A DOZEN THINGS WE GAIN FROM THE WORD OF GOD

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.

They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

Psalm 19:7-13

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Research which book in the history of print has been distributed/purchased the most and you’ll find the Holy Bible at the top of that list. And while there are no solid statistics available, it is thought that there have been billions of copies of God’s word in circulation worldwide.

There must be a reason why this has happened and continues to happen today. What is so alluring about the Holy Scriptures that draw so many people to them?

As we look further at the 19th Psalm, David gives us a dozen things that people gain from God’s word and thus illuminates what had made it such a treasured blessing of people for the ages. Let’s look at the twelve benefits David highlights:

1. Perfection.

The law of the Lord is perfect and so as we turn to God’s word we have an assurance that it is unerring and this leads us to number 2.

2. Trust.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy. Because God’s word is perfect and inerrant, we can trust everything in the Holy Scriptures. There is no need to validate the word of God and no reason to doubt it.

3. Refreshment.

The law of the Lord refreshes the soul. Anyone who has seriously read through the scriptures can attest to its refreshing nature. Submitting to God’s perfect, inerrant word leads us to a life of righteousness, a life pleasing to God. We are transformed and conformed to the image of our Lord and as a result, our souls are refreshed in the hope found in Him.

4. Wisdom.

The statutes of the Lord make wise the simple and we sure have a way of being simpletons, especially when we decide we want to pursue our ways over God’s. Thanks be to the Lord for the instruction He grants us through the Bible. One cannot be a regular student of the word of God and not be counted among the wise in the world. The scriptures beget wisdom on those who read and adhere to them.

5. Righteousness.

The precepts of the Lord are right. And because God’s word is right it naturally produces righteousness in whoever reads it and puts it into practice. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Feast on God’s word every day, make it your daily bread, and you will never hunger or thirst for righteousness as you will receive it in healthy portions.

6. Joy.

The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart. The scriptures tells us that “the joy of the Lord is (our) strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). There’s something about the word of God that buoys us up in strength and confidence and assurance. You can’t help but feel empowered after reading the scriptures and it’s this empowerment that lifts up our spirits and our hearts in joy and peace and hope. I have read nothing else that brings me the consistent joy that the Bible grants.

7. Direction.

David pleads for the Lord to keep him from willful sins so that they wouldn’t rule over him. We should plead likewise every day. The good news is that God has answered this plea before we even ask. He has answered it through His Holy Word that grants us the direction we need to avoid our sins. When we read the Bible, our eyes are opened to our lives and what needs repair, illuminated by the scriptures. And this leads to point 8.

8. Light to guide us.

The radiance of the Lord’s commands provides light for our eyes. We’re all afflicted with sin and thus capable of walking in darkness every day of our lives. Indeed, we’re all destined to walk the wide path that leads to destruction without something to direct us a different way.

Enter the Holy Scriptures.

For as we read and are directed by God’s word, a piercing light shines into our sinfulness and illuminates our way onto the narrow path of righteousness, the path that will lead us to life eternal through belief and trust in Jesus Christ, the light of the world (John 8:12).

9. An enduring pure fear or reverence for the Lord.

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. God’s word not only strengthens us, it not only guides and directs us toward righteousness, it not only brings us joy, but it also convicts us. For we can’t read the word of God and not appreciate His grace, mercy, and love. We grasp this because we understand His power and how it could be unleashed on us in wrath because of our sins and yet God shows restraint and patience that is beyond understanding. We should fear and respect God’s power and thus turn away from any sin that is in us. Reading the word of the Lord will get us there and this leads to point 10.

10. Accountability.

David knew that he found warning in the word of God. He knew that there would be a price to pay if he turned to sin in his life. He also knew that there would be reward for staying obedient to God and walking in His prescribed way. David knew, and so should we, that we cannot hope to keep ourselves accountable, to discern and correct our errors on our own. No, we need accountability and we receive it in earnest through the words of the Bible.

11. Stability.

All the decrees of the Lord are right. We already saw where the word of the Lord is inerrant and thus we can trust it without reservation. There is no gray area when we read the scriptures. And there is no need to question the perfect word of God for everything He said is right and true.

Thus we can rest easy knowing that everything we read in the Bible is truth. There is stability found in the Holy Scriptures that cannot be found elsewhere. It truly is a blessed assurance for all who place their faith and trust in the Word.

12. Value.

Finally, God’s words are, as David explains, “more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.” Indeed, there is a priceless, precious value discovered by anyone who invests in the living, transforming word of God. Anyone who spends their life committed to it will attest to this and will testify that they feel no greater worth than when they experience the riches of the Lord as expressed through the Holy Scriptures.

Question: Do you have a dedicated commitment to the word of God? Have you taken the time to experience all the richness and fullness it offers?

If you didn’t fully grasp what the Bible can bring you, just consider what the Lord told us through David in just seven verses. And then consider how much more there is than that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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