Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the LORD! (Psalm 119:1 )
The Bible is a Book like no
other. There are other books that are
inspiring, but no other book is inspired like this Book—for God is the source, as
well as the subject, of its message. No
other book has affected history like His story contained in its pages. To read and heed the Scripture is to have the
blessing of God in this world and in the world to come.
The Bible is the best of books in
the direction it furnishes (v.1-8). Throughout
these opening verses, the writer stresses how our walk in life is directed by
the Word of God. The Psalm begins with
this:
Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the LORD! (v.1)
God’s Word gives us solid footing
for our steps. The world’s constantly
shifting opinions and philosophies are quicksand, but God’s truth marks out a
stable path for us to navigate safely our journey from earth to heaven. The Scriptures are a roadmap to guide us
home.
The Bible is the best of books in
the delight it brings (v.9-24). The
author of this Psalm does not come to God’s Word with an attitude of
obligation, but a spirit of anticipation.
He doesn’t see reading the text as a mere duty, but as a delight. For instance, he exults:
I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word. (v.16)
The Word of God is a fountain of
joy from whence flows rivers of pleasure.
The Bible is the best of books in
the dedication it inspires (v.25-40).
Being devoted to grasp the meaning of Scripture will cause that message
to grasp us and bring out devotion to obey it.
For example:
Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. (v.34)
Our culture has moved away from
objective truth to subjective experience.
The church has been impacted by this, and too often prefers
entertainment in songs rather than exposition of Scripture. They want a little pop psychology with a
verse or two of Scripture thrown in—a sermonette that produces
Christianettes.
David Wells speaks to this
troublesome trend by noting: “Sustaining orthodoxy and framing Christian belief
in doctrinal terms requires habits of reflection and judgment that are simply
out of place in our culture and increasingly disappearing from evangelicalism
as well.”
Devotion to studying and
meditating deeply on the truth of the text will lead to dedication and
submission to those truths—and a shallow, superficial understanding will yield
that kind of faith, as well—if it is any faith at all.
I am far from being all God wants
me to be. There has been come progress,
however, in that direction. Without
question, the most significant factor in my spiritual growth has been a
consistent pattern of daily study of God’s Word. There is no substitute for the proper
nutrition of feeding your soul on the best of books.
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