Title: Words that revitalize
word of encouragement
2005-10-23
“Renew me according to Your word, for my soul is stuck in the dust” (Psalm 119:25).
I. Text Commentary
Even though they are Christians, there are times when they feel they are more unhappy than unbelievers. The text suggests a way for the saints in this state to overcome the stagnation of their souls. The view that Psalm 119 is David’s poem is strong, because Psalm 119 is similar in style to David’s other psalms, and there is no one like David among the psalmists who excelled in understanding and interpreting God’s truth. . In the text, the poet speaks of a state of stagnation in his soul. He lost the vitality he had at first because of God and lost all the benefits he had gained from his relationship with God. This is a very painful state, and it exposes them defenseless to sin, and leads to a life of helpless distance from God as a whole. The stagnation of the soul can be brief, or it can last a lifetime.
II. stagnation of soul
A. “When attached to dust”
B. Beauty of the soul
The beauty of the soul is a characteristic that exists only in that thing. Beauty makes its existence shine. Beauty does not exist alone, but becomes beautiful in harmony with other things around it. This beauty is in the soul. Man is the most beautiful of all creation, because the image of God, that is, the soul of God, is in us. Human beings were formed from dust in order to make it known that human beings become the most outstanding among creations only through the breath of God's Spirit, although their existence itself is insignificant as the body dies and returns to dust. But not everyone's soul is precious. The soul of an unbeliever bears the image of God, but is actually dead. The soul of a believer can be more beautiful with a living soul. Even within the believer, the beautiful state of the soul is different. God sees and evaluates the beautiful state of each person's soul. Look back with a pure heart to see if we are wasting our finite time in the stagnation of our souls! Is life really happy? The source of happiness is only in God. But where can you find happiness?
Ⅲ. saint's hope
A. God's Promise
“According to the word of the Lord” means exactly “according to the word of the Lord”. God has already given the promise to deliver the believer from the stagnation of the soul, which means forgiveness of sins. When your sins are forgiven by God, the new pouring out of grace has the power to destroy the remnants of sin in your heart. Even after experiencing forgiveness, the power of sin still remains, so you must be completely freed from the power of sin. Therefore, we can get out of the stagnation by constantly and earnestly repenting every day. The poet clings to the character of God who holds on to God's promises and is infinitely forgiving. As long as we remember that God is good and that His word rescues us from deep depression, believers can overcome darkness and return to Him.
B. The Power of the Word
'Apply to your Word and save me' The poet's soul is like death, losing all the features that prove it has life. But the word of God has the power to raise the dead. God created this world with words. Let's go to Almighty God, who created the world through the word. You will have to throw away the vain expectation that God will suddenly restore the fallen believer to a place of grace one day, and risk your life to confess to the Lord your stagnation as it is and to heal you with the Word. Even now, God is eagerly waiting for such people... 2005-10-23