Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. most precious thing that David knew. The word of God is more precious to David than even fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. The sweetest thing that David knew, that which was sweet, that which he enjoyed, he says, No, I've come to understand this: that God's word is more precious to me than gold.
And it's sweeter to me. Then honey. Welcome to the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. The Bible is the living and active Word of God. providing light, wisdom, and truth to every part of our lives.
So why are so many neglecting or even rejecting the power of the Bible? Today, we're learning about the power and impact of God's Word from the Psalms of David.
So, continuing our study on the life of David, here's Pastor John Monroe. The first Psalm Says that the person who's blessed by God. is the one who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night. And David, Israel's greatest king, died. was an individual who delighted in the Word of God.
At the beginning of this new year, we want to have that kind of love for God's Word. Not to read the Bible as a kind of obligation. But rather to regard our time in the Word of God as the best part of every day. And when we're in the dark and uncertain places of life, The word of God will guide our way.
So let's continue to think of David's love for the Word of God and what we can learn from these Psalms about the importance of the living Word of God. You see the sovereign hand of God. and setting aside Saul, the first king of Israel. and raising up this unknown young man, this shepherd. from Bethlehem.
the youngest of a large family. And David, this unknown person, is going to become Israel's greatest king. And in spite of his failures, in spite of his sin, He is called a man after God's own heart. And in referring to David in Acts chapter 13, Paul not only describes him as a man after God's own heart, But one who will do all my will, that is, will do all the will. of God.
But how does David know the will of God? And that brings us to today's subject, David. And God's Word.
So let me ask you having Said that to open your Bibles to Psalm chapter 18. Where's Twenty Eight. For it is you who light my lamp. The Lord my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop.
And by my God, I can leap over a wall. This God His way is Perfect. The word of the Lord proves true. He is a shield. For all those who take refuge.
in him and these wonderful verses. God's word is A light. Psalm 119 verse 105. We read your word. is a lamp to my feet.
And the light to my path. Many things are true about this book, the Bible, but one of them is. That God's word is Alight. Notice what David says in Psalm 19 verse 8. The commandment, the latter part, the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening.
The eyes. God's word producers Light. In the darkness, Psalm 119 verse 130, The entrance of thy word gives light. The ESV says the unfolding of your word gives Light. God's word.
is Light.
Now As we look at verse 30 of Psalm 18 and look into Psalm 19, we see that the Word of God not only is a light, The word of God in fact is Perfect. The word of God It's perfect. Verse 30 of Psalm 18, this God. His way is perfect. And then says David, the word of the Lord proves.
True. Psalm 19 verse 7. The law of the Lord is Perfect. reviving the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold.
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned. In keeping them, that is the word of God. There is great reward. Who can discern his errors?
declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart.
Be acceptable in your sight. O Lord, my rock. and my redeemer. The Word of God is perfect. When I come here, when you come here, it's to hear the word of God, isn't it?
David says, Psalm 18 verse thirty eight That God, thank you, God. is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. And that God's word is a shield. How did Jesus respond to the temptations of the devil? The word of God.
It is written. It is written. It is written. And this is what David is saying. And all of the varying circumstances of his life, and he led a very, very full life, a very unusual life.
He came to understand this: that the law of the Lord is. Perfect. The word of God is a shield around us. If we keep true to the word of God, if we keep in the word of God, Psalm 119 verse 9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?
Is it possible for a young man to? to live a clean life in today's society. How answer? Psalm 119, verse 11, your word. Have I treasured in my heart That I might not sin against you.
Yeah. in our sleazy world. Where the devil is so active and attacks us and harasses us, is it possible to live a life for God? Absolutely. If you live it according to this book.
Notice what David says here in verse 7 of Psalm 19: The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. Restoring the soul. Or what brings spiritual revival? What brings spiritual restoration? By looking within, By sitting down with my therapist and going back to my childhood.
By isolating myself and sitting in the yoga position, I don't know if I could sit, that sounds so uncomfortable doing that. I admire you ladies that can do that. Get in the yoga position and contemplate and go through some mantra. Is that what we're going to do? Absolutely not.
What's going to bring spiritual revival? to your heart. To this church. Is this Book. The word of God says David, is perfect.
It is supernatural. It has a life. And a power that we really can't explain.
So Peter writes in 1 Peter, at the end of 1 Peter 1, since you've been born again, not of perishable seed. But of imperishable through the living and abiding word of God. What do I need? When the devil attacks, I certainly need the shield of faith to extinguish his fiery darts, but I need the sword of the spirit. which is the word Yeah.
So we believe in the power of the word of God. We believe in the sufficiency of the word of God. Look again at Psalm 19 as David writes. The law of the Lord is perfect. reviving the soul.
The testimony of the Lord is sure. Making wise the simple. You know, I meet with a lot of people. And sometimes they ask me all kinds of questions. And I tried to give The best answer I can.
