The Focused Life (excerpts)

This is an excerpt from the Book, "THE FOCUSED LIFE"

2. Focus on the Pursuit of Purity

Psalm 119: 9 – 16

"How can a young man keep his way pure?”

This is the first verse of the second part of psalm 119 and it teaches the youth how to live a pure life. The answer to the question is also provided for in the first verse.

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. It applies to old men too. Anyone who wants to live pure should focus on living according to the word of God. There is simply no other way.

What should we do if we want to live according to the law of God? What is the law of God? Jesus summarized the Law and the Prophets in one word, expressed in two direction.

LOVE - Love God, Love people. These are the first and second in the order of importance but these two are the focus of the law of God. Get this straight. Get this right or else you will not get anything right. Whenever you read the phrase "the law of the Lord”, it means this for us as new covenant believers. It means the law of love. It is out of love for God that we ought to pursue holiness, purity and love for other humans.

The rest of the psalm can be made to answer the question," What should a young man do in order to live according to the way of the Lord?"

10 I seek you with all my heart;

    do not let me stray from your commands.

Seek God with all your heart. Ask God's help to keep you from straying out of the word of God in living your everyday life. If you are seeking God with all your heart, start with confessing your inability and your desperate need for God or else you will not be able live according to the law of God.

11 I have hidden your word in my heart

    that I might not sin against you.

Hide the word of God in your heart. Let your heart be a store house of the word of God, the commands of God, the principles and values of Christ. Unless you are filled, you will not overflow. You are now overflowing with whatever you are filled with in your heart. That's your real life that determines the roots and the fruits or barrenness. Memorization is one way of accomplishing it.

12 Praise be to you, Lord;

    teach me your decrees.

Asking God to teach you his decrees. Who can teach you his decrees apart from God, God the Holy Spirit?

This is one of the most important things we should practice, humbling ourselves before God and asking him to teach us his ways and his truths. When was the last time you asked God to teach you his decrees and laws and truths?

13 With my lips I recount

    all the laws that come from your mouth.

Recounting, reciting the laws of God will help in reminding yourself and other around you about the law of love.

Let's try it once now! Loudly tell yourself and then someone else who is nearby the law of Christ.

“Love the lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.”

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Love one another. As I loved you so you must love one another.”

Keep recounting these laws daily and you will see the difference.

14 I rejoice in following your statutes

    as one rejoices in great riches.

Learn to rejoice in the law of God, in having it, reading it, meditating on it and in practicing it. Unless you rejoice in following in it, you will not enjoy the Christian life. Unless you enjoy obeying God's law, you will fall away. You will rejoice in it when you value it. David valued it as more valuable than riches and thus he was able to enjoy following the law of God.

15 I meditate on your precepts

    and consider your ways.

Meditation of the law of God and its application in different circumstances will help us condition our minds and ready our wills for action. It will help us count the cost, which should not take us by surprise when we attempt to practice the law of God. It will help us see the fruits and rewards, both temporal and eternal and move us towards action. There can be no action without meditation. Meditation also helps to renew our minds and focus, so that the law of God is lived out reflexively, reactively.

16 I delight in your decrees;

    I will not neglect your word.

Do you delight in the law of God, in the law of Love? If not, you will never practice it. Many of us have neglected the laws of God. We were just happy with studying the bible, studying stories, exhortations etc. We did not show the same zeal, if not more, when it came to the law of love. We have neglected the law of love, we have not delighted ourselves in it and consequently have not practiced it. The cause for barrenness is neglect. This delight comes as we meditate and allow God to show the beauty of the law as it pertains to humans and how much of it is lacking and the consequence of the lack thereof.

Unless these 7 disciplines are part of your life, you will never live a pure life, a holy life, a life in accordance with the laws, precepts and teachings of Christ.

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