In verse 97, the author says, “How love I thy law…” The word love here from the original language can mean “a human love for another” or “a human appetite for objects.”
Sometimes, our affections and our base needs are very different, other times they are one and the same. Many people would claim that if it were not for this person or that person, they could not go on. Many a love story has had characters who portray such a love. In fact, in the Shakespearian play Romeo and Juliet, Romeo stabs himself when he believes Juliet to be dead, when in fact, she faked her death. Upon learning that Romeo was dead, Juliet took her own life.
Many times, our priorities get a little blurred. Consider the bumper sticker that says, “My wife said if I don’t quit fishing, she will leave. I’m really going to miss her.”
In this verse, it seems the psalmist doesn’t have blurred vision at all. He LOVES God’s Word. In fact, he loves it so much, that he meditates on it day and night. That means that it is his reflection and devotion.
Is it possible to have such a devotion to a person that you have never met? If you become such a devoted reader, I believe that one can come to a certain level of affection to an author. For almost 30 years, I have been a devoted reader of the works of Ray Bradbury, a noted science fiction and fantasy author. In fact, I feel like I could immediately strike up a friendly relationship with him if given the chance. I am sure that many of you have felt the same way about other authors. But would we have such a hunger as described by the psalmist here?
There is a deeper sense of the word “love” in this verse than what we have been talking about. It expresses a deep, personal relationship. It talks about such an intimate relationship that satisfies a void which has not been found from any other source.
Each and every one of us are born with a deep desire to know God. There is a spiritual longing within each of us that MUST be fulfilled. There is a void and a hole so large that nothing will fill it or satisfy its hunger outside of a relationship with God. People will search in all kinds of places to find it, but all roads lead to the cross.
Consider the story of “Pistol” Pete Maravich. The famed basketball star was born in a small Pennsylvania steel town and learned a strong work ethic from his father. Thanks to that work ethic, he was a three time All America selection and Sporting News’ 1970 player of the year and winner of the Naismith Award. In the NBA, he averaged 23.2 points per game his rookie year and was a five time All Star selection, scoring nearly 16,000 points and averaging over 24 points per game. A knee injury forced his retirement in 1980. Unable to cope, he turned to alcohol. He tried Hinduism, yoga, ufology, and vegetarianism, just to name a few.
In 1982, he accepted Christ as his savior and never looked back. He said that he wanted to be remembered as a Christian, not a basketball player. Here is a man who had it all—fame, fortune, and famine. He had everything that the world had to offer, but he still had a void that needed filled. He found that void when he finally had enough of the pretenders and met the master.
We have this need because we need to know God. Why God? Because God is truth. “Let God be true and every man a liar.” We need God because he is holy, and we are not. “Come now, let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow.” We need God because he already loved us before we were even born. “Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee.” He loved us so much, that before our mother and father were even out of the Garden of Eden, He had a plan of how to redeem us to Himself, through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross.
STAND
The next thing that we must do to find truth is to stand firm on it once we have found it. “Stand fast, and hold the traditions that you have been taught.” Look at verses 98-100. The psalmist says that God’s Word has made him “wiser than mine enemies” and to have more “understanding than my teachers” and “the ancients.” There is much to be said about not deviating from God’s teachings. Colossians 2:8 says, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
There are many teachings in the world that would stray us from the truth. The Pew Forum recently conducted a survey of people who attend an “evangelical church” and asked “...tell me whether the FIRST or SECOND statement comes closer to your own views even if neither is exactly right. First: My religion is the one, true faith lead to eternal life, OR; many religions can lead to eternal life.” 57% of “evangelicals” answered that “many religions lead to eternal life.”
MAKE NO MISTAKE! Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh to the Father but through me” John 14:6. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live” John 11:25. Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he shall be saved” John 10:9. Jesus said, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” John 3:36. There was only one door on Noah’s Ark through which all mankind was saved, and there is only one path to eternal life. That path follows the “via de la rosa,” the way of sorrows. It is the path that Jesus walked on His way to Golgotha where He shed His blood for the remission of sins.
There are many who want us to believe that we came from the primordial ooze, but God said we came from the dust. Many Christians want to say that the six days of creation are six “ages,” but God said “evening and morning were the first day.” Many Christians want to embrace the teaching that the universe is billions of years old, but God said, “in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth.” There are many “Christians” who want to believe man’s teachings and understanding, but they do not have the “wisdom” and “understanding” that the psalmist exhibited. How did he get this wisdom and understanding that surpassed that of his enemies and his teachers? By meditating on the testimonies from God.
STEP
Once the psalmist has starved for, and found, his spiritual void, and he has stood on the precepts of God Almighty, then it is time to step out on faith and live a life pleasing to the Father. This can be done in three steps.
“I have refrained my feet from the evil way…” “I have not departed from thy judgements…” In Revelation 2:4, God speaks to the Ephesian church and says, “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” This statement from God implies an intentional act, not an accidental one. In the same manner of speaking, the two statements made by the psalmist imply an intentional choice, and not a “devil made me to it” kind of attitude. We must, like Joseph, determine in our hearts and minds to do what is right. Doing so brings glory to the Father and pleases Him. Refusal to do so may mean some serious problems loom on the horizon.
“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” In this verse, the author devotes himself so much to study that he senses it as sweet to the taste. Paul exhorted Timothy to. “study to show thyself approved, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed…” There should be shame in not studying The Holy Bible. But to the truly repentant born-again believer, the time in God’s word is sweet, and not at all a bitter portion to take.
“I hate every false way.” Now the psalmsist has gained so much “understanding” from God’s “precepts” that he has now gained a hatred for sin. Billy Sunday, the famous “baseball preacher” said, “I’m against sin. I’ll kick it as long as I’ve got a foot, and I’ll fight it as long as I’ve got a fist. I’ll butt it as long as I’ve got a head. I’ll bite into it as long as I’ve got a tooth. When I’m old and fistless and footless and toothless, I’ll gum it till I go home to glory and it goes home to perdition.” Do we have such a hatred of sin in our lives?
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” We must not only make good choices, study God’s word, and hate sin, but we must let God’s word be our guide. That means no rationalizing that soccer is more important on Wednesday than God. That means no excusing evil thoughts because others won’t know. That means refusing to be lazy in our spirituality, but actively seek how we can serve God. That means that we lay down the sins and bad habits of the old life, refuse to look back like Lot’s wife, and look forward to achieving God’s work though God’s power for God’s glory!
