January 12, 2020 - - Psalm 119:92 - - Guided in delight by the Law of God
/If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
Psalm 119:92 English Standard Version
What a concept—the law of God as the delight of one’s heart! Yes, that is the testimony of the psalm-writer. The law of God, His Savior, so filled and sustained this man that he could withstand any affliction and trial. There is a fine and careful note that needs to be made here. The Scripture is not filled with heroes. The more you read, the more you realize all those whom we’d call the heroes of the various stories have failed at one time or another.
Gideon conquered the enemy army and afterwards fashioned an idol for the people to praise. King David, who was named as a man after God’s own heart, sinned grievously. He took another man’s wife. He had her husband put to death. He did not govern his sons or discipline them. On and on it goes. No matter the story you read in the Bible the men and women fail to keep their hearts completely devoted to their God and King. How does this relate to what we read today?
God is our rescue story. In each and every case, He answered the cry of His poor and wayward children. He called to them in His faithfulness and raised up priests and prophets, teachers and mentors so that His people could be called back to Himself. The law of God establishes such a high standard that no man, no woman, no child could ever keep it. Rather than fall into despair, we also understand the LORD does not leave us in our sin and misery.
Religion is spelled with two letters—D-O.
Religion is a list of things people think they have to do
in order to be accepted by God—go to church, give
money, keep the Ten Commandments, be baptized,
pray every day, and do good works. The list is endless.
It’s always Do…Do…Do. If you want to go to heaven,
you’re going to do something and keep on doing it
until the day you die.
Christianity is spelled with four letters—D-O-N-E.
Christianity is not based on what we do but upon
what Jesus Christ has already done. If you want to
go to heaven, you don’t have to do anything; you just
have to trust in what Jesus Christ has already done for you.
R. Pritchard An Anchor for the Soul. Chicago: Moody Publishers. page 116
This is the Word of God that is forever fixed in the heavens. Jesus Christ is seated there. He is the Lamb of God Who has taken away our sin. He is our representative Who lived the law of God perfectly and then stood in our place to receive the punishment we deserved. No wonder He is our joy and our song! The Spirit of God convinces us, sinful and weak though we are, of this glorious truth.
Blessed are You, O God, Faithful and Loving toward all You have made. Thank You for the fullness of life we have in Jesus Christ. Thank You that You would not leave us in our sin and misery but have captured us by Your Spirit through the power of the Word. This Sunday may our hearts praise You and our lives show devoted thanksgiving to You. Amen.
