Psalm 119:12
The psalmist's heart of praise and petition teaches us the importance of approaching the Scriptures with a desire to commune with God.
Brent Yim emphasizes the importance of praising God and seeking His guidance through His Word. The psalmist's heartfelt proclamation of praise is followed by a humble request for God to teach His statutes, reflecting a deep desire to know God more intimately. Yim highlights the significance of approaching the Scriptures with a heart that first desires to commune with God before seeking knowledge, echoing the sentiment that true understanding comes from a place of reverence and adoration for the Lord.
Text
"Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes."
The psalmist, with an overflowing heart and a few choice words, appropriately ascribes a proclamation of praise to his faithful Creator in this opening statement. No doubt, these words of adoration were birthed in the deep recesses of his heart as he received greater spiritual illumination into the infinite glory of his exalted God and King.
It is important to notice, however, that this man of God doesn't conclude his thought with a proclamation of praise but, rather, he concludes with a personal petition: "Teach me your statutes!"
It's obvious from the progression of this verse that the writer's adamant request was driven by a longing passion to sit under the instructive ministry of his blessed Lord. Having personally experienced the benevolent and gracious nature of God in his life, he craved to know His heart and mind more intimately.
Thus, we can rightly conclude that the child of God will never sincerely utter this petition until they are first able to proclaim, "Blessed are You, O Lord!"
Therefore, in light of this searching revelation, it should be the supreme pursuit of every child of God to approach the Scriptures with a desire to commune with the Teacher of the Word before solely approaching the Scriptures to hear the teaching of the Word. To that end, our hearts might sing in agreement, "Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes."
Sermon Outline
- The Psalmist's Heart of Praise
- The Psalmist's Heart of Petition
- The Supreme Pursuit of Every Child of God
- Approaching the Scriptures with a desire to commune with God
- The importance of this pursuit in understanding God's heart and mind
Key Quotes
“Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes.” — Brent Yim
“It's obvious from the progression of this verse that the writer's adamant request was driven by a longing passion to sit under the instructive ministry of his blessed Lord.” — Brent Yim
Application Points
- As a child of God, it is essential to approach the Scriptures with a desire to commune with God before solely approaching the Scriptures to hear the teaching of the Word.
- Having a longing passion to know God's heart and mind is crucial in understanding His statutes and character.
- Praising God and acknowledging His glory is a prerequisite for making a sincere petition to Him.