97 Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies for it is ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.
101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word.
102 I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
Psalm 119:97-104
This passage is a declaration of praise to God for His word! That’s truly all there is to this one. There is not a petition for God to do something. There is no plea for help or deliverance. It is simply stating the Psalmist’s, David’s, love for God’s word and how it has helped him already. David loves God’s word, he loves to meditate on it and he has gained great benefits from it.
So this begs to ask the question of us? How do we feel about God’s word? Is it just a box we check off to say we have read it daily? Are we even reading it? Or are we just taking a snippet of a verse here and there, but only the part that would be to our benefit. I have been guilty of that in the past and if I am not careful I can fall right back into it. But I can honestly tell you that I do love God’s word! Years ago I had trouble reading the Bible. I couldn’t really understand what I was reading and it made it hard to really stick with it. And still, I dig around in other translations and commentary to make sure I am understanding what God is trying to say to me through His word.
But my love for His word did not just happen. I had to cultivate a love for His word. First I recognized my need and desire to love God’s word. And while this may sound simple, it is true, I prayed for God to give me a love for His word. Yes, that’s right. I knew there was something there and luckily I could see people who were very normal, people like me who had a love for His word and I realized that maybe, just maybe it was possible for me to have a love like that for His word. During that time, God gave me a verse that embedded deep into my heart to show me this was possible.
“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7
When I read that verse the first time, to me it opened a new world for me. I am definitely a simple minded woman so it gave me hope that I could gain wisdom and understanding from His perfect law and testimony. I can honestly say, while I feel pretty simple minded I do understand more that I read now than I did 20 years ago.
So then I just kept reading. And when I don’t understand, I dig in a little deeper. Oh I hear and know of people who really get it. They can read all those genealogies and get something from them. I want to be more like that. So I am not where I want to be but I am way further along than I used to be. I guess that is how we know that we will keep learning. HMMM?
David also recognizes the benefits he has gained from studying and falling in love with God’s word. And I believe those benefits are for us as well. He has gained the wisdom and understanding that we have been talking about. Staying in the Word helps him to stay on track and to obey God’s commandments and precepts. It keeps him on solid ground. I have said it before and I will say it again, I know what a wretched woman I would be if I did not have my time with Jesus every morning and the way I meet with Him is to open up His word and to pour my heart out to Him. And then to listen. I am not as good at that part as I want to be but I guess I am still learning.
Restore 