Psalms 119:9-12, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.”
Oh how every Christian should love this Scripture passage! The psalmist wrote,
“WHEREWITHAL SHALL A YOUNG MAN CLEANSE HIS WAY? BY TAKING HEED THERETO
ACCORDING TO THY WORD.” That's the answer my friend, that is, getting into
the good Book! How does a person get rid of a dirty mind? By taking heed
thereto according to God's Word! How does a person get rid of a dishonest
mind? By taking heed thereto according to God's Word! GET INTO THE BIBLE!!!
The wayward sinner asks, “Preacher, how do I straighten out my life?” By taking heed thereto according to God's Word! You cannot straighten out your own life. That's why the Lord came to suffer, bleed and die for our sins. The Lord came to make everything right! Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” We are saved by faith and then we walk by faith, allowing the Lord's Holy Spirit to live the Christian life through us, in accordance with the teachings of God's Word. Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Jesus is the answer to all our problems! A lot of people don't understand what that statement means. How can Jesus be the answer to all my problems. My friend, when you receive the gospel as full payment for your sins and are cleansed in Christ's precious blood, there is a lasting peace that soothes your soul that this wicked world doesn't have, doesn't know, nor could they ever give anyone. The world cannot offer what it does not have! As a Christian, I have wondrous and great peace by resting in the PROMISES of God. I have God's assurance in the form of PROMISES in the Bible, looking forward to eternal happiness and bliss with my Savior and King, knowing that all things will one day be mine as God hath PROMISED (Romans 8:32). I also have the testimony of God's Spirit Who lives within me, bearing witness that I am God's child by faith in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:16, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”
There's no joy like abiding in the Scriptures, clinging continually to the promises of God, hinging upon every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Jesus quoted this Scripture from Deuteronomy 8:3, “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”
The way to live right is to get into the Bible! Read it! Study it! Memorize it! How can we hide God's Word in our heart as Psalms 119:11 teaches unless we memorize Scriptures? We cannot! Psalms 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” McDonald's latest slogan is, “I'M LOVING IT!” That's just over some lousy junk food! They love the wrong thing. Their god is their belly. Well my friend, IM LOVING THE BIBLE!!! Thank God for the King James Bible! The Bible says that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God (Matthew 4:4). The sinful world hates Jesus and His Word, because John 7:7 says the Lord testifies against it that their deeds are evil.
I recently heard this Country song, with these sinful lyrics...
Here's the lyrics to a shameful song titled “DIANE” by singer, Ed Bruce...
Diane if you're gonna do him wrong again
You might as well do the wrong again with me
I haven't told a soul nobody knows about you and me
Diane if you're gonna do him wrong again
You might as well do the wrong again with me
We both lost our heads in the red wine
Left the lounge and drove to another town
Spent the night in a ten dollar mansion
You woke me the next morning crying
Isn't that shameful? Mr. Bruce is glorifying the sin of adultery through his music. Ed Bruce sings, “If you're gonna do him wrong again, You might as well do the wrong again with me.” That's an invitation to commit sexual immorality. Such songs are played repeatedly in bar rooms, taverns and country clubs all across America, influencing people to fornicate, commit adultery and divorce. Colossians 3:5-6 warns that such wickedness brings the wrath of God upon sinners. Country singing legend George Strait has a very popular song called, “OVERNIGHT MALE.” Sin is a joke to the sinful world. Country music is all about adultery, feminist rebellion and divorce. There's a saying that if you play a Country song backwards that you'll get your job back, your wife back, your dog back, your truck back, et cetera. It's because Country music songs about losing everything. That's what sin does! It robs you of everything! No wonder Jesus said in John 10:9 that the thief (Devil) comes only to steal, kill and destroy lives! Ah, but Jesus promised in John 10:10 that He can give us life more than abundantly if we'll believe on His name.
On national television in July of 2012, Martha Stewart admitted to having one night stands during her life. She's now 71 years old. There's no shame over sin anymore, no fear of God. We should never brag or joke about past sins that we've committed. The world boasts of their sins as if it's something to be proud of. There's nothing more sickening than listening to someone brag about how powerful of a drug dealer or pimp they were in their younger days. That's nothing to be proud of. Ecclesiastes 8:13 “But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.” Did you read what the Bible says? It shall not be well with the wicked, because they fear not God. Man's earthly existence is as a shadow, and then there's either death in Hell, or God prolongs your life eternally because you've been born-again and have had your sins washed away by Jesus' blood. “Fools make a mock at sin...” (Proverbs 14:9).
Memorize the following short passage of Scripture, and quote it to yourself often as a reminder how to live right...
Psalms 119:8-12, “I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.”
Every Christian ought to be saturated in the Word. I like to say, “Wallowing in the Word,” like a pig enjoying the mud. I would hate to think that a selfish pig enjoys wallowing in the mud more than a child of God would enjoy wallowing in the preserved, inerrant, infallible and inspired Words of God. Amen!
