WORDS OF LIFE SERIES 48 See what Psalm 71:20 says, where the operative word is “again”.

The psalmist
BIBLE STUDY NOTES TEN STUDIES IN PSALM had fallen and he needed to be lifted up and revived. It is easy for us to get
119 spiritually out of touch with the Lord and to become disobedient (Jonah 1:1-3);
by Francis W. Dixon to deny the Lord (Luke 22:54-62); to turn away from Him (John 6:66); to
become carnal (1 Corinthians 3:1-4); to walk in the flesh (Galatians 5:16,25); to
allow wrong attitudes (Philippians 4:2); and to become lukewarm (Revelation
Study 7 THE QUICKENING POWER OF THE WORD 3:15-16). At such times we need the quickening work of the Holy Spirit to
Key-verse: “Quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word!” (Psalm 119:107, KJV)
renew our love for the Lord and our determination to please Him.
The word we shall consider in this study is the word “quicken” (or “quickening”).
4. It is through God’s Word that the Holy Spirit quickens us when we are
It means “to give life and to preserve life” and “to be made alive”. This covers
in bondage and sets us free.
our basic needs, because we need to receive life and to be preserved by life;
How easy it is to get into bondage to sin (Romans 6:12); to self (Romans 6:16);
we need to receive life initially, which takes place at the time of conversion, but
and to Satan (Luke 22:31)! In Psalm 119:153 the Psalmist prayed, “Look upon
we also need to be preserved by life continually, which refers to God’s work of
my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law.” The Lord Jesus
sanctification From the scriptures we learn two things:-
Himself, from the Throne, is the great Liberator, as we learn from John 8:36;
(1) The HOLY SPIRIT is the one who GIVES LIFE (quickens) – look up and
but He liberates us by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, as we learn from
compare John 6:63 and 2 Peter 3:18.
Romans 8:2, and the medium through which He works is the Word of God.
(2) The WORD OF GOD is the INSTRUMENT the Holy Spirit uses to
accomplish this work – we learn this from many references in the Scriptures
5. It is through God’s Word that the Holy Spirit instructs us in the way of
and Romans 4:17 and Romans 8:11 illustrate this.
righteousness and enables us to please God.
Many times in Psalm 119 the psalmist prays that God would show him the right
1. It is through God’s Word that the Holy Spirit quickens us with new life,
way and enable him to walk in that way. This is exactly what the Holy Spirit
so that we become partakers of the Divine nature.
does as we turn to God’s Word with the desire to hear Him speaking to us
Ephesians 2:1 tells us that we are by nature spiritually dead, and that when the
(Psalm 119:18); as we meditate upon what we read (verse 15); as we compare
miracle of the New Birth takes place we are born again by the quickening work
scripture with scripture (Acts 17:11). This is the only way to discover the kind of
of the Holy Spirit. We also learn from 1 Peter 1:23 and 2 Peter 1:4 that the
life God wants us to live and to receive His enabling to live it.
Word of God is the instrument used by the Holy Spirit “so that through them you
may participate in the divine nature…”; it is the “seed” of the new life which is
6. It is through God’s Word that the Holy Spirit draws us away from
dropped into our souls and which makes us “alive to God” (Romans 6:11). A
worldly living and sets our minds and affections on things above.
Christian is one who is born again (John 3:3,6,8), and who receives the new life
How can we be weaned away from worldly living and become absorbed with
of the Risen Lord (John 1:12-13).
those things which are glorifying to the Lord? Colossians 3:1-2 will help us.
How easy it is for us to live only for this world, and what a tragedy it is when
2. It is through God’s Word that the Holy Spirit quickens us in our desires
this happens! See 1 John 2:15-17.
to pray and guides our praying.
It is the indwelling Holy Spirit who prompts us to pray, and for an illustration of
7. It is through God’s Word that the Holy Spirit comforts and sustains us
this turn to Acts 9:9-11. Immediately after his conversion, and as an evidence
in times of trial and affliction.
that he really had been converted, Saul of Tarsus prayed (verse 11)! This is the
Turn to Psalm 119:92-93, where the writer is saying in effect, ‘If God hadn’t
first exercise of the new life – look up Luke 18:13. As Christians we are
quickened me when I was in trouble I would have perished. But God did
frequently conscious of the Holy Spirit within us urging us to pray. He leads us
quicken me, and He did it through His Holy Word.’ At such times we should
to the place of prayer and then He shows us how to pray (Romans 8:26-27).
always turn to the Word of God.
Think how the disciples needed this quickening when they were in Gethsemane
– look up Matthew 26:36-44.
In conclusion, notice again that the Holy Spirit is the one who quickens, but we
must do two things: (1) “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18); (2) “Let the
3. It is through God’s Word that the Holy Spirit quickens us when we are
word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Colossians 3:16).
in danger of getting slack, dull and careless.
WORDS OF LIFE MINISTRIES
PO Box 334, EASTLEIGH, SO53 2UB, UK
www.wordsoflife.co.uk