The assignment for a class I am in requires reading Psalm 119 for twenty-one days. With 176 verses, it requires a chuck of time out of an already busy schedule and effort to read every day with a meditative mind.
At first, I was just completing an assignment, but as I daily revisited this Psalm, I noticed the emotions of the psalmist. He wrote with passion, calling out to God for protection from his enemies. Most of all I noticed his love for the Word of God and the God of the Word. Certain scriptures seem to stand out on the page, beckoning for my attention and forcing me to examine my own heart. For example:
- Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law (Psalm 119:18, NIV). I want to fully understand what God’s Word says, not what I was told it says nor what I want it to say.
- You are my portion, Lord; (Psalm 119:57a, NIV). One definition for “portion” is an individual’s lot, fate, or fortune. I want God to be my inheritance, my portion now and forever more.
- How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103, NIV). I want God’s Word to be more satisfying to me than chocolate is to my sweet tooth.
- Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 103:105, NIV). The Word of God shows me where to place my feet and what path to stay on. Show me in your Word how to maneuver through this crooked world, God.
How do you feel about the Bible? Can you identify with the passion of this psalmist for the Word of God and the God of the Word? Do you find it a boring book from a people you cannot relate to? Do you want to understand it better, but do not know how to go about it? Share with us. #Join the conversation.