based on Love God Greatly, From Broken to Restored / w3d3

Scripture: Nehemiah 6:10-14; Psalm 119:9-16 / SOAP Psalm 119:10-11

With all my heart I seek you.
Do not allow me to stray from your commands.
In my heart I store up your words,
so I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:10-11

In the continuing story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall, the enemy is proving to be relentless – using a variety of tactics. This required Nehemiah and those working on the wall to be continually on guard, and not just physically but mentally. Because of this guardedness – Nehemiah was able to “recognize” the attempted trick to get him away from the wall in our passage today. Verse twelve says that he recognized that the man he was talking to and the invitation/suggestion the man made was not from God. Nehemiah knew the man was trying to scare him and have him sin by entering the temple – because Nehemiah knew God’s law and teaching. He understood that there were rules about who could enter and how that was to happen.

In our SOAP verse today we see how this knowledge and guardedness plays out in the lives of believers still today. Note how the Psalmist both poses and answers a crucial question for those who belong to God and want to “maintain a pure life” as we have been called to do. The question: “How can a young person maintain a pure life?” The answer: “By guarding it according to God’s instructions, or commands as many translations say. The Psalmist then seems to clarify that these instructions/commands come from God’s Word, and that he hides these words in his heart in order that he might not sin against God. Don’t miss verse fifteen though, for here he gives the rest of the formula for being able to recognize whether something or someone is from God or not. He doesn’t just guard his heart, he doesn’t just remember God’s commands – he meditates on God’s Word and he focuses on God’s behavior. In other words the Psalmist was intentional – and we must be too.

We may not be able to commit to memory every word in the Bible but we can read it and listen to it taught – again and again and again … until we know His voice from the world’s (Jn. 10:27) and recognize godly behavior or requests from the ungodly ones. Keep in mind this is a lifelong growth of faith and pursuit of holiness but as these begin to happen life changes, decisions are different, love and grace and mercy are richer and fuller – both when received and given away. God’

Reflection on Today’s Journey

When you receive counsel or instruction, how can you make sure it aligns with God’s Word?

Going Further

Remember you can find more insight at LoveGodGreatly.com

How to memorize the Word of God https://www.savortheword.org/