“How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” -Psalm 119:103
The goodness of the Lord is illuminated in the sweetness of His precious Word. What grace to possess this divine gift of love. God wants us to know Him, revealing Himself to us in a way we can comprehend through Scripture (Isaiah 55:1-7). Although God can be known, He is not fully knowable. If He were, God would cease to be God, for no man can contain all the treasures of the Lord in a box. So like the psalmist, we the finite creatures praise the infinite Being, the Lover of our souls. The Bible says God loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). Not only has He given us the gift of His own words, He has given us the gift of love in Himself.
How sweet it is to be loved by God! He is not like the pagan deistic gods, indifferent to the ways of man. If that were so God would not have taken the trouble to tell us of His wonders, Israel’s redemptive history, His commands, promises, or of His covenantal steadfast love for the elect. Most importantly, God would not have willingly sacrificed His Beloved Son Jesus on our behalf. The God of the Bible is just and compassionate. He gives us a reflection of His character, who we are as sinners, and who we are as redeemed sinners, all bound up in His Great Book. These are the words of the Commander of the Universe. How delectable are His words of eternal truth to the believer’s diet. Thanks be to God!
“I have not departed from Your laws, for You Yourself have taught me.” -Psalm 119:102
The psalmist has kept his feet from evil, planting himself on the narrow way. He is not willing to leave the path even when the road is long, the terrain treacherous. He loves God and seeks to follow His ways no matter the cost. Through His laws, the Lord has taught the psalmist. This man values such blessing and will not easily discard his lessons.
This reminds me of the times in my own life I have been tempted to discard the lessons from my faith and walk away. When I am in the valley of despair, or allow Satan to run the show with my thoughts, I find myself here. What has encouraged me to persevere is Peter’s own response to Jesus in John 6. Jesus just finished preaching to the people on eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Talk about a way to thin the crowd! The day before Jesus performed the miracle of feeding five thousand men (plus women and children) with five loaves of bread and two fish. Instead of seeking Jesus for miracles, the Lord challenges the crowd to feed on Him instead (spiritual food), not just the material blessings He can provide them. The Bible says from that day on, many followers turned back and no longer followed Him.
Jesus then turns to His disciples and asks the all important question, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Peter’s response is priceless. He answers, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69).
When Satan tempts you to despair, to walk away from following Jesus and lose all hope, cling to the promises of God. What does the Bible have to say about who God is and what He has done for His people, sinners such as us? His past and present faithfulness will put wind in your sails for His future graces. His grace today is sufficient.
If you are a Christian your soul is preserved because those in Christ Jesus are no longer condemned. We are loved with an everlasting love, bought and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb! The afflictions and discouragements meant for evil can be used to refine and burn away the dross in our hearts, measured by our response. Through the flames we learn more of who God is, and experience His power at work in us. He is faithful to deliver you over and over through His mercy, which is new each day. I’m reminded of the old hymn which says, “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose/ I will not, I will not desert to His foes;/ That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,/ I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”
Knowing God through His Word, His Law and the Gospel is a sweet mercy- a taste of heaven. His Spirit teaches us through the living and active Word. This is our joy and hope as we cling to the Father on our pilgrim journey.
“Blessed is that man, though attacked on all sides, that has maintained his ground with firmness. He has exhausted the devil’s quiver of all its arrows and yet exhibits no symptoms of surrendering […] They that expect to enjoy what God promises will be sure to perform what God commands;” -Thomas Lye
“I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey Your Word.” -Psalm 119:101
There was a song I learned growing up in church. We sang it often enough in Sunday School that I still remember it and have taught it to my son. The words speak about how obedience is tied to belief. It’s a catchy little tune, with a succinct truth acceptable for all ages. The song goes like this,
“Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe. Doing exactly what the Lord commands, doing it faithfully. Action is the key to obediency, a joy you will receive! Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe so spell it, O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E! Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe!”
