Title: What Do You Say to Me?
Contents
In Acts 8, Simon the wizard believed and was baptized through the evangelism of Philip. I followed Philip with all my heart, and was amazed to see Philip's signs and great powers. Now, when Peter and John came down to the land of Samaria and prayed to receive the Holy Spirit and laid their hands on them, the Holy Spirit filled them with the Holy Spirit. Seeing this, Simon is very wrong. He demanded, 'Give me this power also, that whoever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit'. Of course, even this part alone does not mean that his heart is right. It is because the heart is filled with the pursuit of one's own honor. He also tried to buy God's gifts with money. It's a really bad idea, and it can't be an action. Of course, God's gift cannot be bought with money. My mind wasn't right. Of course, it is right to be rebuked.
Remember Peter's rebuke to Simon the wizard. Acts 8:21, "You have no part in this way, and you have nothing to share, because your heart is not right with God." Simply put, it means 'there is nothing to do with the way of God and there is nothing to gain'. Wasn't the way of God, that is, the way of the cross, around them? no. The way of salvation is always open toward us. It is only important to clearly state what the way of salvation has to do with me and what share I will gain through the way of the cross. Today, the wonderful Word of God continues to be proclaimed to us. Through sermons, broadcasts, and documents, the Word of God is being worked wonderfully in many other ways. However, the members need to think seriously about what this has to do with me and what portion I have.
The psalmist in this text beautifully confesses about the Word of God. In short, he declared that the Word of God is the truth. Verse 43, 'Let the word of truth never depart from my mouth', verse 142, 'Your righteousness is eternal righteousness, Your law is truth', verse 151, 'All Your commandments are truth', verse 160, ' 'Your word is truth; all your righteous ordinances endure forever.' What is the psalmist's true confession? 'The Word of God, who is truth, is eternal. Therefore, I love the Word'. The psalmist's sincere plea for this verse is, 'Do not let the word that is truth depart from me.' Even if they are the words of truth, the words of life, and the words of salvation, if they do not relate to me, they are of no use. In the text, we would like to share grace by finding out that the psalmist confesses that these words of God have an absolute relationship to him.
God's word is my comfort.
Verse 50 says, “These words are my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has made me alive.” This confession is very important for the saints. The word comfort is used in a broad sense in the Bible. See especially Acts 8:31. 'So the churches of all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria were in peace, and they went on strong, and proceeded in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and increased in number.' It refers to an important turning point in the church in Acts that the peace of the church was linked to the revival of the church through faith in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The comfort of the Holy Spirit was expressed as the backing of the Holy Spirit. Also, Jesus mentioned the name of the Holy Spirit to be sent as the Comforter in John 14:26. He said, 'The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, who will remind you of all that he has said to you.' The name of the Counselor means comforter, counselor, and supporter.
In verse 24 of the text, 'Your testimonies are my delight and my counselor'. 'Counselor' means 'counselor'. Therefore, 'consolation in trouble' in the main text can be changed to 'support in trouble' and 'consultation in trouble or help in trouble'. Look at the confession in verse 52. He said, 'I have remembered your old statutes, O LORD, and I comforted myself.' It means that you have gained the faith to comfort yourself with the Word. Verse 76 says, “I pray that your kindness may be my comfort, just as you said to your servant,” and verse 173, “I have chosen your precepts; let your hand always be my help.”
Do you live with true comfort in the Word of God? What does the Word mean to the saints? What relationship do you confess to the Word of God and the saints? Please confess that the Word is my comfort. Even if I walk in trouble, even in persecution, even in affliction, even in affliction, if I confess that God's Word is 'my comforter, supporter, help, my counselor, and my counselor' , we believe you will save us. Verse 49 says, 'Remember what you said to your servant, for you have given me hope.' He has promised not only to comfort us, but also to hold us to full life, both spiritually and physically, so that we have hope. I hope that you will become blessed saints who confess that the amazing word of God is my comfort, so that you can receive and enjoy the comfort of God's word.
God's Word is my song.
Verse 54 says, "In my sojourner's house your statutes have become my song." I think that those who are fully comforted by the Word of God have no choice but to sing the Word of God. The Word of God has been my help, my support, and my counselor, so how can I not sing the Word of God? After all, those who have the testimony of faith based on the Word are destined to sing.
Chant 455 is a very graceful hymn. Verse 4 says, “My covenant with my lord is everlasting, and he keeps me until he goes to the kingdom.” That's why we confess, "Praise the Lord, hallelujah, even though the road ahead of me is long and rough, I will only follow you." This hymn was made with grace in verse 54 of the text.
When Paul and Silas entered the Philippian prison, it wasn't because someone had them praise them. Acts 16:25, 'About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and praising God, and the prisoners were listening'. Prisoners are not those who quietly listen to praise in the night. Even the prisoners had no choice but to listen to the praises because of Paul and Silas' emotional praise posture. Even though they were sitting in prison, their praise was because they were filled with gratitude, emotion, and complete reliance on God's help.
Dear all! What is the Word doing to you? is it a hymn? is it a song? Are you thrilled? We hope that you will become blessed saints who walk toward the Lord while walking on the road of sojourners, singing praises every day because of the comfort and help of the Word.
God's Word is mine.
Verse 56 says, "This is what I have, that I have kept Your statutes." This is my last confession. The word is comfort, because when it becomes a song, it becomes completely mine. A man rejoices in his possessions. Therefore, possession is pleasure itself. The psalmist confessed many times that the word of God was his pleasure. Verse 24, 'Your testimony is my delight and my counselor', verse 77, 'Your law is my delight', verse 92, 'If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction'. , verse 143, 'Tribulation and misery have come upon me, but Your commandments are my delight.' The words pleasure and possession are almost the same thing. So the psalmist confesses that he rejoiced in the word as he rejoices in riches. Verse 14, "I have rejoiced in the law of Your testimony, as I delight in all riches." Verse 162, "I delight in Your word, as men have taken many spoils." What a wonderful confession. Verse 56, 'This is what I have, that I have kept Your statutes.'
In fact, even if you are someone who truly believes that the Word is comforting and a song to you, it is rare to find someone who faithfully keeps it. Psalm 119 begins with a song about who the truly blessed are. Verses 1-5, “Blessed are those who walk in the law of the LORD with perfect conduct, blessed are those who keep the testimony of the LORD and seek the LORD with all their heart. You have commanded us to keep it diligently. Make my way ordained, that we may keep Your statutes.” In summary, it is said that 'those who keep, do, and keep diligently' are blessed. If comforting and singing is faith, keeping the Word is a true life of faith. This is property, and if it becomes property, how valuable is it?
In this way, the greatest possession of those who keep the word of the Lord is God. Verse 57, “The Lord is my portion; I will keep Your word.” It is a confession that God became my property after I kept the Word. Because God has become my property, it is a confession that I will also keep the Word. This is true possession. What a man has determines whether he is truly rich or not. Praise God for giving us valuable possessions at this time. I hope that you will become blessed saints who know how to confess, 'My most precious possession, that is, property, is how I have kept the word of God in this way and that throughout my life.'
If the word of God has nothing to do with me, it is of no use. What does the Word mean to me today? Please use the word of God as my comfort, support, help, counselor, and counselor. Therefore, I hope that you will praise and sing every day while believing and confident that this works. Please confess that the word of God becomes the title of the song and the content of praise. Now, I hope that you will faithfully confess that the most important property you have is keeping the word of God and become the saints who are blessed before God.