READING: Psalm 119:85-176, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Today’s Old Testament reading resounds with the psalmist’s words of the beauty and power of God’s Word. Those words are life-transforming, hope-granting, and soul-comforting to the psalmist. The Lord had “given me [the psalmist] life through them” (Psa 119:93). They were “sweeter than honey in my mouth” (Psa 119:103), “a lamp for my feet and a light on my path” (Psa 119:105), “the joy of my heart” (Psa 119:111). God’s Word is “wonderful . . . righteous and trustworthy . . . completely pure . . . my delight” (Psa 119:129, 138, 140, 174). Indeed, the writer of the psalm loved God’s commandments “more than gold, even the purest gold” (Psa 119:127). It’s no wonder, then, that he wrote, “I open my mouth and pant because I long for Your commands” (Psa 119:131).
I realize I’m “writing to the choir” today, since most of my readers are committed to reading the Word regularly. Still I wonder, however, whether we long for God’s commands or just read them because we know we’re supposed to do that. We can check the boxes and speak of our faithfulness, but we may not have let the Word work its way through our lives. When the Word becomes only academic to us, we’ve missed the point of the psalmist.
We’re all susceptible to wandering “like a lost sheep” (Psa 119:176), and we continually need the Word to guide our way. May God increase our love for it today.
PRAYER: “God, let me long for You and Your Word more than I ever have in my life.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Psalm 120-127, 1 Corinthians 13