Obedience demonstrates what we value and place our faith in. The psalmist desired holiness, knowing this pleased the Lord. He sought to live in a way which reflected his King’s character. Therefore, to be obedient and holy means to live out God’s commands. If you are ever curious about the the will of God for your life, you need look no further than His commandments. He tells us His will for our lives no matter the situation.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” -Matthew 22:37-40
God’s purpose in giving these commands is to chip away, and occasionally strip, our old sin nature off to conform His children with a heart that looks like His. The frustrating thing about living in a cursed world is contending with this sin nature. We too lament like Paul,
“When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” -Romans 7:21-25
Did you catch the word “war” in there? Every Christian is at war, a very real yet unseen spiritual war. When you and I are cognizant of this fact, it will equip us for the day in which we face assaults meant to batter our faith. We are given weapons of faith, spiritual armor, to combat the lies, persecution and even our own sin nature. What grace! Yet what motivates the believer to persevere is the hope we have. Paul asks the question, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Jesus is our Rescuer, Hope made flesh. Because Jesus took my place on the cross paying the sin debt I owe, I am no longer condemned (Romans 8:1) and neither are you if you know Him as your Lord and Savior. Jesus perfectly obeyed the Father’s will. He lived out the two greatest commandments by laying down His life for us.
When you grow discouraged in your lack of love, sin failures, or times of spiritual dryness, remember your Heavenly Father is still at work. The Bible says you are loved with an everlasting love. Elisabeth Elliot (twice widowed missionary, author and speaker) is known for saying the question isn’t how do I feel right now, but rather what does God want me to do? Then we follow in obedience. We know this isn’t the end of the Story. God promises to make all things new. He has started first with His children and will not stop until He sees His own reflection in us- perfectly. God is fitting the believer for Heaven to live with Him eternally.
I realized the children’s song I mentioned is from ‘Patch the Pirate’ which is also something I listened to as a child. I can recommend it as a great tool to teach the simple and essential tenets of the Christian faith. My memory recalls the song a little differently, but that doesn’t change its message 🙂
“I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey Your precepts.” -Psalm 119:100
This verse is similar to the last one except here the psalmist refers to his elders. The elderly were highly respected in this culture. Here he talks of understanding, a synonym to insight and wisdom. God’s commands make him wise, insightful, with understanding because he carries God’s words with him wherever he goes. He meditates on them and obeys what God’s precepts instruct.
It is wise to hide God’s Word in our hearts so we might not sin against Him. This is a way of remembering throughout the day and not forgetting God as we go about our earthly duties. We will gain insight and blessing the more time we spend meditating on what God’s commands mean, then obeying them. Believers who are doers of the Word will obey God’s way and thereby gain understanding in the value of Scripture through experience.
“I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on Your statutes.” -Psalm 119:99
This verse nicely follows the previous one on wisdom. The psalmist here speaks of his insight now compared to his teachers. His teachers were first his parents, then the religious leaders. He has learned more than the dutiful Jewish student, diving deeper into God’s storehouse of treasure. Only those with seeking hearts find what they seek. God gives them eyes of faith to mine the precious jewels found in Scripture. This kind of insight is worth more than all the riches in the world. Earthly wealth will lose its luster one day and eventually burn up in God’s Kingdom. Wisdom from God is eternal for all His students.
“Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.” -Psalm 119:98
To be wise. Even better is to be wiser than our enemies. This doesn’t imply higher academic marks or a more comprehensive head knowledge of the Bible. Atheists will read God’s Book for merely intellectual purposes, remaining untouched by the deeper truths the Lord has layered in Scripture. The way in which a believer is wiser than an unbeliever is through understanding the spiritual realities that exist. This only comes by faith.
Our purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We see the purpose of our lives through the living and active Word of God. It is not a dead history book. Believers not only take in what we read and hear from the Bible, but digest the truth in meditation, then act accordingly through obedience. Do you believe all of Scripture to be true and trustworthy? Our answer will determine how we approach studying God’s commands, how we live, and how we relate to God Himself. God’s words are spiritual food, nourishment for souls on earth. May God be gracious to bless you with wisdom in thought, speech and action. May our sin nature (our enemy) not rule over us. Let us seek and pray for wisdom like the psalmist.
“Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long.” -Psalm 119:97
Why does the psalmist love God’s law? Because he loves the Law Giver. This is the proper order of affections. As God draws His children to Himself, we learn to love the One who redeemed us through the lens of Scripture. The Bible isn’t just a set of rules. We do not earn God’s favor or mercy through legalism. No, His Book is more- it is a Love Story. Putting the pieces of the Holy Word together with the laws, love, holiness, and redemption, we too can echo with the psalmist declaring how much we love God’s law. Through it we see our sin, desperate need for a Savior, and the way to have life everlasting with the Lord. Praise God for giving us the roadmap to Him through His sacred Word!
“Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long.
Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.
I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on Your statutes.
I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey Your precepts.
I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey Your Word.
I have not departed from Your laws, for You Yourself have taught me.
How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
I gain understanding from Your precepts therefore I hate every wrong path.” -Psalm 119:97-104 (Mem)
This octave begins with love and ends with hate. Like the psalmist, we love what God loves and hate what He hates. God calls us to love Himself, His Word and others. We hate sin, specifically starting with our own. We rightly understand that sin ushered in a Curse, which hangs heavy over humanity. The effects of sin are seen and felt everyday in this broken world, which is why the psalmist declares his passion for God’s Word and zeal to obey. He also knows a Perfect Kingdom will be ushered in one day. Promises fulfilled and yet to be bring comfort and purpose in this life. As the psalmist looked forward to the coming Messiah, we have the distinct privilege of seeing this promised fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Christian’s faith and hope lies in the “already and not yet” side of history as we wait on the Lord.
As we live in the interim, before God consummates full redemption, believers can enjoy the sweetness of His Word. The psalmist loves the life giving fruit God’s Word bears. He takes the Lord’s commands seriously, not wanting to grieve his Holy Father. As a result of his emotions toward God, the psalmist pens a beautiful octave of unrestrained adoration with devout seriousness in approaching His Word. Meditation, obedience, love- in this order the Christian life flows, over and over. It is in this faithful cycle, by God’s grace, we receive sweet words of spiritual nourishment.
“To all perfection I see a limit; but Your commands are boundless.” -Psalm 119:96
The earth and all that is in it will wear out. As beautiful as creation is, it groans under the Curse (Romans 8:19-23). The old Earth is wrung out like a tired dish rag, ready to be replaced with the new Earth and Heaven. It has a timetable and limits God has set in place. Yet God’s Word not only endures, it transcends Time through the Living Word, Jesus Christ. He is perfect and sufficient.
We can fancy ourselves very civilized and sophisticated in the 21st century, but sinful ways have not changed since the Fall. There is nothing in human nature God does not address explicitly or implicitly. His Word is relevant, powerful, living and active, able to bring what once was dead to life. God is in the business of transforming hearts of stone to hearts that look like His Son’s. He does this miraculous work through the power of His Spirit and His Word. The life giving treasure we have been given in the written Word is only dear to those who love its Author. Father, move mightily in Your people, kindling an inward desire for us to move toward You as You open our eyes to see the beauty of Scripture and not wander away from Your Good Book.
“The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder Your statutes.” -Psalm 119:95
The psalmist knows the plans of the wicked against him. It is helpful to remember when we too are oppressed by evildoers, it is more that they have a hatred of God than we did anything worthy of their venom. Loving the Lord our God in faithful obedience is our “crime”. Therefore persecution should not take us by surprise because if they crucified Jesus, unbelievers will afflict His people as well (John 15:18-25). Yet we look to Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith, clinging to God when enemies assail us.
Persecution is to be expected, not viewed as something strange for the Christian. When we suffer for Christ’s sake we can trust God is at work! All Christians should expect the way of the cross in this life- to be a daily living sacrifice pleases our Father. Instead of asking “why is this happening?” we must ask “what would You have me do today?” and walk in obedience. No matter how small or insignificant your obedience may seem, the loving Lord sees all. Continue to do good and place your faith in the One who loves you best. Jesus sacrificed Himself for sinners to have eternal peace with God. Set your gaze in His Word, asking the Lord to help your unbelief, doubts, or fears when you are weary and downcast. His statutes will provide comfort and wisdom to those who seek Him.
redeemed in grace 