness of God and all He’s made.

Are you directionally challenged? To get where you should be going you must recognize that you can’t run your own life. In short, we need God’s Positioning System (Jeremiah 10:23). And the first step to getting God’s Positioning System is to humbly and prayerfully recognize that our lives are not our own and ask Him to take charge (Jeremiah 10:24).

So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? Galatians 4:9 (NLT).

 

One of my great sadness’s is hearing about a friend who knows and is known by God, yet gets hoodwinked by false teachers and bound by legalism. It’s particularly painful and frustrating when the person used to be a member of a congregation where I was the pastor … making me wonder if the many years of modelling and teaching them the way of Christ was wasted time and effort.

People who have known freedom in Christ and then embrace law-keeping, are an enigma. The word enigma means “mysterious, puzzling, difficult to understand”. Little wonder that Paul, out of his concern for the Galatians who had turned back to law-keeping, says in Galatians 4:20 that he was “perplexed” (NIV), “worried” (GNT), “reduced to … sheer frustration” (MSG), “stand in doubt” (KJV), “puzzled” (CEV).

What do we say to people who exchange the grace of Christ for a pseudo-salvation by their own efforts? How do we counsel people who do not understand what it means to live for Christ by faith alone? In Galatians 4:8-20 we see that Paul didn’t ignore the Galatians or take-offense.  And like Paul, we should love people enough to help direct them in the way of truth. Here are some pointers from Galatians concerning what we should say/do:

• Identify the problem. Paul told the Galatians that he was “shocked” (CEV), “surprised” (GNT), “astonished” by how they embraced another message (Galatians 1:6).
• Reveal where the deception is coming from (Galatians 3:1, 4:17, 5:7).
• Ask questions (Galatians 3:3, 4:9c, 15, 16).
• Share why you’re personally concerned (Galatians 4:11, 20b).
• Confront false teachers (Galatians 5:12).

Do you have a friend who is an enigma? Don’t give up on him/her. Continue to unwaveringly share the truth of God’s Word. Keep on proclaiming freedom in Christ by faith alone, and don’t become weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9).

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:12-13 (NIV).

I was adopted into the family of God in the last week of November, 1979. It was phenomenal. By faith, I confessed my sin and asked Christ to be my Lord and Saviour.

It still leaves me in awe. I was a child of the world, then God adopted me as His son. Now, like millions of other adopted children, from every tribe and tongue and people, I have a new life, a large family, a secure future, and a Father who ceaselessly loves and nurtures me.

The Scriptures mention some of the many tremendous privileges that come with adoption:

• All that Christ has is ours because we wear the life of Christ as full-fledged sons and daughters (Galatians 3:27).
• We are equally privileged. There is no racial, economic, social, religious, or cultural prejudice in God’s family (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11).
• We receive God’s promised justification – that is, acquittal of all guilt and forgiveness of all sin (Galatians 3:29).
• We are set free – liberated from the burden and restrictions of law-keeping (Galatians 4:1-5).
• We know God intimately as our own Father, bear His name, have His Spirit within us, and can call out to Him at any time of the day or night about anything that’s on our hearts or minds (Galatians 4:6).
• We inherit everything that God’s promised to give us, both in this life and in eternity (Galatians 4:7).

Isn’t that tremendous? Do you realize how special it is to be adopted into God’s family? If you’re not adopted, why don’t you ask Him today? Believe me, it will be the best thing you’ll ever do.

 

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