Devotions for Word Sermon Series.January 2, 2017
Memory Verse: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
A CLOSER LOOK
Psalms Become the Language of the Heart
The book of Psalms in the Old Testament swells with examples of deep human emotion — from the triumphant declaration of godliness in Psalm 1, to the strident questions of a doubting king in Psalm 13, to the fortress-like con dence which ows from Psalm 46. Each re ects a real-time human experience and the language of a believer going with God in prayer. Image and metaphor become the language of appeal for the faithful—and in the psalms, we nd a prayer language of our own as we wrestle with how to talk to God.
By becoming students of the Psalms, we can learn to pray and deepen our experience with the Lord. For instance, David cried out to the Lord in Psalm 42: “I hear the tumult of the raging seas / as your waves and surging tides sweep over me”
(Psalm 42:7).
This is the language of a prayer of desperation — the words of one feeling as if life, like a mounting wave, threatens to overtake him.
Psalm 37 contrasts the fate of the wicked with the favor of those who put their trust in God. David, Israel’s shepherd king, called on the Lord in prayer, rehearsing the promises of His goodness for “the one who delights in him” (37:23 NIV).
Any believer struggling to Find words to express the deepest loss or the highest praise needs only turn to the Psalms to find his or her voice and a holy script to bring to God in prayer.
Heart Essentials (Psalm 119:1– 2, 11– 12)
By observing the following key elements in the opening verses of Psalm 119, we discover certain conditions of the heart, or attitudes, essential for studying the Scriptures.
• Personal integrity and purity Joyful are people of integrity,
who follow the instructions of the Lord. (Psalm 119:1)
• A willingness to follow His commands Joyful are those who obey his laws
and search for him with all their hearts. (119:2)
• A commitment of time for prayer and meditation I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you. I praise you, O Lord;
teach me your decrees. (119:11–12)
Some Helpful Tools
Just as an archaeologist would never search for buried artifacts without the proper tools, we should never search the Scriptures without these helpful tools for study.
• A Bible. Make certain you have your own copy of the Scriptures in a translation you can understand.
• A Bible dictionary. This resource de nes and provides in-depth information about key words and characters in the Bible.
• A concordance of the Bible. This is virtually an alphabetical listing of every major word in the Bible.
• A set of Bible maps. Most study Bibles today include a very reliable set of maps, typically as part of the end matter. You can also purchase a Bible atlas, which not only includes an extensive selection of maps but scholarly contextual information too.
• Students can also consult important tools online or use very helpful Bible-study software found at www.logos.com, www.biblegateway.com, www.soniclight.com, and many others.
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