Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, is all about the psalmist’s love of and delight in God’s laws. In the 176 verses, the author has favorable descriptions (love them, rejoice in them, they are precious, they bring joy, etc.) towards the laws at least 18 times. This count doesn’t include instances where the psalmist acknowledges the goodness or rightness of the laws on a head level. He truly loves in his heart the laws that God has given!
Do we have this same enthusiasm? We may agree with the author that God’s laws and ways are right and probably even best, but do we love that we have these laws and instructions?
As teenagers, most of us had some level of disdain for the rules. Whether we followed them begrudgingly or rebelled against them, we didn’t always like them. However, I think most of us, as we’ve gotten older, have likely come to realize the paradoxical freedom that comes from rules.
For example, my husband and I have a Dates category in our budget. Every month we contribute money to it. Some months the date is inexpensive and the money sticks around for the next month. In other months, money has accumulated and we go out to a very nice restaurant guilt-free because that’s what that money is for! Because we have set expectations for that money, it is easy to use it.
By God setting expectations for us, it makes it easier to follow in His guidance. I’m sure we all know of a person (or maybe ourselves) who has made decisions not in-line with God’s teachings that have ended poorly. We might have sat watching from afar (or been right in the middle) as things fell apart and thought to ourselves, “if they had not rebelled against God, this likely would have turned out differently.” Following God’s laws is certainly not a safeguard against all hurt or difficulty, but it can reduce the amount of trouble we bring on ourselves.
The author also consistently asks for help in adhering to God’s commands. Oh, how often we should pray this prayer! Even the most well-intentioned among us still stumbles and breaks the laws of God.
Fortunately, the author gives us a cheat on how to remain more faithful in verse 11:
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Memorizing scripture both helps us in knowing and remembering the commands and in furthering our knowledge of God and His goodness so that we are more consistent with keeping His commands. It is easier to know and do what our spouse would want than a stranger because we know our spouse and desire for them to be happy. The same applies to God. As we learn scripture, we get to know God and want to please Him and we learn how to please Him.
While our sinful nature makes it a daily struggle, I pray that we each learn to appreciate and even enjoy the laws and guidance that God has given us for each day.
Read the full Psalm by clicking the link below.
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