Psalm 119:89-140
Oh, how I love your law! I think about it all day long. – Psalm 119:97 NLT
What kinds of things do you find yourself thinking about during the day? For most of us it probably varies. When we're at work, we probably think about work-related things, or we may think about going home. If we're at home, our minds may dwell on the myriad of things we need to accomplish around the house, or again, we may find ourselves wishing we were at work. All throughout the day we find ourselves thinking about a lot of different things. Some good. Some not so good. And occasionally we may find ourselves thinking about a single thing so much that it borders on an obsession. It could be someone we are deeply in love with and we just can't get them off our mind. It could be an event that is coming up of extreme significance in our lives, and we can't stop thinking about it. It could be a particular item we long for, like a new car, and we find ourselves daydreaming about it throughout the day. But how many of us find ourselves obsessing about the Word of God? How many of us would dare to claim that we're obsessed with God's Word? The psalmist did. He said he couldn't stop thinking about it. He claimed that the words of God were sweeter than honey. They were his treasure, his heart's delight. He meditated and thought on them constantly. He considered them so wonderful he couldn't get enough of them. He literally cried because there were those who chose to reject and disobey God's Word. He found himself filled with rage over those who disregard what God has to say. He loved the Word of God and couldn't understand why everyone else didn't feel the same way. He had found God's Word to be fulfilling, comforting, directing, encouraging, convicting, and restoring. He went to bed at night thinking about it and woke up with it on his mind first thing in the morning. To the psalmist, the Word was life.
But what about me? Am I even remotely obsessed with the Word of God? Is it always on my mind? Do I think about it constantly? The honest answer is no. And yet I truly believe that I love God's Word. I read it, study it, teach it, believe it, and try to live my life according to it. But I think the difference between the psalmist and myself is that he viewed the Word of God as equal to God Himself. The laws, decrees, principles, precepts, and written expressions of God's expectations for man were to the psalmist a direct extension of God Himself. To read God's written Word was to speak with God. It was to hear directly from God. It was like having intimate communication with God. For many of us, we have disconnected the Scriptures from the One who wrote them. We look at the Bible as some kind of self-help guide or a manual for living, with helpful tips and techniques on everything from child-rearing to marriage. And while the Bible can and does address life issues, it is really the revelation of God. It is the written Word of God that shows us who God is and how He wants to relate to mankind. The psalmist seemed to understand this. He didn't look at it as a document to be studied and applied. It was the direct communication of God to man and was to be obeyed. And what he had found was that the Word of God brought life. It brought joy, peace, contentment, wisdom, well-being, direction, it made meaning out of the difficulties of life, gave insight into the day-to-day decisions we all face, and provided answers to all of life's questions. The psalmist was obsessed with God's Word because He was obsessed with the God who spoke it to begin with. It was his lifeline to God. And he held onto it relentlessly and faithfully.
Father, may I grow ever more obsessed with Your Word. May it permeate every area of my life. May I grow deeper and deeper in love with it as I realize just how powerful and life-changing it really is. May I see it as more than just a document to be read and studied, but as a revelation of who You are. May I search for You in it and find You. May it fill my mind and fulfill the desires of my life. Amen