How happy are those who live according to God’s Word.
Psalm 119:1
Enter the conversation of Lucy and Linus, courtesy of cartoonist, Charles Shultz. Linus and Lucy stand looking out the window watching a very heavy rain. Lucy looks at Linus and asks, “do you think God will flood the earth again?” Linus, the resident theologian of the “Peanut Gang”, said, “no, He promised that would never happen again.” To this Lucy replied, “whew, that takes a load off my mind.” Linus then said, “good theology has a way of doing that!”
Today, allow “good theology” to take a load off your mind. Allow the promises of God to give you a necessary reprieve from life’s unexpected turns and disappointments. Allow the truth of God’s Word to relieve you from the worry and stress that real life can relentlessly produce.
The Psalmist has said, “happy are those who live according to God’s Word.” Older translations use the term, “walk,” and thus signify the common Jewish imagery of one’s life as a daily and continuous walk. And, in this verse, the walk focuses upon the Word of God with every step. This emphasizes one who has made God’s truths a regular part of life through sacred habit with careful and genuine discipline. Such a one is truly happy, meaning blessed and content with the spiritual nourishment and guidance.
Charles Spurgeon observed this verse in context with the first eight verses of this Psalm, thus referencing the benefits of regularly walking in God’s truths:
- These first eight verses of Psalm 119 are taken up with a contemplation of the blessedness which comes through keeping the statutes of the Lord. Lovers of God’s Holy words are blessed, because they are preserved from defilement (verse one), because they are made practically holy (verse two and three), and because they are led to follow after God sincerely and intensely. It is seen that this holy walking must be desirable because God commands it (verse four), therefore the pious soul prays for it (verse five) and feels that its comfort and courage must depend upon obtaining it (verse six). In the prospect of answered prayer, yea, while the prayer is being answered the heart is full of thankfulness (verse seven) and is fixed in solemn resolve not to miss the blessing if the Lord will give enabling grace (verse eight).[1]
How marvelous are the truths of God! How beneficial His Word is to the soul as we commit to walk in His truths. So, join the Psalmist in praying for God to lead you to be more intimately acquainted with His Word, for in God’s Word exists the truths and the understanding of God, of Jesus our Lord, and of the work of the Spirit within us.
Today, take this moment to delight in God’s Word. Read, meditate, think upon, and hold endearingly in your soul the precious Word of our God. His Word is life.
And today, allow His truth to take a load off your mind.
Blessings.
READ
Read Psalm 119 and remember why the Holy Scriptures are so dear to the heart of one who follows after God.
[1] Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Psalm 119.
