Hebrews 4: 12 NLT
“For the word of God is alive and poweerful. It is sharper that the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between the soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
Psalm 119: 97 – 105 M:T
97 Oh, how I love your instructions!
I think about them all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are my constant guide.
99 Yes, I have more insight than my teachers,
for I am always thinking of your laws.
100 I am even wiser than my elders,
for I have kept your commandments.
101 I have refused to walk on any evil path,
so that I may remain obedient to your word.
102 I haven’t turned away from your regulations,
for you have taught me well.
103 How sweet your words taste to me;
they are sweeter than honey.
104 Your commandments give me understanding;
no wonder I hate every false way of life.
105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.
Want to be smart? Well, the writer of Psalm 119 has some advice. Knowing God’s laws have made him smarter than his enemies, his teachers, and his elders. That is actually quite amazing. When I look back over my life and think of the professors, the people I’ve worked for, my pastors, etc., I know I wasn’t smarter than them.
But, I don’t think the psalmist was talking about high intelligence when he wrote those verses. He was talking about living well, living wisely with insight, making good decisions. Where do we get that? “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (v. 105)
Honestly, do you believe that meditating on what God says will give you the wisdom you need to live well? How much time do you spend reading your Bible? How often do you go to your Bible when you have a big decision to make? Or when you are struggling to fix a broken relationship? I have to admit, that I usually mull over a situation a lot, ask people who I respect for their advice, think about the current social climate … lots of things before I turn to God’s Word or pray.
“How sweet your words taste to me;
they are sweeter than honey.
Your commandments give me understanding;
no wonder I hate every false way of life.” (v. 103 – 104)
Here is a way to find out what God thinks about something. I use a website called biblegateway.com. If I was struggling with being angry, I could type in the word “anger” and it would give me all the verses using that word. If I was anxious, type in the word “anxiety” or perhaps the word “peace”.
Think about that. Let’s start using our Bibles often and take God’s instructions seriously. With God’s help, living by his words just might make life very special.
Our song for today is Thy Word by Amy Grant.