My possession

“This has become mine, That I observe Your precepts” (Psalms 119:56).

                In this New Year, during the Korean Ministry service of Victory Presbyterian Church, we are praising the gospel song “I offer my life” during offering time.  One of the reasons why I chose that gospel song for offering time was so that we could offer not only our own possession but also our lives as well.  Although it was easy to think of matter when we think about our own possession.  But through Psalms 119:56, we can see a different side of our own possession.  In other words, our own possession can mean observing the laws of the Lord. 

The psalmist didn’t say that knowing the laws of the Lord was his possession.  Rather, he said that observing the law of the Lord was his possession.  This tells us that the psalmist lived a life of obedience to the commandments of the Lord, that is, a life of personification of His word.  Based on Psalms 119:49-51 more contextually, the personalization of the psalmist’s life can be thought of in three ways:

             First, the psalmist lived without forgetting the promises that the Lord gave him.

Look at Psalms 119:49a – “Remember the word to Your servant, ….”  Why did the psalmist want to remember God's word to him?  The reason was because God's promised word made him hope (v. 49b).  As I meditated on this word, I remembered Abraham in Romans 4:18.  The reason why Abraham was able to hope against all hope was because he remembered the word of God's promise “So shall your descendant be” (v. 18) and was fully assured that the Lord would fulfill it (v. 21).  In other words, the promised word-driven life is the secret to living a life of personifying the word of God, and the secret of the word of the Lord to become ‘my possession’.

             Second, the psalmist was comforted by the word of the Lord.

Look at Psalms 119:50a – “This is my comfort in my affliction ….”  The Lord comforted us with God’s word of promise when we cried in solitude and with tears to seek only the comfort of the Lord in the midst of the troubles that no one could comfort us and in the midst of rejecting anyone's comfort.  For me, the words of ‘Two fish and five breads’ miracle of John 6:1-15 are the greatest comfort.  When I fell and became discouraged, when no one could raise me up, and when I was in spiritual depression where I had no choice but to refuse the comfort of anyone, the promise of John 6:1-15 delivered me and revived me (Ps. 119:50) and I came thus far.  The reason why the psalmist received comfort by the Lord’s word of promise is because he experienced revival that saved him by His word.  When we live a life that experiences spiritual revival through the word of God, obedience to His word is bound to become ‘my possession’.

             Third and last, the psalmist lived a life that turn from the law of the Lord.

Look at Psalms 119:51 – “The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from your law.”  The psalmist didn’t depart from the Lord's law, even though the arrogant mocked him with restraint.  When I think of this principle, I think of John 6:68.  When the Lord's teaching was so difficult that many disciples left Jesus and didn’t go with Him again (Jn. 6:66), Jesus said to the twelve disciples, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” (v. 67).  The apostle Peter answered: “… Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life” (v. 68).  What a wonderful confession is this?  Many of us, Christians, are leaving the Lord and His church because the words of the Lord are so difficult to believe and understand.  Like Peter, since we cannot taste the word of eternal life of the Lord, we are listening to the false gospel of Satan in a moment instead of listening to the gospel of Christ, who gives eternal life.  Even pastors are listening to the words of this life rather than the words of eternal life with church members.  However, the psalmist didn’t depart from the promises of the Lord, no matter what circumstances he was in.  He didn’t even listen to anything else.  The reason was because the Lord’s word of promise gave him hope when he had no hope and revived him with comfort in trouble.

What lesson do these facts teach us?  The lesson that we should learn is that our life, which should be personified by the word of God, should becomes "my possession" so that when we may offer our lives to the Lord when we worship Him.  It isn’t offering “my possession” to God when we go to church on the Lord’s day and just do offering.  Rather, it is offering “my possession” to God on the Lord’s day when we don’t turn from the Lord’s words but find comfort in them from Monday to Saturday as we remember His words and offer our lives to the Lord on the Lord’s day.  In other words, as we live a life in which we are driven by His promise words from Monday to Saturday, we should come up to the Lord's temple on the Lord’s day to offer our lives as personified by the Word, as well as praise, prayer, offerings expressed from the inside to the outside, and our ears (listening to the Word) to the Lord.  When we do so, we can ‘my possession’ that God is pleased with.

Earnestly desire to dedicate ‘my possession’ to the Lord and be faithful in pastoral ministry,

James Kim
(As I pursue a life of personifying the word of God)