Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19981018.htm

PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm One Hundred And Nineteen (Mem) - The Pathway To Effective Insight For Living
(Psalm 119:97-104)
  1. Introduction
    1. Many times, the believer can find himself at a loss as to know what to do or where to go on a given issue. It is as though he needs to make an "800" call to the Lord on a spiritual "cell phone" for suggestion s!
    2. God provides us wisdom, and it is available to men according to James 1:5. Just how such insight can become ours is described in Psalm 119:97-104 as follows:
  2. The Pathway To Effective Insight For Living, Psalm 119:97-104.
    1. The psalmist testifies of having superior wisdom in his life, Ps. 119:97-100.
      1. He expresses his appreciation and continuous use of God's Word, Ps. 119:97.
        1. The psalmist tells God of his love for Scripture, Ps. 119:97a.
        2. He reveals how he finds himself continuously meditating on God's Word, Ps. 119:97b.
      2. The psalmist's reasons for being preoccupied with Scripture are based on his using God's Word in life to his great advantage (as described below): (Ps. 119:98-100)
        1. The psalmist's use of God's commands gives him a competitive edge so that he can outperform his opponents when they oppose him, Ps. 119:98.
        2. The psalmist's meditation on Scripture yields insight that outstrips that of even his teachers, 119:99.
        3. His observation of Scripture has become so effective that his lifestyle in observing it demonstrates itself as superior in real life situations to those appointed to lead the psalmist, Ps. 119:100!
    2. Following this testimony, the psalmist tells us specifics in his use of Scripture so that we might gain his blessing of wisdom for living as well (as follows): (Ps. 119:101-104)
      1. Item One - The psalmist reports that he decided at one point to avoid sin and obey Scripture, 119:101.
      2. Item Two - As God then became his Instructor through his reading the Word with this attitude against sin and in submission to Scripture, he restrained his actions to avoid all sin, Ps. 119:102.
      3. Item Three - The results of these steps produced lasting blessings in living, Ps. 119:103-104:
        1. First, the psalmist discovered a subjective joy in just doing what was upright, Ps. 119:103.
        2. Second, he demonstrated himself to be superior in wisdom in relating to others, for his relationships avoided sinfully harming and advocated righteously helping, Ps. 119:104a.
        3. Third, in finding subjective joy in obeying God coupled with the bonus of being considered to have superior insight, he was all the more motivated to hate every non-Biblical path in life, v. 104b.
        4. Fourth, this final motivation encouragement would have added to his continued increase of desire to remain steadfastly studying and applying Scripture, Ps. 119:104 with 119:97 implied.
Lesson: Superior insight for effective living is not itself affected by the degree of one's intellect, but is the result of one's SPIRITUAL receptors being sensitized by exposure to Scripture and applying its truths to life, see 1 Cor. 2:6-10, 14-1 5; Heb. 5:14.

Application: (1) GOD'S wisdom is already BUILT INTO Scripture's directives, so if one READS and APPLIES Scripture, he THINKS and ACTS wisely not because of any innate wisdom in himself, but because of the "rubbing-off" effect of GOD'S thinking! Th us, one does well just to side with God's advice and insight in Scripture. (2) Yet, adopting SCRIPTURE'S views means saying "NO" to one's OWN ideas, let alone to some ideas of OTHERS! Thus, one must have the COURAGE to DISCRIMINATE SCRIPTURE'S views over the views of man!

Illustration: This week, I was informed by a relative that another relative much my senior in the Lord found her ideas on witnessing CORRECTED by my sermon notes! She realized that she had suffered false guilt due to having been taught error! She is released from guilt certainly NOT because I was wiser than SHE, but because I reflected GOD'S ideas in the notes! I rejoice at this report, am deeply thankful to God for His Word and am all the more committed to USING it!