Psalm 119:145-152
This section is about the necessary balance between the Word of God and prayer. This is the two-way communication between us and God. One-way communication does not work well in any relationship. We listen to God by reading and meditating on his Word; we talk to Him through prayer. These two must be in balance for a healthy relationship. Further, meditation on God's Word keeps us praying according to His will. We begin to want the same things God wants.
Notice the back-and-forth of the first few verses:
I pray with all my heart; I will obey your word.
I cry out to God; please help me to obey your word.
I rise early and pray, and I put my hope in your word.
I stay awake at night thinking about your promises,
And so on...
"But you are near, O Lord, and all your commands are true. I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever." vv. 151-152
Acts 8:4-25
We meet Philip again in v. 5. He was one of the seven men chosen in Acts 6 to serve the Lord in the growing church, and here it's recorded that he went to preach the Good News about Jesus to the city of Samaria. This was a shocking thing to happen because the Jews and Samaritans were bitter enemies. However, we learn that the people listened and believed the message. They were baptized and received the Holy Spirit. Thus the believers in Jerusalem were bonded to the believers in Samaria, and the ancient division began to be healed. Faith in Jesus turns enemies into friends!
The anecdote about Simon the sorcerer shows us how easily false teaching can creep into the church. Philip and the other apostles recognized it and refused to accept it. This shows us that we must always be alert. As we have seen in Psalm 119, the Bible must be our standard, and when we are thoroughly familiar with it and dependent on the Holy Spirit, we will recognize what is true and what is not.
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