September 7 | Week 1: Grace and Devotion
How Can I Be Pure In Today’s World!?
Psalm 119:9-16
How can a young person stay on the path of purity? 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 that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
Live The Word, Seek With All, Hide In My Heart
1. How does a young person keep their way pure (v. 9)? First, I have to commit to obeying God’s Word. The bible must become my standard and the lense of my moral compass. Secondly, I must seek God wholeheartedly and without pretense. “All my heart” demands an intentionality and a dogged consistency. Lastly, I have to hide the word in my heart. When I memorize scriptures they are the key to preventing me from straying or sinning against God. We cannot obey what we do not know.
Hide The Word In My Heart
2. What does it mean to hide God’s word in your heart (v. 11)? How does that keep you from sin? Initially, I would assume it means memorization. However, I believe it is more than just a wrote mental exercise. Instead, I must engage my heart and really try to feel and experience the scriptures. Jesus Christ himself taught that we “understand with [our] hearts” (Matthew 13:15) and so there is more emotion and intent when hiding the word in my heart!
In 1997-1998 I fell away from God in my heart. Despite this, I still attended the Oahu church regularly, led a bible discussion group, and served in the (AMS) band and song ministry. Brothers in my life tried to help me and I would confess impurity to them regularly. However, I never repented of the sin nor changed my heart. Thankfully, God moved in my life and presented the opportunity for me to move and be a part of supplimental mission team to a new region in San Francisco.
In My Heart Through Discipling And Devotion
I knew I needed to change radically. I was almost adulterous with someone I knew at work and I began to fear where my hard-heart was leading me. Furthermore, I wanted to marry Amy, and that would not be possible in my current fall-away state. Therefore, moving to San Francisco with Brock Roby to start a new ministry was an opportunity from God. However, I did have to walk away from my career as an animator and editor for a local production company.
I was still out of touch and hard-hearted the first few months. Darren and Christina were mentoring (“discipling”) Amy and I (we were still dating) spiritually. God used Darren to really tackle my hard-heart and even my hard-headedness. I remember the hard-line expectation of obeying the bible and dealing with my heart and it’s impure thoughts and sensual attitudes. Sadly, I was so critical at first I almost ruined our relationship.
Grace, Mercy, and Hope From God’s Word
I’ll never forget Christina rebuking me one Sunday morning in response to my contempt and critical spirit towards Darren. Her tears and hearfelt plea for me to see my utter clueless lack of gratitude and crushing contempt woke me up. “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.” (Proverbs 27:5) I knew they loved me and were really trying to offer hope and the way forward in reconnecting with God. I saw God’s mercy in this moment. They could have decided to become bitter, hopeless, and just let a “dog” like me continue going back to his vomit.
Firstly, what followed was my heart being restored to God. Secondly, Amy and I were able to make the second most important choice our lives – getting married. Certainly, without Darren and Christina’s help, I would have left God at this point and done harm to God’s daughter, Amy. Instead, through love and truth (in discipling) God blessed my repentance with a better job, a better heart, and an amazing wife!
Memorizing Scripture Fortifies The Heart
Underneath all of this, I was taking the time to memorize all of 1st John chapter 1. I had committed scripts for acting to memory and enjoyed acting. Therefore, I figured, I should treat these passages as a “method actor” would. Interestingly, when I memorized this much scripture about the light and God’s promises of mercy it fundamentally changed who I am. Lastly, my heart was prepared by this process and ready for the teaching, correcting, and rebuking that I needed to repent! (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
3. What does the writer say he delights in and does not neglect? He delights in following God’s statues like he’s found “great riches”. Additonally, the Psalmist delights in God’s decrees. Interestingly, I need to ask myself about this – “do I delight in God’s decrees or do they seem like a burden?” Of course, how I answer that question will expose a lot about what is in my own heart.
All Scripture Is From God
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
1. Where does Scripture come from? God.
2. What is it useful for? What does it do to you? The Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. Importantly, the Scripture being used in these ways is how it will equip me “thoroughly” for every good work.
APPLICATION: Pick one verse from Bible and write it on a piece of paper. Carry it with you and read it a few times through the day. Start hiding God’s word in your heart.
1st John 2:3-6
3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
