Questions...and Answers.

This one verse in council time at awana today was particularly striking. I'm not quite sure why. I've known this verse for like...ever.

But it ties in so beautifully with what I was talking about in my last post.

The verse was Psalm 119:9 - How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.

That verse has never hit me in the way it did tonight...I think it was due to the fact that the speaker used a different version. I'm not sure which one it was, but I came home and looked a bunch up. See if it says anymore to you by reading it different versions.

NIV - How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.

NASB - How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.

MSG - How can a young person live a clean life?
By carefully reading the map of your Word.

NLT - How can a young person stay pure?
By obeying your word.

ESV - How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.

I particularly enjoyed the different words used in place of "taking heed"

By...
living my life according to God's word
keeping my life in line with God's word
reading the directions in God's word
obeying God's word
guarding my life according to God's word

It makes me curious to know what the original Hebrew word was.

Taking heed - that's to listen, take note, and pay attention to.
Living - that's to align all aspects of my life according to what I just took heed of
Keeping - that's maintaining it: always
Reading - that's to always be looking for more: studying, searching, desiring more of Christ
Obeying - that's to do exactly what it says, exactly how it says, exactly when God says to
Guarding - that's not letting anything else take place of our one focus: Christ

How can we live pure lives, lives centered on Christ? It's simple: listening and obeying the instructions He's given us in the Bible. Funny the revelations you have late at night....

Now doing that isn't so simple - but we have the power of Christ to guide us.