Month: April 2013

I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” — Psalm 119.11

Here is,

1. The close application which David made of the word of God to himself: He hid it in his heart, laid it up there, that it might be ready to him whenever he had occasion to use it; he laid it up as that which he valued highly, and had a warm regard for, and which he was afraid of losing and being robbed of. God’s word is a treasure worth laying up, and there is no laying it up safely but in our hearts; if we have it only in our houses and hands, enemies may take it from us; if only in our heads, our memories may fail us: but if our hearts be delivered into the mould of it, and the impressions of it remain on our souls, it is safe.

2. The good uses he designed to make of it: That I might not sin against thee. Good men are afraid of sin, and are in care to prevent it; and the most effectual way to prevent is to hide God’s word in our hearts, that we may answer every temptation, as our Master did, with, It is written, may oppose God’s precepts to the dominion of sin, His promises to its allurements, and His threatenings to its menaces.

— Matthew Henry on Psalm 119

How can a young man cleanse his way?

“Wherewithal [how] shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” — Psalm 119.9

Here is…

1. A weighty question asked. By what means may the next generation be made better than this? Wherewithal [how] shall a young man cleanse his way? Cleansing implies that it is polluted. Besides the original corruption we all brought into the world with us (from which we are not cleansed unto this day), there are many particular sins which young people are subject to, by which they defile their way, youthful lusts (2 Tim. ii. 22); these render their way offensive to God and disgraceful to themselves. Young men are concerned to cleanse their way—to get their hearts renewed and their lives reformed, to make clean, and keep clean, from the corruption that is in the world through lust, that they may have both a good conscience and a good name. Few young people do themselves enquire by what means they may recover and preserve their purity; and therefore David asks the question for them.

2. A satisfactory answer given to this question. Young men may effectually cleanse their way by taking heed thereto according to the word of God; and it is the honour of the word of God that it has such power and is of such use both to particular persons and to communities, whose happiness lies much in the virtue of their youth. (1.) Young men must make the word of God their rule, must acquaint themselves with it and resolve to conform themselves to it; that will do more towards the cleansing of young men that the laws of princes or the morals of philosophers. (2.) They must carefully apply that rule and make use of it; they must take heed to their way, must examine it by the word of God, as a touchstone and standard, must rectify what is amiss in it by that regulator and steer by that chart and compass. God’s word will not do without our watchfulness, and a constant regard both to it and to our way, that we may compare them together. The ruin of young men is either living at large (or by no rule at all) or choosing to themselves false rules: let them ponder the path of their feet, and walk by scripture-rules; so their way shall be clean, and they shall have the comfort and credit of it here and for ever.

—Matthew Henry on Psalm 119

The Loving Giver

When you find good gifts in your life — people, places and things — appreciate the gifts, but be Endeared to the Loving Giver. Gifts will COME and GO throughout your lifetime, but the Loving Giver will be constant and abiding. He will be with you in this life and beyond to the ages. All the goodness you have ever known in your life came from Him. All the goodness you know now is from Him. All the goodness you will know in the future will come from Him. Draw near to HIM and make HIM your eternal Expectation and Delight.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with Whom can be no variation, nor shadow of turning.”
—James 1:17