December 9th
“The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring 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 judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.” Psalm 19:7-9 NASB
I found this wonderful passage in my study of Psalms a few years ago. I think it captures how God’s word affects us when we abide in it, applying it to our lives as we strive to live for God. The journey out of sexual addiction offers many challenges to those who choose to take it. As I read through the passage, I was reminded of the things that we need along the way:
- We need restoration of our souls, which have been tattered, torn and worn by the sin that we’ve entertained and practiced.
- We need wisdom to avoid the snares of sin and stay on God’s path of righteousness; to avoid the mistakes we’ve made in the past.
- We need joy in our heart – and often we need a re-filling of joy, as crucifying our sinful desires can be draining and the memories of our past indulgence can drag us down.
- We need our eyes to be enlightened both spiritually and physically. Our eyes need to be trained to see the world as God sees it; we need to see our sin for the ugliness that it is. Our eyes need cleansing from the evil they’ve witnessed.
- We need a healthy, reverential fear of God restored in us, which will help us choose righteousness instead of sin.
- We need truth, because the truth sets us free from the lies of temptation and sin.
God’s word provides all of these vital staples. Indeed they will be life to us and will sustain us through whatever challenges we may face. Consider what Moses said:
“Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3 NKJV)
God’s word gives new life to us in every dimension – body, soul and spirit. When we feed ourselves with it daily, we’re going to be stronger and better able to meet the challenges we may face. If we neglect the word, we’ll be like a starving army trying to fight a battle – weak, tired and hungry.
Questions for further thought:
In addition to the word, what does God give us to empower us to overcome sin’s temptations? (Romans 8:10-13)
How do you feed yourself with God’s word each day? Are there improvements that need to be made?
What does God’s word contain that can build our faith and provide a foundation for our freedom from sin? (2 Peter 1:3-4. 2 Corinthians 1:20)
Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, Thank you for your word; your word is truth. Sanctify me by your truth. Thank you for the life that your word brings to my soul; for how it restores it. Thank you for the wisdom and joy that your word brings. Thank you for the cleansing that the word accomplishes in me. I recognize my need for your word. Lord, please forgive me for any slackness or apathy that I’ve had toward learning or applying your word to my life. I pray for an ever-increasing hunger for your word and the discipline if needed to make time in my daily schedule to study it. I pray for your life and joy to fill me afresh today. Please strengthen me to choose rightly in any temptations I may face today. Thank you, Father! In the mighty, powerful name of Jesus I pray, Amen.”