The Things We Love
Psalm 119 is a prolonged meditation on the Word of God and its importance in the walk of faith. Charles Spurgeon said “This marvelous poem seemed to me a great sea of holy teaching, moving, in its many verses, wave upon wave...Its depth is as great as its length” And it is long! In fact it is the longest Psalm in the Psalter. It is longer than the 15 psalms which follow it combined! And it has an important message for us as believers at Calvary Bible Church.
Let’s start at verse 97: David writes,
97 Oh, how I love your law!
Without question, we devote ourselves to the things we love. I love my wife, my children, my church, my music, gardening, and baseball. I love God’s Law. And the things I love occupy my thoughts and my time.
David says the same thing. He writes:
(I love your law and...) I meditate on it all day long.
Another way to think of it is that the things we think about give us a clue to what we really love. What do you think about? That’s what you love!
98 Your commands are always with me
and make me wiser than my enemies.
The next thing we see about the things we love is that they have an effect on us. There is an old saying about computers “Garbage in, garbage out.” The same is true of the human soul. The things we prize and meditate on either build us up or tear us down. They either strengthen us or weaken us. They either deepen us or make us more shallow and superficial.
What does David say about the effect of God’s Word?
98 Your commands are always with me
and make me wiser than my enemies.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
101 I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.
God’s word brings wisdom, insight, understanding, and discretion. Modern man is inundated in opinion. Cable TV, radio and the internet are a torrential downpour of loud, self-interested commentary. And when evaluating ideas we need to “consider the source.” David’s source is God Himself.
102 I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
God’s word is often referred to as food, especially as sweet food. Spiritual food gives us joy and pleasure even as it strengthens and enlightens us! Finally, the things we love move us to action:
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
that I will follow your righteous laws.
James says that our actions are proof of our beliefs. If we love God and His Word, it will shape our actions. So the final question is: “What do you love?” We are almost 2 months into the new year. Looking ahead, what are you going to give your time to? What will effect you, move you, and inform your decision-making? Where will you find direction and sure footing as you walk this year? The message is clear. We need godly wisdom in our lives. We need God’s Word! We need this in order to know Him and to live in a way that brings Him glory. His Law is like food. It does us no good until we take it in. Godly wisdom is found in God’s word and in fellowship with God’s people. Let us continue to be diligent in reading, studying, and loving God’s Word and His people.
If you're not participating in a Bible reading plan and you'd like to start, you can join us in our Daily Bible Reading Plan. If you use the Bible app, you have an added layer of accountability because a good number of our church members check off when they've done the day's reading. Printout schedules are also available if preferred. The details are posted here.