July 7th Devotion

Forward with Back to the Bible
 
How To Walk Faithfully

Read Psalm 119:9-16 (ESV)
How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Reflect
According to this section of Psalm 119, how can we ensure that we are walking faithfully with God?

In case you haven’t noticed, the world in which we live does not operate by the moral standards that God has set for us. When we turn on the TV or scroll on social media, we become increasingly aware of what our culture values. Violent images, sexually explicit content, and vulgar language assault us at every turn. If you check the comments section on any given social media post, you will notice a complete disregard for respect in the way that people talk to each other. Our culture promotes and celebrates a sexual ethic that is completely at odds with God’s design for sex. And children are getting exposed to this sexual ethic at a very young age.

In today’s passage, the psalmist asks a question many of us are also asking: how can young people keep their way pure? In a culture that seems to hate rules and religion and rejects “standard” moral lifestyles, what hope do we have that our children and young people will be able to navigate all of this and walk faithfully with the Lord?

The psalmist’s answer is to “guard our ways” according to Scripture. First, the psalmist prays that God would keep his feet from wandering away from His commands. If we want to keep our way pure and we want our children to walk faithfully with God, we need to ask God for help! Faithfulness to God’s Word should be our fervent prayer.

Second, we need to have a high regard for the Bible. The psalmist says he values and delights in God’s testimonies and statutes. Our culture has little to no regard for God’s Word. Some even call themselves “Christians” but reject the authority of Scripture. If we do not consider the Bible to be God’s Word and if we do not submit to the Bible’s authority, we cannot hope to walk in a way that honors God.

Third, we need to store up God’s Word in our hearts. Memorizing Scripture helps us keep His Word in the forefront of our minds. We need to “meditate on His precepts” and “fix our eyes” on His example found in the Bible. How will we choose between sinfulness and godliness if we do not know what the standard is? If we want to live by God’s rules, we need to know what they are.

And finally, we need to “declare all of His rules with our mouth.” We shouldn’t be afraid to speak His commandments out loud. Deuteronomy 6:7 tells us to teach them diligently to our children. 2 Timothy 4:2 commands us to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” If we hear someone teaching the Word falsely, we are expected to call it out. If we want to walk faithfully, we need to faithfully guard Scripture and protect the integrity of His Word.
Friends, how can we keep our way pure? How can we walk faithfully with God in a world that is steadily marching in the opposite direction? The Bible is the answer.