How do we live a pure life??

It's post Easter, and I've realised with horror that I've drifted an enormous amount these last few months. There is a lacklustre feel to my walk with Jesus - it's half-baked and most of the time it's simply that I don't prioritise my life to include time in his Word. I realise that many people would consider my expectations to exacting and demanding, but I know that my life craves time in His Word.

Consequently, I'm trying to stick to my plan of completing the five offices each day (but in my own way). The Common Worship lectionary has three sets of readings for each day: Main office (which can be used at communion services midweek), Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. In addition, I use Prayer During the Day for a midday pause, and Compline (Night Prayer) before bedtime. The psalm reading in the main office is usually quite short. Yesterday's were Psalm 119:9-16. It packed a punch!

It opens with the blog title: How can a young man keep his way pure?

It gives some straightforward advice.

1. Word
It refers to living a life according to the Word, which includes adhering to its commands, hiding the Word in a person's heart. There is also a clear sense of wanting to be taught. I have been acutely challenged this last week that when I sin I become more hostile to God, my fleshly nature deconditions my moral compass. When I am in God's word, the cleansing properties enable me to not stray into sin. Verse 11 suggests that the hidden word "in my heart" is there that "I might not sin against you". Of course, Bible reading is no magical incantation that protects me as a spell would, but proximity to God's thoughts, His morals and desire for me ensures that I see sin more plainly for what it is.
Are we all committed to reading His Word?

2. Seek
The idea of seeking God with my whole heart is a real challenge. I know that I can do a lot of the word stuff from a theological perspective. It's an academic challenge. But do I do it because I want to spend time with Jesus...
This is a real challenge when my life is modelled on a pattern of prayer that is so strict. I can easily become convinced that my failure to meet deadlines or habits will guarantee sinfulness. This is where the guts come in.
I cannot relate to God with my mind alone - I am to long/yearn/desire Him. Does my soul pant for him?
The purpose of coming to God's word is that we might encounter Jesus. We see him, however, not only in the pages of the Bible, but in the world around us - the neighbour, our colleague, the beauty of nature...
Do I purpose each day to encounter Jesus?

3. Praise
The psalmist enjoins us to Praise God. Specifically we're commanded to rejoice in his Word. I think this is really helpful. When my heart grows cold and my desire for God wanes, as sin creeps in the first thing that falls off is my Bible reading. I'm forever asking myself - when did I stop reading my Bible? Was it when I sinned? Or did I sin because I stopped reading God's Word? (Not that I'm seeking a legalistic approach - just that sense of closeness to God). I can see all too often in my journal that when I stop reading my Bible, I slowly grow less enthused to seek God. However, when I return to God in praise, when I recount all he is doing in my life, suddenly I begin to desire His presence more, which in turn leads to a hunger for time in His Word.
Do we make time each day to praise Him?

These three approaches also loosely fit the mind-body(guts)-spirit(heart) motif we see in Scripture. We read God's WORD - MIND; we SEEK Him - BODY(GUTS); we praise his name - SPIRIT(HEART).

I love the way the psalms weave patterns of wholeness into our lives.