SEEING LIFE THROUGH THE LENS OF GOD’S WORD

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In Christ, Mark

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

Be good to Your servant while I live, that I may obey Your word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.

I am a stranger on earth; do not hide Your commands from me. My soul is consumed with longing for Your laws at all times.

You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed, those who stray from Your commands. Remove from me their scorn and contempt, for I keep Your statutes. Though rulers sit together and slander me, Your servant will meditate on your decrees. Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

Psalm 119:17-24

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

One great thing about reading and studying God’s word every day is that it opens up our eyes to see the world around us in a different way, not for the worse but for the better. Look at the words of the psalmist in this passage from the 119th Psalm:

Be good to Your servant while I live, that I may obey Your word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.

I am a stranger on earth; do not hide Your commands from me. My soul is consumed with longing for Your laws at all times.

You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed, those who stray from Your commands. Remove from me their scorn and contempt, for I keep Your statutes. Though rulers sit together and slander me, Your servant will meditate on your decrees. Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

How did the psalmist see the matters of life through the lens of the word of God?

1. He saw it as good.

Be good to Your servant while I live, that I may obey Your word.

The psalmist anticipated experiencing blessings as he lived in obedience to the word of God and those blessing experiences would spur him on to want to walk even more in God’s will and way. I don’t know about you but this has happened to me in my own life. As I look back across more than 20 years since I was born again, I have seen how experiencing the blessings of God spurred me on to serve and follow Him more and more. The momentum has never stopped and I’m more excited about the next 20 years (God willing) than the past ones. God’s goodness breeds that kind of excitement.

2. He saw things as wonderful.

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.

I’ve been around more than my fair share of people who had a terrible attitude about life in general. It was sad to me because it was almost like they lived in a different universe than the one I lived in. The truth of the matter is that there really are two parallel universes in play: a universe where people don’t believe in the Lord and a universe where they do. The Bible even says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that anyone born again into Christ becomes a new creation. They have passed from one spiritual universe where they were lost into a better one where they are found. And not only are they found but they find a life more wonderful than they could ever imagine, a life underscored by the word of God and illuminated by the Holy Spirit. My prayer is that everyone gets to experience this kind of life that is not temporary but rather everlasting.

3. He saw himself as a stranger on earth.

I am a stranger on earth

When we read and study the word of God and allow that word and the Holy Spirit to transform us and conform us to the Lord’s will and way, we will see that we are in the world but not of it. We have a temporary address here because through Christ Jesus, we have a new permanent home with Him and God the Father that awaits us.

4. He found himself addicted to the word of God.

Do not hide Your commands from me. My soul is consumed with longing for Your laws at all times.

Once you experience the power of the word of God, you will find yourself needing it more and more and more. The word of God will take over your heart and soul as the Lord works from the inside out to instruct you how to live in righteousness and holiness. And when you begin to commit to God like He is committed to you, then you long for Him and His word, not just some of the time but at all times.

5. He realized that the Lord disciplines.

You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed, those who stray from Your commands.

Just as we learn as a child that there are negative consequences for negative actions, the word of God shows us that the same applies when we are adults, it’s just that our disciplinarian is the Lord who rebukes and corrects those who stray from His commands in sin.

6. He saw where the Lord was His protection.

Remove from me their scorn and contempt, for I keep Your statutes. Though rulers sit together and slander me, Your servant will meditate on your decrees.

I have seen some people drive themselves crazy thinking about something mean that another said about them. Indeed, people throw around a lot of words that contain scorn and contempt, words intended to tear another down instead of build them up. In these instances, it’s a blessing that we have the word of God to meditate on like the psalmist did, a word that shows us we have God’s protection against anyone who would come against us, a word that allows us to allow hurtful words to bounce off of us because we have the love of God that is so much greater.

7. He found delight in the counsel he received in the word of God.

Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

I know I find pure joy in the study of God’s word. My prayer is that you do the same as you study and even read these daily devotions the Lord places on my heart. There is nothing that has given me more strength and confidence to boldly live my life out in faith than the mighty word of God. His words are brought alive by the Holy Spirit who Jesus sent to us as a holy Counselor. Look at this from the Gospel of John:

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:26 (HCSB)

As you enter into the word of God each day, expect your eyes to be opened – and even ask the Lord to do so in prayer before you begin study. Then open your heart and mind to the instruction of the Holy Spirit who will teach you all things and reveal the wonder of the Lord and His creation to you in such a way that you will feel delight, not just some of the time but all of the time.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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

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