The Word Of God
Day 1 of Jesus I Need You, Part 2, a study of Thistlebend Ministries
Scripture Reading: Matthew 3:2-3;Psalm 19:1-2,7-20
The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; Ps 111:7
the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. Ps 119:130
The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; Ps 119:14
the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. Ps 13:3
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; Ps 111:10
the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. Ps 119:30
They are more desirable than gold — than an abundance of pure gold; Ps 119:72,127
and sweeter than honey, which comes from the honeycomb.
Psalm 19:7-20 HCSB
Observation: What’s the Message?
I love this passage. I remember learning it as a song in the 70’s when I was a teenager. The tune still plays through my mind whenever I read it or hear someone quote it. Whether I learned the meaning of the verse at the time or simply learned the words, I don’t remember, but it was a bit enlightening to SOAP it and realize that each of the six terms preceding the phrase, “of the LORD” refer to God’s Word. It was equally enlightening to realize that each of the descriptive terms, such as perfect and trustworthy, that follow the phrase – are references to the character of God, .
I thought it odd when I saw the Scripture references and wondered how they went together. However, as I read through them a couple of times their connect became clearer. I realized that “the Kingdom of Heaven mentioned in Matt 3:2 is actually referring to Jesus, who according to John 1:1 is “The Word”. Then after reading through Psalm 19:1-2 which points to the creation being a display of God’s glory, while the rest of the Psalm reveals Him through His Word. I believe these truths add a bit more meaning or reality to the phrase, “They are more desirable than gold – than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey which comes from the honeycomb.” Don’t you just love when Scripture defines or enhances other Scripture like this? I know I do!
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
Psalm 19:1-2 NLT
Application: How Then Should We Live?
I believe all three passages point us to God’s Word in some way, so for me the application or answer to how we should live according to this knowledge – would be to invest in God’s Word. You may be wondering how we can invest in His Word? I think there are two primary ways, one of which is to read from it daily. Jeremiah described this as ‘tasting it, when he wrote of finding and eating God’s Word, at which time he declared that they had become both a source of joy and delight. The other way to invest in God’s Word is to live ‘It’ out – for example, live by His instructions and trust what He says. When we invest our time, our minds, and hearts in God and His Word we will see His character more clearly as David did, and we will want Him all the more.
Prayer: Response to The Word
Father, Your Word is a rich treasure trove of life and health and breath and peace. By it we are warned and in keeping it there is great reward. May we invest in it faithfully that we might please You and so that others might see the path to You more clearly.
Want More?
Go Deeper with Thistlebend’s devotional post –
Your Turn:
- What’s your take away from today’s Scripture reading?
- What are some practical ways you plan to invest in God’s Word?