Scripture: “In the way of your testimonies I delight…I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways….I will delight in your statutes…Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law…my soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.
Oh, that my ways be steadfast in keeping your statues…(not) put to shame having my eyes fixed on your commandments…Your testimonies are my delight…” Excerpts from 119:14-15; v 17-20; v 24
Observation: I wonder what the Psalmist really felt about the Word of God. Is there a “spoiler alert” here?
Application: I think everyone loses interest in the Bible at times.
It isn’t a long duration, but I think it does happen. Cares of the world, laziness, lack of interest, no application, an attitude of “what am I doing this for again?”
It is basically a lack of motivating vision.
Telling folks outside the church about how wonderful the Scriptures are isn’t motivating; it is something that is pretty exclusive to those inside the church—encouraging one another with the Word of God and our own excitement and delight.
I look how the Psalmist recounts all of his feelings and attitude about the Word. He doesn’t tiptoe around words like “commandments”, “rules”, “statutes”, “precepts”, “testimonies”, and such. God breathed out these words and the response? Delightfulness. Wonder. Consumed. Shameless.
He is fiercely intentional: I delight. I will meditate. I will fix my eyes on His ways. Make my way steadfast in keeping your statutes. He speaks to his soul; to the face in the mirror.
Am I like that? Or am I content to get a fill-up every so often and run most of the time on old memories. Memories are ok, we are supposed to conjure up remembrances of His work in our lives. They are to be treasured.
But do I TREASURE and DELIGHT in his word? Candidly I fail most of the time. Why is that? I think it is this: Learning to know Him more through His word is different (in a specific way) than learning for action. It is looking for and cultivating the “Wow” factor in searching for God our Father.
Prayer: Lord, my Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. How wondrous are your works and your ways. Lord Jesus, stir me up again that I may be blown away by your testimonies; the depth of your Grace and Mercy; the magnitude of your Prescience.
Even as I write this, my heart sinks in shame because of my ignorance of You; that I should know you more. O, how I long for You.
Create and encourage folks to not just to love your Law, but are eager to share and talk about it within the Local Church. AMEN.