Psalm 119:9-16
How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I praise you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us. I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.
How can a young person, or any person for that matter stay pure? Our society seems to thrive on leading people away from purity. They emphasize the sensual and glorify that which is taboo. They say if it feels good- do it. The world says that you deserve whatever it is that you want, no matter what it takes to get it. So with all of this working against us, with temptations on every side, how can we stay pure? Verse 9 says that a person can stay pure by obeying Gods word.
Sometimes it feels almost impossible to stay pure because we feel like doing wrong. Sometimes people feel like they need another drink to feel good. Sometimes people feel that they don't love their spouse anymore and a different person makes them feel better. Too often people think that to be true to themselves they need to follow their feelings. Feelings are good for us. God gave us feelings and they can be a blessing and help, but feelings are a horrible master. We have to learn to acknowledge our feelings and recognize how they are useful, but we can not let them rule our life.
Feelings are like symptoms. When you have a symptom- a fever, a pain, or even when you feel great then you know you either need to fix something or keep doing what you are doing. The symptom helps you diagnose if there is a problem and take the right course of action to fix it. This is how our feelings should work as well. Just because we have a feeling or a temptation does not mean we need to act on it in a negative way, instead we need to act the way the word tells us to.
This isn't always easy. Verses 10 and 11 say, "I have tried hard to find you, don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against thee." The psalmist said that he tried hard to find God. People will do all kinds of things to try and find God. They will work themselves to death, they may become very legalistic, they may even go around telling everyone else what they are doing wrong in an effort to please God. This is not the way to find God. Verse 11 says that when we hide God’s word in our heart, it helps us keep from sinning. It helps us stay pure. Hiding God's word doesn't just mean that we go to church and look at the bible once in a while, it means that we treasure, esteem, and lift up God's word in our lives. In verses 13-16 we see an example of this when the psalmist says he praises the lord, he recites aloud God’s regulations and rejoices in God's commandments. When he delights in God's decrees he doesn't focus on the fact that there are regulations and things he is not allowed to do, instead he focuses on the freedom that comes into his life by being free from sin.
God's commands give us true freedom. They help us to walk in purity and govern our feelings. When we see God's word tells us to walk in love towards one another it helps us to quickly resolve issues with others so that we can be free from anger, bitterness and unforgiveness. When God says not to lie we don't have to walk in fear wondering if our lie will be exposed. When God says not to commit adultery we don't have to be worried about our spouses finding out or about catching a disease. God's regulations are not designed to keep us from having fun, they are designed to bring us peace and joy. The world shows us the pleasure of sin, and sin is pleasurable for a season (Hebrews 11:25). If it were not fun for a time no one would have trouble resisting temptation. The consequences of living impure lives will catch up with us though, and the consequences are often anything but pleasurable. Sometimes they are physical, sometimes they are emotional or spiritual, but either way it hurts. God is a loving father who wants so much to keep you from that pain. God knows that when you follow His word it will protect you and bring you life.
To follow His word you have to read and study His word. Memorize and meditate on it day and night that you may do according to all that is written in it (Joshua 1:8). If you want true joy and a life of peace you need to develop a habit of living in God's word. You need to rejoice in it and esteem it higher than riches (Psalm 119:14). You need to study His commandments and reflect on God's ways (Psalm 119:15). I pray that each and every one of us will commit ourselves to live a life of purity before our God, more consistently and with more dedication than we ever have before. I pray that we will ask God to create in us a clean heart and a right spirit. That we will have the joy of his salvation and that we would be willing to obey Him more fully than ever before (Psalm 51:7-12). If you have not been living a life of purity before God- it is not too late. No matter what you have done in the past or are currently doing in the present, God is ready and able to forgive. Just make a quality decision today to live for Him and walk according to His word, no matter what you feel like doing.
