Psalm 119:80
All the members of our bodies are important. God, Who made and fashioned them, knew what He was doing when He made us as we are. And although some of the members of our bodies can be removed surgically without threat to our lives, and sometimes have to be removed because of cancer or some other disease, we cannot get along without a heart. And the healthier the heart is, the more active one can be; while an impaired heart will limit one's activity.
It is no wonder then that the psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:80, "Let my heart be sound in Thy statutes; that I be not ashamed."
If we are going to live as we were made and fashioned to be, namely, to be image bearers, that is, reflectors of God's glory, we must have a spiritual heart that is sound. The healthier that heart is, the more perfectly we will walk in love toward God, and therefore love His statutes. The more we hate sin and love God, the sounder our hearts are. The psalmist makes a very important petition here.
But there is another request of his that goes hand in hand with that request for a sound heart. He prays that others with sound hearts may turn to him. Because he had fallen into great sin, those with sound hearts had separated from him, finding no pleasure in having fellowship with one who walks in sin. And now he desires greatly that they see the change in his life and again become his friends. In verse 78 he wrote, "Let those that fear Thee turn unto me, and those that know Thy testimonies. These are those whose hearts are sound. And our versification has it thus (PRC Psalter):
Let those that fear Thee turn to me,
Thy truth to them I will proclaim;
Instruct my heart to keep Thy law,
That I may not be put to shame.
Who are your friends? With whom do you feel at home? It reveals how sound your heart is, and how earnestly we should pray for a sound heart. For a sound heart is a perfect heart; and only with a perfect heart will our walk of life be perfect, as our Savior's was perfect and fulfilled God's law for us.
Read: 1 John 2:1-17
Psalter versification: #330:4
Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism
Song for Meditation: Psalter #357
Why not sing along??
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
2 Chronicles 33:14-25 ; 2 Chronicles 34:1-33
Romans 16:10-27
Psalm 26:1-12
Proverbs 20:19
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Quote for Reflection:
The primary rudiments by which we are wont to train to piety those whom we wish to gain as disciples to Christ are these; viz., not to frame any new worship of God for themselves at random, and after their own pleasure, but to know that the only legitimate worship is that which He Himself approved from the beginning. For we maintain what the sacred oracle declared, that obedience is more excellent than any sacrifice (I Samuel 15:22 ). In short, we train them by every means to be contented with one rule of worship which they have received from His mouth, and bid adieu to all fictitious worship. – John Calvin to Sadoleto
Additional Info
- Date: 3-August
Heys, John A.
Rev. John A. Heys was born on March 16, 1910 in Grand Rapids, MI. He was ordained and installed into the ministry at Hope, Walker, MI in 1941. He later served at Hull, Iowa beginning in 1955. In 1959 he accepted the call to serve the South Holland, IL Protestant Reformed Church. He received and accepted the call to Holland, Michigan Protestant Reformed Church in 1967. He retired from the active ministry in 1980. He entered into glory on February 16, 1998.