Seeking God in His Word (Psalm 119:9–16)

rhythms-of-holiness Yesterday, Ben Purves, our Pastor for Student Ministries at Occoquan Bible Church, continued our series on spiritual disciplines. What follows are some discussion questions and resources to go deeper in Psalm 119.

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Psalm 119 is one of my favorite Psalms. Both the longest chapter and prayer in the Bible, this 22 stanza psalm is a literary masterpiece. Written as an alphabetic acrostic, it is a beautiful celebration of God’s Word. The psalmist calls the reader to delight and rejoice in God. This last Sunday we looked at the second stanza (vv. 9-16) and considered how we might treasure God’s Word as we head into the New Year. You can listen to the sermon here.

Psalm 119:9-16

⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
¹⁰ With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
¹¹ I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
¹² Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes!
¹³ With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
¹⁴ In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
¹⁵ I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.

Discussion Questions

What words are used to describe the Scriptures, and how do they open up different dimensions of God’s Word?
What attributes of God are revealed in the text?
What are the two petitions of the psalmist in vv. 9-16? What does each petition reveal about the psalmist?
Practically — what does it look like to guard our hearts with the Word of God?
What should the relationship be between our love for God, his word, and sharing the gospel?
How would you characterize the heart of the psalmist?
How does one get his heart to be like that of the psalmist?
How might your heart become a treasure storehouse of the Word of God?
What steps might you take to increase your joy in God and His Word in 2017?