But sometimes I'm not sure of my answer. But when my answer is based on the word of God, even although the person may not like it, Even if I myself may think, is this really true? Yes, it's absolutely true. This is sure advice. This is steadfast advice.
This makes The simple person wise. You think, well, I'm just the average person. That includes us all. You think I I'm I uh Just the average joke. Do you understand that if you know the word of God, That you are wiser.
Than anyone? James says, if you lack wisdom, ask. of God. Here's a young man goes After University? The professor is fifty years old, has got two PhDs.
One from Harvard, one from Yale, has been teaching a long time and has heard every Imaginable argument, and this young man, 18, a follower of Christ, thinks, What can I say to answer? This as the man begins to try to undermine his faith. If you know the word of God, here's the promise. It makes the simple Wise. How wonderful.
It imparts Wisdom. It gives us sure advice. And so, as you step forward, as long As what you're doing is based on the word of God, you can be sure, you can be steadfast.
Sometimes we follow the crowd, sometimes we listen to terrible advice, we make foolish decisions, we take wrong advice. God's Word imparts advice. Wisdom. Read the word of God. It makes the Simple.
Wise. Verse 8. The precepts of the Lord are right. There it is again. It's right.
What does it do? I love this one. It rejoices. The heart. Feel you've lost your joy?
Well what's going to do that? The word of God rejoices The heart. Do you feel a bit down? Christian life become a bit of a routine. Fears and anxiety creeping into your life.
Doesn't the devil love to rob us of our joy? He's like the thief, isn't he? He's a robber. And he harasses, and if he can get us to He feels he has succeeded. How will that joy return?
The precepts of the Lord are right, says David. They rejoice the heart. David knew what he was talking about. He knew what it was to be lonely. He knew what it was to be betrayed.
He knew what it was when his own son Absalom conspired against him and wanted him. And Absalom wanted to become king, even though David was alive. He had. amazing experiences of life. probably a wider range than most of us here.
He knew the mountaintops experiences and he knew the valleys, and he'd come to understand this. that the precepts of the Lord are right. They rejoice. His heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure.
enlightening the eyes. Verse nine: The fear of the Lord is. Clean. The Word of God is pure. It's clean.
Not what you saw last night on T V? Not that movie you watched on Netflix. But God's word is pure, God's word is clean. God reveals His truth to us. It brings clarity.
It brings focus.
Sometimes our Thinking is muddled, it's confused, it's dirty, it's off track. And what's going to bring it back to pure thinking? The word The fear of the Lord is Clean, don't you like that? God's Word is always pure. Psalm twelve.
Another Psalm of David, verse 6. The words of the Lord are pure words. Like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. Times. And because God's Word is pure, And because God's Word is clean, it cleans us.
It keeps us holy. and pure. I've said this before, and I say it again. Don't get discouraged when you start reading your Bible. We've all had this experience.
And you've read your Bible, perhaps you've been reading it for 20 minutes. And uh After a bit you think, I I ate it. I don't know what I've read. I can't really recall it. And you think, well, is there any point in doing this?
And as you're driving to work, you're thinking back of what you've read in your home. at the beginning of the day and you can't really remember it. That can be very discouraging, can't it? But one of the things, some marvelous thing that happens. By the reading of the word, It has a cleansing effect on our heart.
in a way that you don't really know. Of course, we should understand it. We should try to remember it. I'm not saying we read it in a mechanical way. But the fact is, as we're reading the word of God, You've experienced this, haven't you?
The cleansing effect of the word of God. My mother used to say she liked to go into the garden, and in a few moments she had time to do that. And I remember saying to mom, Why do you love the garden? And she said, well, you know, it's difficult to have. have mean thoughts or bad thoughts out in the garden.
It says working in God's creation. She's thinking about scripture. And it elevates her thoughts, isn't it? Think of the contrast. Think of some of the junk.
that you can so easily get into. And that stuff, what does it do? It pollutes us. It muddies our thinking, it distorts reality. And it takes us further and further away from the word of God.
Now, notice at the end. Here in verse 9, David says, The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. It endures forever. Psalm 119, verse 89: Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Jesus said, It's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the law to become void.
Luke 16, verse 16. Seventeen. Heavens and the earth will pass away, says Jesus, but my words will not pass away. Mark 13, verse 31. Philosophers, political ideas.
Opinions, the consensus of what is right, that changes, doesn't it? But God's word. And yours. Forever. God's word was true when my father read it, when my grandfather read it, when my great-grandfather read it.
And when my great-great-great-great-grandchildren will read it, it'll still be true.
Now what else can you say? Does that apply to? The ideas of man. Science, it changes. Philosophies, current political theory.
Educational theories. Consensus of opinion by the intellectuals, all of that changes God's word. Stands Forever. Isn't that wonderful? God's word, verse 9, at the end of verse 9: the rules of the Lord are true and righteous.
