THE
BIBLE IS NOT JUST A BOOK!
Psalm
19:7-11
The
law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving
the soul;
the
testimony of the Lord is sure,
making
wise the simple;
the
precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing
the heart;
the
commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening
the eyes;
the
fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring
forever;
the
rules of the Lord are true,
and
righteous altogether.
As
we looked at the first six verses of this amazing psalm about God’s revelation,
we reflected on the clarity and beauty of His revelation in creation. This
revelation provides enough information to expose the rebelliousness of man and
for God to righteously condemn him.
In
today’s verses, David provides a succinct presentation of the amazing qualities
of the Word of God and its many benefits to man, when he approaches it in
humble submission.
The
Word of God is perfect, is sure, is right, is pure, is clean, is true,
is righteous, and is eternal.
Before
looking at these qualities, we should just stop and praise God for His loving
care in giving us the law, the testimony, the precepts, the commandment, the
fear, and the rules.
Just
looking at this list should cause us to be filled with gratitude, as we
acknowledge that man would never have been able to imagine or invent the Word
of God. Without the Sacred writings we would not know who God is, what He
thinks, who we are, or what our destiny is.
We
would not be able to evaluate our circumstances, our people, or ourselves. We
would not know our boundaries; we would not know how to make moral evaluations or
decisions.
We
would only know how to promote ourselves, with our lusts and desires. God has
been so gracious to provide us with rules, principles, and godly standards.
As
we look at the qualities of the Word of God, it becomes clear that they are very
different from our human nature, promoting godliness instead. Having the Word
of God in our possession has become so “normal” for us that we sometimes lose
sight of its extreme value.
We
will never hold anything more perfect in our hands, we will never place our
trust in anything that is more sure. We will never have to evaluate God’s words
to know if they are right, for we could never embrace something more purely
righteous, holy, and true. And because its author is the eternal Holy Spirit, it
will never become obsolete.
What
kind of reverence should we have as we read the Bible? What kind of submission
should it require? What kind of attention should it promote? What kind of love
should it cause?
The
Word’s characteristics and qualities should be sufficient to produce in us a
careful evaluation of the way we approach it.
As
we read its benefits, we should ask ourselves why we disregard it so often, and
why it doesn’t have a place of priority in our daily lives.
The
Word of God revives the soul, makes wise the simple; it causes the heart
to rejoice, and produces clarity.
Without
the Word we would still be dead in our sin, for we could never have known how
to be right with God. It is the Word of God that produces faith in God; apart
from it we do not even know Him. There is no true wisdom to be learned apart
from the truth of the Scriptures. There is no other information or pursuit that
can produce lasting joy. There is nothing else by which we can evaluate life
and its problems.
This
is what the Word of God is, its qualities and its benefits! Are you wondering
now why you do not give more time to its study? Are you asking yourself why
it’s not your first source of reference and information? Are you disappointed
that it’s not guiding your evaluations and reactions to circumstances and
people? Are you ashamed that you are not submitted to it? Are you rebuked that
it’s not the subject you most often speak about to your family and friends?
Have you allowed the cares of the world to turn the values of your life upside
down?
I
realize, as I meditate on these truths, that there needs to be a different kind
of response to the vital necessity of thinking deeply upon God’s Word in my own
life. When we look at the ending verses of Psalm 19, we will each need to ask
ourselves what kind of responses we should have to them.
For
today, it may be a good idea to spend time in grateful prayer for the precious
gift of the Holy Bible you have in your home.
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