Introduction:
1. The other day I read about an old sheepherder that lived in the hills of Idaho many years ago. This man was a faithful listener to one of the finer musical programs of the time on the radio.
One night after listening to a concert, he wrote an amusing letter to the broadcasting company in which he made a very unusual request. He said, “ I enjoy your programs very much that come from New York City each week. I am writing to ask a favor of you. It is rather lonely up here in the hills and I haven’t much to entertain me besides your radio programs. No other human beings are near. Now I have a violin that I use to play, but it has gotten badly out of tune. I wonder if you would take just a minute on your program next week and strike an “A” on the piano so that I might tune my violin.”
Well, at first they only smiled about the letter. But then they began to see something more than humor in it. Was it perhaps a symbol of what they should be able to do with good music? They decided to use the letter on the broadcast. When the night came for the show they actually interrupted the program long enough to strike an “A” on the piano in New York while the old sheepherder in the hills of Idaho got the right pitch for his violin.
2. This is something that we need in the spiritual sense. Our world seems to be “out of tune” with God and that accounts for all of the discord that is going on today. There are wars, national and international tensions, crime, conflict and corruption even in high places, and a widespread feeling of turmoil and fear in the hearts of men.
Not only does the world seem to be out of control but men as individuals also give evidence of being out of tune with God. This accounts for both juvenile and parental delinquencies, crime, broken homes, immorality in our land. Much of the misery, wretchedness and woe of today is caused by our people being “out of tune” with God.
3. It is not necessary for us to remain in a state of such discord and confusion, for the Lord gave us the Bible for us to use to tune our hearts and our lives to His will. If we will permit it, the Bible will bring harmony and peace to our souls. The reason that we are even out of tune is because we are not letting God’s message through to our souls.
We are busy listening to everybody but God. Our situation may well be illustrated by what happened in a small Mississippi community a few years back.
A water main busted a shutting off hundreds of homes. The postman noticed what had happened and went to phone the water department to report the source of the problem. However; the phones at the water department were busy everytime that he tried to place his call. Housewives all over the community was phoning in complaining and demanding that something be done. The only person who knew the source trouble could not get his call through because of too many voices on the phone.
4. In our confusion today we are listening to too many voices to be able to hear the solution to our problems. If for just a minute we could stop all these voices, read God’s word and listen carefully we would hear the real answer and the correct solution. Today I would like for us to see how important God’s word is to our daily life and the problems that we each face.
I. Psalms 1: In this first psalm we see that the Word of God is the secret of a happy, fruitful and prosperous life.
A. God’s Ideal Man
1. He is above average in Conduct, behavior, attitude and devotion to God.
2. The secret is given (Verse 2)
3. The Word of God made a difference in the life of this man. (Verse 3)
B. God’s word WILL make a difference in your life.
II. Psalms 19: In this psalm we see that the Word of God is pictured in beauty and power.
A. Beauty of God’s Word.
1. Seen in the words that are used for it.
a. law
b. statutes
c. precepts
d. commands
e. fear
f. ordinances
2. Seen in the adjectives that are used to describe it.
a. perfect
b. trustworthy
c. right
d. radiant
e. pure
f. sure
3. God’s word is finer than the finest gold and sweeter that the sweetest honey.
B. Power of God’s Word.
1. To Convert Souls.
a. When one has lost their strength and nerves, Gods word will revive and restore them.
2. To Make Simple the Wise.
a. Meditate = Poise, Balance and Wisdom.
b. Study = ability to solve many problems that others can not solve.
3. To Make the Heart Rejoice.
4. To Enlighten the Eyes.
a. Able to see more then the here and now.
5. Will Stand Forever.
a. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Matthew 24:35
6. Warns Us of Turns in the Road of Life. (Verse 11)
III. Psalms 119: In this psalm we have a remarkable presentation of the things that can be said about the Word of God.
A. It was the author’s purpose in this Psalm to make God’s Word the guiding principle of his conduct, to bring all of his will under the direction of God and to make his whole life in accord to the perfect will of God.
1. This Psalm consists of 176 verses.
a. All verses except one or two, has something to say about the Word of God.
b. Ever who the author was, he evidently had been tried sorely in the midst of God’s loving discipline and had learned to trust God in the middle of it all.
c. Let’s single out just a few of these verses that will indicate his love and appreciation for the Word of God.
2. Verse 9.
a. How can a young man keep from sinning?
b. By listening to God’s Word.
c. Look at verse 11.
3. Verse 18
a. A very unusual prayer.
b. There are many passages that we do not fully understand
c. God will open these passages, if we will only ask Him.
i. Verse 33
ii. Verse 34
4. Verse 42
a. Prays for grace to enable him to make a true and joyous confession of his faith in God.
b. Wants to be able to bring a conclusive and convincing answer to those who laugh at him for worshipping God.
5. Verses 66, 71, and 72
a. Declares his afflictions.
b. These afflictions have brought him to a true meaning and value of God’s Word.
6. Verses 97-100
a. Gaining of knowledge through God’s Word.
7. Verse 105
a. God’s Word provides light on the dark paths of life.
