The Importance of the Bible... Part 2

I really enjoyed my Psalm 119 study and I thought I would get through a few more sections at a time and continue to post them. 

If you did not read my 'The Importance of the Bible and How It Applies To You Part 1' you can click here to read it. It explains how I did my Psalm 119 study in case you would like to try it yourself.


Psalm 119: 17-24 "Do good to Your servant, and I will live; I will obey Your Word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law. I am a stranger on earth; do not hide Your commands from me. My soul is consumed with longing for Your laws at all times. You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from Your commands. Remove from me scorn and contempt, for I keep Your statutes. Though rulers sit together and slander me, Your servant will meditate on Your decrees. Your statues are my delight, they are my counselors."


Questions: None


Cross References: 

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

• Proverbs 30:5-6 "Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar."

• Jeremiah 15:16 "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear Your name, O Lord God Almighty."

God's Word is...: wonderful, to be longed for, my delight

God's Word does...: wonderful things, removes me from my scorn and contempt, is my counselor

My Responsibility to God's Word: to obey it, my soul should be consumed with longing for God's law at all times, keep statutes (laws), meditate on His decrees (orders)






Psalm 119:25-32 "I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to Your Word. I recounted my ways and You answered me; teach me Your decrees. Let me understand the teaching of Your precepts; then I will meditate on Your wonders. My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your Word. Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through Your law. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set My heart on Your laws. I hold fast to Your statues, O Lord; do not let me be put to shame. I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free."


Questions: How can I be sure the Lord keeps me from deceitful ways?


Cross References: 

• Psalm 43:1 "Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause against an unfaithful nation. Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked."

• Proverbs 14:8 "The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception."

• Ephesians 5:5-6 "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person - such a person is an idolater - has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient."

• Matthew 11:23 "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

God's Word is...: strength to my weary soul, gracious to me, the way of truth, something that sets my heart free


God's Word does...: preserves my life, answers me, teaches me, keeps me from deceitful ways


My responsibility to God's Word: recount my ways (self-examine my decisions/behaviors/choices), learn the decrees (orders), meditate on its wonders, choose the way of Truth, set my heart on God's laws, hold fast to Your statutes Lord, run in the path of God's commands

Psalm 119:33-40 "Teach me, O Lord, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of Your commands, for these I find delight. Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your Word. Fulfill Your promise to Your servant, so that You may be feared. Take away the disgrace I dread. For Your laws are good. How I long for Your precepts! Preserve my life in Your righteousness."


Questions: How do I make sure my motives for things are not selfish and how do I turn my eyes away from worthless things?


Cross References: 

• Matthew 16:26 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

• Philippians 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

• 1 Timothy 6:3-12 "If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith of their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay  hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

God's Word is/does...: a path of God's commands, life preserving, good, where I will find delight


My responsibility to God's Word: follow the Lord's decrees, learn from God how to follow His decrees, keep and obey His law with all my heart, turn toward God's statutes and not towards selfish gain, not care about worthless things of this world, but have my life preserved by Him according to His Word, long for His precepts

The Importance of the Bible and How It Applies to You... Part 1

On July 3rd, 2010 I started studying Psalm 119 at the suggestion of a book study of the Bible I was doing called Come Walk With Me by Carole Mayhall. I had no idea the implications this simple book would have on my comprehension, personal application and deeper love of God's Word. There were other topics and techniques for studying God's Word that I learned about but I have actually yet to finish Psalm 119 so I thought that would be a good one to post. I have been involved in many other Bible studies since then and actually forgot about good ole' Psalm 119.


Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the whole entire Bible and it is broken up into sections of 8 verses each. The whole entire 176 verses are pretty much all about God's Word and His laws which include what God's Word is, what God's Word does and our responsibility to the Word of God. It is one thing to plainly read through verses and chapters in the Bible, it is quite another thing to actually study Scripture, memorize, meditate on it, analyze it, do cross references, think clearly about how it relates to your life and what God is trying to tell you from it. That was a huge ah-ha moment for me when I started seeing how alive Scripture was and how I could use it in so many ways to learn from and grow with. The more personal applications I did using God's Word, the more excited I got about reading it and I began to really see the priceless value in the Bible and understand why God wanted me to read it. It's not about reading through the whole Bible as quick as you can so you can say 'yep, I read the Bible,' (even though reading the whole thing is important) it's about really living with the Bible as your manual to your life, wanting the things of it to show in how you live your life for Christ (if you do indeed follow Him). 


I shall start with Psalm 119:1-8 "Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep His statutes they do nothing wrong; they walk in His ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all Your commands. I will praise You with an upright heart as I learn Your righteous laws. I will obey Your decrees; do not utterly forsake me."


First I ask questions about what I don't understand such as... what are precepts, statues and decrees? They are rules, laws and orders, the 10 Commandments for example, the things God wants us to be doing and how He wants us to live.


Then I do cross references which is finding other Bible verses that pertain to the verses I'm studying. At first I didn't think this was an important step and I didn't understand the value of it, but once you start finding every single verse that has to do with something you don't want to stop! It's amazing how the Bible all goes together even when its different books were written by different people, in different parts of the world and at different times. 

• Psalm 19:8 "The statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing in the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes."
• Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
• John 1:17 "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

What God's Word is according to Psalm 119:1-8... righteous, of the Lord, to be fully obeyed.

What God's Word does according to Psalm 119:1-8... those who walk accordingly have blameless ways and are blessed, it shows what doing nothing wrong is like, those who follow God's Word are not put to shame.

My responsibility to God's Word based on Psalm 119:1-8... keep the Word and seek Jesus with all my heart, walk in His ways, fully obey Him, be steadfast in obeying His decrees, consider all His commands, praise Him in an upright heart, learn God's righteous laws, obey His decrees.

And that my friends is how you do a verse study or study a group of verses. See how much more you get out of it rather than just reading it through to actually dissect each piece of it and apply it as well as find other Scripture references that back up the first verses. I'll do one more set of the next 8 verses because I love this so much! And perhaps I will post more later...

Psalm 119:9-16 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your Word in my heart so that I might not sin against You. Praise be to You, O Lord; teach me Your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that have come from Your mouth. I rejoice in following Your statues as one rejoices with great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word."

Questions: none I can think of.

Cross Reference: 

• Psalm 37:31 "The law of his God is in his heart, none of his steps shall slide."
• Psalm 1:2 "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night."
• 1 Timothy 5:22 "Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people's sins; keep yourselves pure."
• 1 John 3:3 "And everyone who has hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

What God's Word is: laws from His mouth, not to be neglected.

What God's Word does: keep a young man's way pure, helps  hearts not sin against God.

My responsibility to God's Word: seek the Lord with all my heart, put His word in my heart so I may not sin against God and His Word, learn the Lord's decrees, speak and know all the laws from God's Word, rejoice in following God's Word like one rejoices in great riches, meditate on the Word, consider the Lord's ways, delight in His decrees, I WILL NEVER NEGLECT YOUR WORD LORD!