January 3, 2021
Psalm 19:7-11 (NIV)
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
CONSIDER THIS
There are two more little foxes always ready to jump into the vineyard of our early mornings and late nights. They come in the form of delving into our e-mail inboxes and diving into our text messaging apps. When we do this, we inevitably surrender the first word and last word of our days to the always urgent and rarely too important words of other people. E-mail and text messages can wait. You have the rest of the day for that. This is about cultivating the sacred priority: First Word. Last Word. God’s Word.
Psalm 19 brings us a brilliant celebration of the beauty, blessings, and benefits of the Word of God. As with yesterday’s text, we see the two books of God on grand display again today. Look how the psalmist unfolds the book of creation:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth. (vv. 1-6)
And in a move of seamless genius, the psalmist dives headlong into the glories of the book of Revelation:
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
The Word of God is perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, and firm. It refreshes, makes wise, grants joy, gives light, endures forever, and brings righteousness. I want to be refreshed in my soul, wise in my mind, joyful in my heart, luminous in my vision, persevering in my spirit, and robed in the righteousness of God. You want these things too. The Spirit has just revealed the vast contents of a veritable treasure trove. Indeed, this is true prosperity, says the psalmist:
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
The way to this blessed life is clear. John Wesley may have put it best when he said, “God has written it down in a book. O give me that book. At any price, give me the book of God. I have it. Here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri [a man of one book].”
E-mail, text messages, or . . . First Word. Last Word. God’s Word.
THE PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, thank you for your Word, which is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. I desire to know this Word in a way beyond knowledge. I want to know this Word and, in knowing it, to know you. I want the wonder of your Word as well as the warning; the help of your Word as well as the holiness. I repent from my ever-present readiness to listen to so many words and neglect the priority of your Word. Forgive me and by your Spirit set me on this new path of First Word. Last Word. God’s Word. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
THE QUESTION
Are you shifting your priority from so many other words at the beginning and end of your day to First Word. Last Word. God’s Word? Stay with it. It will take time to regroove the pattern.
For the Awakening,
J.D. Walt
Sower-in-Chief
seedbed.com