Psalm 119:33–40 - Spiritual & Physical Reorientation

The Spirit turns, teaches and directs you as you read scripture.

In order to benefit from the power of God's Word, your heart and eyes must be turned towards it.

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Psalm 119:33–40 (NIV)

ה He

³³ Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,

that I may follow it to the end.

³⁴ Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law

and obey it with all my heart.

³⁵ Direct me in the path of your commands,

for there I find delight.

³⁶ Turn my heart toward your statutes

and not toward selfish gain.

³⁷ Turn my eyes away from worthless things;

preserve my life according to your word. 

³⁸ Fulfill your promise to your servant,

so that you may be feared.

³⁹ Take away the disgrace I dread,

for your laws are good.

⁴⁰ How I long for your precepts!

In your righteousness preserve my life.

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Canons of Dordt

Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election

Point 2 - Limited Atonement

Point 3 - Total Depravity

Point 4 - Irresistible Grace

Article 11: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Conversion

Moreover, when God works true conversion in the elect, God not only sees to it 

1. that the gospel is proclaimed to them outwardly, 

   1. and enlightens their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit

   2. so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God, 

      
      

2. but, by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit, 

   1. God also penetrates into the inmost being, 

      1. opens the closed heart, 

      2. softens the hard heart, 

      3. and circumcises the heart that is uncircumcised. 
         

   2. God infuses new qualities into the will, 

      1. making the dead will alive, 

      2. the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant. 
         

   3. God activates and strengthens the will so that, 

      1. like a good tree, 

      2. it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds.

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Summary

Decrees / law / commands / statutes / precepts / word - these examples are just some of the ways that Psalm 119 - and the entire psalter in general - refer to scripture. That's the overarching theme of this, the longest of all the psalms: the magnificence and usefulness of God's Word for every aspect of our life.

You probably have as many printed Bibles in your house as Psalm 119 has synonyms for the Bible. Not only that, but you carry around every translation of scripture ever produced - and even the original languages - right in your pocket, all of which are just a click or two away. God's Word is powerful for sure, but that all of that power remains pent up until you crack the book or open the app. It must be read.

But even that - opening and reading God's Word - releases only a fraction of the power it contains. The psalmist realizes this, and so he prays that God will position him to experience the full measure of scripture's power by reorienting his relationship to God. He prays to be taught and given understanding; he prays that God will direct him and turn his heart and eyes away from worthless things and toward God's statutes.

This is why asking God to align you with His will is such a critical part of prayer. Just as a sunflower or solar panel doesn't absorb any energy until it's turned toward the sun, you don't benefit from scripture's power until the Holy Spirit - as the Canons put it - enlightens your mind powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that you may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God.

  Dig Deeper  

Both regeneration (being 'born again') and sanctification (the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ) affect you both physically and mentally. Charles Spurgeon puts it this way: "The outer senses must first see the way, then the mind must understand it, then, with faith and love, the heart should follow it."

The Spirit begins with your outer senses. He begins by turning your eyes away from worthless things and sets them on truth contained in the Word. But you need more than just an occasional glimpse of the truth, you need to comprehend it. Teach me, the psalmist prays, give me and understanding of what my eyes see in scripture.

In order to truly follow the LORD's decrees and obey it with all your heart, you need to do the hard work of coming to understand what God's Word says. You must be taught. It's as a result of this learning process that the Spirit turns your heart - remember, the ancient Hebrews understood our hearts to not just represent our feelings and emotions, but also our intellect and volitions - away from selfish gain towards God's statutes.

Your work week is quickly coming to a close, and the Lord's Day is right around the corner. Begin to prepare yourself for it so that you're rested and ready for the Spirit to do this work of turning, teaching, and directing as a fulfillment of His promises.

AAA Prayer (About)

• ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who through His Spirit activates and strengthens us;

• ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God begins to prepare you to be taught and directed by His Word this coming Lord's Day;

• ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

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Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 1