KEEPING YOUR WAY PURE

The Scriptures tell us that the Lord is our Keeper. To be kept by Him, however, does not mean we will not face temptations, for even Jesus was tempted. Rather, it is in the midst of trials and temptations that God keeps us. And the way He keeps us is through His Word. Therefore, if we would be holy, we must know intima-tely the Person Whom the Bible calls the Word. TREASURING THE WORD “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word. With all my heart I have sought Thee; do not let me wander from Thy commandments. Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:9-11). The question is not, “How can a young man become pure?” as though purity of heart was impossible for a young man. Rather, the question is, “How can he keep his way pure?” Purity of heart can be reached and maintained if we abide in fellowship with God’s Word. No matter what our age may be, we keep our way pure by “keeping it according to [God’s] Word…[which] I have treasured in my heart” (Ps. 119:9,11). There is a place beyond knowing a few Bible verses - a place where the Living Word of God becomes our most treasured possession. To treasure the Word is to love it, even as it pierces “as far as the division of soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12). To treasure the Word is to remain fully vulnerable, even as it judges “the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). It exposes our motives. It is the lamp of the Spirit which illuminates the darkness of our hearts with light. It sets us free from the strongholds of hidden sin. It wounds but it also heals, penetrating deeply into the very core of our being. The Word of the Lord, united with the Holy Spirit, is the vehicle of our transformation into the image of Christ. Holiness comes to him whose treasure is the Word. [From: Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God, Francis Frangipane, Arrow Publications, 1998]