Altogether. Here, David is emphasizing that the Word of God is a divine standard. It's flawless, it's righteous, it's true from beginning to end. It's all I need to live for the glory of God. And then David is aware he can't contain himself in verse 10.
He says this is more to be desired than gold. Yes, then fine gold. The most precious thing that David knew, he says, no, the word of God is more precious to David than even fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. The sweetest thing that David knew, the honeycomb, the taste of honey, that which was sweet, that which he enjoyed.
He says, No, I've come to understand this: that God's word is more precious to me than gold. And it's sweeter to me. Then honey. Have you ever come to that part? In your life?
Psalm 1 The man whom God blesses delights. In the law of the Lord, and he meditates on it day and night.
Now that was the Old Testament scriptures. Can you imagine just having a Bible? of the Old Testament or just the Torah, just the first five books of the Bible? Think of the wonder that we have. We have 66 books.
We have the completed, the full revelation of Scripture and the progress of revelation. We know, in a way that David didn't even know, that all of Scripture finds its perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ. We have the very teaching of Jesus. in his own words in the gospels and through his apostles. In the epistles of the New Testament, that we can open the Word of God.
And you say, Well, I don't understand it all. I don't understand that. And some of you you tell me that your children don't understand all of it.
Well, that's true. I don't understand Oliver. But Isn't that true? that if you love someone You seek to understand. What they're saying?
Most of you know that when I met my wife, her English was very, very poor. It was her third language. And she would write to me these letters. long letters with a Faroese dictionary and a Danish dictionary. And with rights, take it I was later to learn it would take her hours.
I would reply in about 10 minutes in my quick handwriting. But I would read and reread these. letters, even though the grammar sometimes was bad. And she hadn't appreciated the wonder of the English language as she should have. She was Larney.
I had a great motivation to say, what is this young woman saying? I didn't say, oh, this is difficult to read, I'm not going to read it. No. I was falling in love with her. I wanted to understand every word that she was writing.
What could she have meant by this? God has given us His Love letter. To you. And to me. to lead you to salvation.
to help you to grow in the law. of the Lord and in the word. of God. What a joy. To get along with this book.
Do you do that? It's a wonderful thing, isn't it? I've entered into this joy. of getting a loan. with a Bible.
Now I know some of you have the iPad, you're much cooler than I am, but to me there's it's not the same on an iPad. It's not the same on a computer screen. There's something about Actually feeling the word of God. And getting along sitting on your porch or in your study. or if you're going hiking out in the hills and taking this book.
And asking God, God, speak to me. And it's this book. And the Spirit of God and you. Not books about the Bible. I love books about the Bible.
I've got a huge library, I'm not against books about the Bible. But nothing can substitute. Substitute, can it? that you take the living. Word of God.
and read it. And study it. Martin Luther said how great and glorious a thing it is. to have before me the word of God. He who loses sight of it falls into despair.
He follows only the disorderly tendency of his heart and of the world's vanity, which lead him on to destruction. What's the alternative? You neglect this? What will happen? Destruction.
What keeps us? On target, what keeps us on course? Whether it's an individual or a family or a church, it is the word of God.
So I ask you. Are you going to just dabble in the Word of God? Just read a couple of verses on your iPhone every day. Or are you going to read and study the Bible? If you don't have a Bible, get one.
This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Today's message is titled David and God's Word. And it's part of our series in the life of David. As we continue this study over the coming weeks, you'll want your own copy of the special listening guide John has written to go along with each of these daily lessons. In this insightful and printable workbook, you'll be able to explore the Biblical themes, key takeaways, and the real life applications of every lesson we cover in the life of David.
So don't miss out on this limited free resource. Log on and download your copy of The Life of David Listening Guide today by visiting us online at the verdict. org. And while you're there, be sure to sign up for our monthly email list to get the latest ministry updates from John. And if these lessons and resources have helped you, Would you consider helping other listeners by supporting the Verdict's gospel outreach with a donation of any amount?
By helping us cover the cost to produce and distribute these biblical messages, You'll be playing an important part in sharing the gospel with new listeners and communities around the globe. You can easily send your one-time donation of any amount when you go to theverdict.org. And before we close, remember to subscribe to the Verdict podcast and check out John's special weekly feature called Avizandam, where he shares his thoughts on important topics like the mark of the beast and the epidemic of anxiety. Subscribe today to the Verdict Podcast. And now, here's Pastor John Monroe with today's closing remarks.
Well, what's your verdict? How do you regard reading the Bible? I trust it is more than an obligation, but rather a delight. Come to the Word of God expecting to hear from God, to learn about God. and to learn great truths which will renew your mind.
On days when you may not feel like reading the Word of God, remember. It is the very food for your soul. Each day. Quietly ask God for help. to understand His word and to obey it.
and you will have the joy of living a life pleasing to the Lord. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mm.
