In God Will I Praise His Word

(Message delivered by Rev Nguyen Gia Hien at True Life BPC on May 13, 2007)

“In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me” (Ps 56:10-11).

The Bible tells us that God has magnified His Word above all His name (Ps 138:2). And here David repeats three times that he praises God’s Word (vv 4, 10). It is sad that nowadays, many so called Christian leaders and members do not honour nor praise God’s Word. Instead of praising God’s Word, they arrogantly question, criticize, cast doubt on God’s Word, which God has magnified and David praised! How about you and me? Do we magnify and praise God’s Word?

Psalm 56 is the prayer and praise of David to the Lord after he ran away from King Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath (1 Sam 21:10). When the servants of Achish reminded him of the song that people sang one to another, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands,” David knew that he was recognised, so he was so afraid that he  changed his behaviour like a mad man. After this David escaped to the cave of Adullam. David cried unto the Lord for His mercy and His deliverance, praying, “Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High” (vv 1-2); “Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul” (vv 5-6). Despite the dangers and difficulties surrounding him, David could still praise God’s Word and trust in Him, who gave him peace and assurance, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee… I will not fear what flesh can do unto me…I will not be afraid what man can do unto me” (vv 3-4, 11). David could praise God’s Word and trust in Him, who gave him comfort, “Thou tellest (notice/regard) my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” (v 8). David could praise God’s Word and trust in Him, who gave him victory over his enemies, “When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me” (v 9). David could praise God’s Word and trust in Him, who gave him deliverance and hope, “For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” (v 13) David praised the Lord for His protection, comfort, and deliverance, as he had promised or vowed to do, “Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee” (v 12).

David could praise God’s Word by God’s grace and strength. Three times he said, “In God” or “in the Lord.” Surely, without the Lord, we can do nothing, even to praise His Word, as the Lord says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Nowadays, thank God that we have the complete and perfect Word of God in our hands, shall we not say like David, “In God will I praise His Word, in the Lord will I praise His Word”? What are the blessings we can get from God’s Word?

God’s Word Is Truth

God’s Word is truth (John 17:17), and the truth shall make us free, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Through God’s Word we know the truth about God and man and God’s salvation for mankind. Through God’s Word, we know that God is our Creator and that we are created in his image and that He is Spirit (John 4:24) and that He expects us to worship Him in spirit and in truth, then we shall be free from worshipping idols, statues, images or pictures. Through God’s Word we know the truth that God is sovereign and that He is taking care of us and is able to make all things work together for good to those who love Him (Rom 8:28). Thus, we shall not fear any “bad luck” under the shadow of superstitions. Through God’s Word we know the truth of God’s love and His salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith alone, and we can rest in His Word and shall not rely on our good works or anything else to be saved, then we shall be free from condemnation in Hell. The more we know God’s Word, the more liberty in Christ we enjoy, then, would you and I praise God’s Word or question God’s Word?

God’s Word Regenerates and Sanctifies Believers

We are regenerated by God’s Word, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23). We are also sanctified by God’s Word, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). The Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to show us our sins, convict us of our sins, then help us cry for cleansing and deliverance from sins. The Holy Spirit also helps us to dedicate our lives to the Lord, separated unto the Lord for His use and glory. Shall we not humbly submit ourselves to God’s Word so that the Holy Spirit may freely perform His work of regeneration and sanctification in our lives? “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:16- 17). God’s Word can transform our lives and make us perfect, then would you and I praise God’s Word or question God’s Word?

God’s Word Gives Life and Faith

Our Lord Jesus says, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63): God’s Word is our life. Our Lord Jesus Christ lives by God’s Word, saying, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4): God’s Word is our spiritual food. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2): we grow in God’s grace and knowledge by God’s Word. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17): God’s Word is the foundation of our faith. Nowadays, many people like listening to interesting stories instead of God’s truth (2 Tim 4:4), and they say that they feel good, comfortable and touched. However, the Holy Spirit uses only God’s Word to transform sinners into saints in Christ. The more we read, meditate and keep God’s Word, the more we grow in His grace and knowledge and are sanctified, then would you and I praise God’s Word or question God’s Word?

God’s Word Gives Wisdom

God’s Word is able to make us wise, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15); “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Col 3:16); “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Ps 19:7); “Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies:” (Ps 119:98); “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (Jas 3:17). God’s Word is able to make us wise, then would you and I praise the Lord or question His Word?

God’s Word Gives Victory

The apostle John wrote, “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:14). We are to use the Sword of the Holy Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph 6:17) to resist the Devil. Our Lord Jesus defeated Satan by God’s Word; we have to do the same. When we face the attack of Satan against the inspired and preserved Word of God, we just quote God’s Word, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16); “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever” (Ps 12:6- 7); “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matt 5:18); “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matt 24:35). When Satan tempts us to sin by ungodly friends, programs, videos, articles, websites, etc., we quote, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). When Satan tempts us with the glory and pleasures of the world, we quote, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any  man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).When Satan discourages us to give up, we quote, “be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev 2:10), and so forth. It is God’s Word that gives us the victory, then would we praise God’s Word or question God’s Word?

God’s Word Gives Guidance

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps 119:105). Walking in this world of sin and darkness, we will not know where we are walking without the light of God’s Word, and surely we shall stumble and fall. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov 3:6). The Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to guide us and help us know and do God’s will, then would you and I praise God’s Word or question God’s Word?

God’s Word Gives Comfort and Hope

We are truly comforted by God’s Word, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Rom 15:4), and “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me” (Ps 119:50). We are surely comforted by Christ’s love in all situations. There was once when I was in distress and disappointed, but I was touched to tears by these words, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:35, 37-39). How can we comfort ourselves when we lose our loved one, or how can we comfort others when they lose their loved one? It is through God’s Word alone, “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess 4:15-18). The Holy Spirit is the  Comforter and He uses God’s Word to comfort us and fill our hearts with hope in Christ. If such be the case, then would you and I praise God’s Word or question God’s Word?

Conclusion

Our Lord Jesus says, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock” (Matt 7:24-25). It is wise to hear and do God’s Word. The more we hear and do God’s Word, the firmer the foundation we will have. The psalmist highly values God’s Word, “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver” (Ps 119:72). Many people nowadays ignore God’s Word. They rather seek wealth. They fail to see that it is not wise to gain the whole world only to lose their soul! God’s Word is truth and able to make us free. God’s Word can transform our lives, regenerate us and sanctify us. God’s Word gives us life, faith, wisdom, victory, guidance, comfort and hope, then shall you and I praise God’s Word or question God’s Word? God has magnified His Word above all His name, and David praised God’s Word. Amen.