by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Recently, a small group of members from our church traveled to Tucuman, Argentina to minister to a church that we have been working with since 2005. Our goal for this trip was to be an encouragement and a source of support for the lead pastor, Jorge Ahualle, and his family. We were blessed with the opportunity to spend time with the church for a retreat weekend together. We were asked to cover topics related to the theme of consecration/devotion, and were directed to speak to different groups within the church. I had the privilege of speaking to the youth of the church, and knew exactly what I wanted to communicate to them.

No matter which youth group will listen, my emphasis will always be the same: devotion to the Word of God. If the youth do not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, the primary source to discover it is found in the gospel revealed in the life and work of Jesus Christ in Holy Scripture. If a youth follows Jesus, the way of growth is a vibrant relationship with Him, which comes by way of listening to Him by exposure to His Word, and speaking to Him in prayer.

With the direction our culture is heading, there is no doubt that our youth will be tempted and pulled in all sorts of distractions. What is needed is a singular devotion to Christ, and He is most visible to us in the utterance of God’s words. This is my hope for the youth: that their hearts and minds will be a lifelong pursuit of the glory of Christ in every area of life.

Scripture has many examples of men and women who were devoted to loving the Word of God, but I have found a stellar example in the psalmist of Psalm 119. For 176 verses, this psalmist inarguably demonstrates his deep love for the words of our God, and models it for everyone, especially the youth, to see the wonders of knowing His Word.

“Actions speaks louder than words,” goes the common saying, but this time, these words seem to speak loudly of his heart of devotion. This is someone who will act in light of what God has said. In the psalmist’s mind, there is no expiration date when it comes to the relevance of God’s Word in the affairs of daily life. His Word will lead to action. As we see at the beginning of Psalm 119, we encounter four actions* of a devoted lover of the Word:

1. Walk as a believer of the Word with devotion

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! (Psalm 119:1-3)

The first thing to notice is that the psalmist starts with the word, “blessed.” The literal translation for this word is “happy.” We can read this verse, “Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!” The reason believers are happy is that they keep the Word of God! They obey it.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)

David recognized where the most amount of joy could be found. It isn’t at the club, or among your friends. It is where the Lord is. It is where endless pleasure is found. If God is the source of full joy, then being in His will will lead to a deep life of joy and pleasure in Him.

Now what does it look like to be a happy Christian? Is it someone who just says, “I love the Word of God?” over and over again? Maybe, but that isn’t enough. Some clear marks of a happy Christian are that they are blameless in reputation (1a), actively obedient (1b, 3), protective of Scripture (2a), and a first-class pursuer of God (2b).

2. Embrace the purpose of the Word with conviction

You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! (Psalm 119:4-5)

The second action of a devoted lover of the Word of God is that they seek to understand what the purpose of the Bible is. What is the reason for why God gave us His Word? He has set up this world in such a way as to fix this purpose: God’s Word has been given to us so that we would keep them diligently. You may read it, study it, memorize it, meditate on it, but if you don’t keep it, if you don’t follow what it says, you are twisting the Scriptures.

All other religions that say they believe the Bible claim that it teaches all sorts of false doctrine, and it warps the purpose of the Bible, and most don’t even know they’re doing it! If I wrote you instructions on how to get to my mom’s house, and you start reading the instructions over and over again, go and talk to your friends about how great these instructions are, sing songs about how great my mom is, even memorize it, but you never follow my instructions, you completely ignored its purpose! Yet, this is what many people do with the Bible. They will spend time in the Bible, not to keep it in their hearts, but to make themselves look good in front of others. Or to convince their parents that they do believe in God. All the while, God’s instructions are being ignored. This can’t be!

Now after pointing to the purpose of the Bible, the psalmist turns to pray to God, knowing the purpose, and asking God for strength to be able to keep it. His focus goes from speaking of those who are happy in God to now taking responsibility to live out what he just described. This is the psalmist’s desire: to keep and obey the precious Word of God.

The Bible is not just some book to the psalmist, even a book that you occasionally show reverence for. This is a book that captures the psalmist to crave and hunger for more of. He desires to be strengthened by it because he knows he is weak without it. Your familiarity with the Word is a good indicator of whether you know you are weak or not. Exposure to the Word is what will make you aware of your weakness, and seeing it for what it is and what it’s for will strengthen you.

3. Receive the blessings of the Word with thanksgiving

Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. (Psalm 119:6-7)

When you are tempted, remember: every act of obedience will produce a blessing from God. What’s the blessing that we find here? No shame. If you walk as a believer of the Word and embrace the purpose of the Word, then you will not be ashamed!

Here is what the Bible does to your life: it exposes sin in every area of your life. At first, that sounds bad. But imagine this: if you have a disease, and need to know where it’s located, you would want to have the best equipment available to find it and then get rid of it, right? Every time you expose yourself to the Bible, you always have two options: you can either run away and ignore what it says, or you can turn from your sins and ask for forgiveness.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. (James 1:23-24)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

The blessing not only removes shame, but it also provides thanksgiving in your heart. This isn’t the kind of thanksgiving that is fake, or shallow, but “upright.” It means to be smooth or straight. Receiving the Word with praise and thanks honors the One who gave the Word. God’s Word is identified as rules that are righteous. In other words, these are what the divine Judge has ruled to be right. To receive the Word in this way, demonstrating understanding of what the Word really is, will lead to a heart that praises God the way He should be praised.

When was the last time you gave thanks to God for the Scriptures? When did you last thank God for opening your eyes to see the true nature of Scripture?

4. Ask God to help you obey the Word with resolve

I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! (Psalm 119:8)

The final action of a lover of the Word of God is prayer. All prior actions have been a willingness on the part of the happy Christian to involve the Bible to play a primary role in one’s life. The psalmist returns to pray to God, first offering a big promise: “I will keep your statutes.” Statutes here means what the divine Lawgiver has laid down. The psalmist is determined to follow the Law of God.

Many people in the church are scared to make a concrete decision, either towards God or away from God. They don’t want to be seen as someone who rejects God, but they also fear what it will cost to fully follow God. To be entirely wicked or entirely righteous is facing two extremes that seems equally scary. Many choose to be right in the middle, and come to church, but not commit much else. In today’s day, this is what is called apathy. In Scripture, Jesus calls this being lukewarm:

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.’” (Revelation 3:15-16)

This is like the person who says they’re coming to your house, and then halfway there, turns around and then tells you, “Well, at least I got there some of the way!” This is like someone who says they will clean their room, and the moment they can see a little bit of the floor after picking up some clothes, says, “Ok, I’m done!” Keep your focus on the Word! Don’t even give your parents a chance to tell you to read your Bible. Get to reading! But see that God doesn’t want you to be half-hearted in your willingness to do so.

The last thing the psalmist writes is for God to not forsake or forget him. He knows his weakness in failing to fully obey God in everything, but he also knows that God is gracious to His people and will help him keep the Word. He also knows God is just and can rightly forsake him should He choose to.

Notice that the psalmist doesn’t turn to anyone else but God to strengthen him and also forgive him when he fails. If you do not truly desire to have a strong desire to obey God’s Word, it will show in your lack of prayer to Him.

Our plea

In the end, our prayer is that every youth will come to know the God of the Word by way of the Word of God. This year, as it is for every year before, is to pray and trust that God will draw each youth to Him to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to grow in His grace and knowledge for the glory of the King. I hope this will be your prayer as well.

*I have been greatly helped by Seth Kniep’s helpful work, Loving God’s Word: 7 Strategies for Slaying Bible Apathy for these insights.