God’s Word Living in Me: Psalm 119 Intro

 

 

Can you see God? Can you hear, taste, smell, or touch the Lord, or his Presence, or His Spirit, or His Love? While we may not be able to physically see the Lord, audibly hear Him, or literally taste, touch, or smell Him, the Scripture clearly describes how we may experience the Lord using our spiritual senses. Join me on this quest to spiritually see, hear, taste, smell, and touch the Lord. Psalm 119 unfolds benefits and empowers us to know, understand, and live God’s Word, and much of it through our spiritual senses.

While the Holy Spirit imparts understanding of Scripture to believers, we will stir up some ingredients that enhance our understanding, such as:

• Searching the original language for the written passage helps reveal intent and meaning
• Cultural and historical settings assist in clarifying and comprehending the Bible
• Context of a verse(s) helps supports a passage

Psalm 119, an “acrostic” poem of twenty-two stanzas, starts each new line with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each Hebrew symbol, along with the twenty-two poems, conveys significance and relevance. Within each stanza lies “an aesthetic beauty that complements the whole message.”[1] Throughout the Psalm, notice how the senses evoke the Living Word in us.

“Frequently, Scripture uses our five physical senses in a figurative way to help us comprehend our interaction of our heavenly realm of God’s presence and power.”[2] Expect to spiritually see, hear, taste, smell, and touch the Lord as we study Psalm 119. Some examples found in Scripture of spiritual senses:

• Our spiritual eyes see: “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened,” Ephesians 1:18.
• Our spiritual ears hear the voice of the Lord: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” John 10:27 ESV. Frequently, Jesus referred to, “he who has ears to hear,” and in Revelation, Jesus spoke,  “he who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying.”
• The sense of touch or feeling – God can both touch and be touched: “men of valor whose hearts God had touched,” I Samuel 10:26. Our high priest is able to touch (sympathize with) our weaknesses (paraphrase mine) Hebrews 4:15.
• Our spiritual tasting: “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good,” Psalm 34:8.”[3].
• The sense of smell – we carry the odor of Christ: “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 2 Corinthians 2:15 ESV.

Our spiritual senses interact with the Lord, just as our physical senses interact with the world around us. “Sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell (our five senses) help us make sense of the world around us. Scientists continue discovering how they work and how we might sharpen our senses.”[4] In Psalm 119, we discover how to sharpen our spiritual senses to live more aware of His Presence and His Word in our lives.

While our physical senses use our brain, our spiritual senses use our faith. We will stir the recipe of Psalm 119, “my eyes fixed, how sweet are your words to my taste, your hands have fashioned me, and let my soul live and praise you,” to nourish Scripture and encourage relationships to our famished hearts. Here, we experience the benefits of God’s Word Living in Me and how that occurs.

My spiritual senses grew dull several years ago. I had fixed my eyes on self and my world. I started feasting on God’s Word, rather than snacking, and feasting changed my life. I started building relationships for fellowship, rather than just existing. I continue with the desire to increase my faith to sharpen my spiritual senses to see, hear, taste, and touch Him, that I may smell like Christ.

Next time we see how our spiritual eyes open to God’s Pathway.

Define your understanding of spiritual senses and how you may sharpen them.

 

 

 

 

 

Join Carolyn for unique ways of Nourishing Scripture and Encouraging Relationships among believers through Alive by his Word Gatherings:

• Lasting Sustenance Blog http://alivebyhisword.com
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Currently in Development:

• Word Feasts: simply delicious Bible Studies (live)
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