Scripture: “When I told of my ways, You answered me—teach me Your statutes!! Make me understand the way of Your precepts and I will meditate on your wondrous works…
Confirm to your servant your promise (that You may be feared)…
Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord…your salvation according to your promise. Then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me for I trust in your Word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth for my hope is in your rules…
…for I find my delight in your commandments (which I love). I will lift up my hands towards your commandments (which I love) and I will meditate on your statutes.” (Excerpt from Ps 119:26-27; v 38; v 41-43; v 47b-48.)
Observation: The Psalmist weaves Love for God and Love for His Word in and out, so much so that the finished cloth is indistinguishable from each thread. How much, then, do I really love God but not so much His Word?
Application: Can’t have it both ways.
“I love God, but reading His word bores me.” “I love God, but I wish there were Cliff notes—the Bible is so hard to understand AND sometimes it feels like contradictions all over the place.” “I love God and I really get off talking about God, but there are times where I am inadequate answering questions because…” “I only know what someone has told me.”
Reality for a follower of Christ is being a student of His Word. And liking it. Really liking it.
The value of being a student of His Word is how we know Him deeper and deeper. Not being a student is consigning ourselves to the shallows.
The above scripture references indicate the following:
- Face in the mirror-type of transparency or fierce confession leads to the cry “Teach me!! Make me learn!! I am not hungry enough (to my despair). Make me hungry for your word.
- Learning about the Promises? Result: fearing God (key component of wisdom, discernment, knowledge, etc.)
- Learning about His steadfast love—experience is OK but predominately “according to Your Promise” puts the word of truth in my mouth so that I will have a ready answer to the heckler and mocker.
- Delighting in the Word moves me to hands in the air, dancing, singing, etc. surrendered Worship. Ok, maybe not dancing…but it should!
I think the point the Psalmist is making throughout chapter 119 is that loving His Word, precepts, principles, doctrine, etc. is inseparable from knowing Jesus. John 14:23-24 “If anyone loves me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does NOT love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.” And John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”
So, being the transparent guy I want to be in an ever increasing way, I need to put down the remote more and flip open a book or 5 to learn about what this being a Christian Disciple is about more…
Need a book? I have a bunch to loan out…
Prayer: O God, increase awesome wonder in me. Help me to escalate savoring Your Word more and more, day after day. AMEN.