Life Through God’s Instruction

Debbie was able to come home early on a Friday afternoon. She arrived early enough to find me getting up from my afternoon nap. She actually ran into some hail on the west side of Fort Collins. So right now is it overcast with dark clouds on the horizon.

The last few days we have had another four-legged visitor at our home. “Little Dog” (there’s a name for you – very practical!) was Debbie’s mom’s companion, after being our dog for five years, she now lives with Sue and Sam and will probably never die because she is already experiencing “dog heaven.” She and Andy have done well together, mostly by avoiding each other. Perhaps there is a lesson in there somewhere for all of us in certain relationships.

Last night we finally made it out to our strawberry patch to gather some of the abundant supply in our garden. If you live close by and want to come help yourself, you are welcome to them.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “They [decrees of the Lord] 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.”  Psalms 19:10,11

Psalms 19 is another one of those “classic Psalms.” It is reminiscent of Psalms 119, in that most of its verses communicated the value of God’s guidance through His Word. God’s Word is referred to as “the law of the Lord” the “statutes of the Lord” the “precepts of the Lord” the “commands of the Lord” and “the decrees of the Lord.”

The effect of God’s Word is described as “refreshing the soul” “making wise” “giving joy to the heart” and “giving light to the eyes.” That is a far cry from how God’s Word is viewed and described by many. It can be view as “out of date” “onerous” “a burden” “a joy sucker.”

The value of God’s Word is seen in the words, “perfect” “trustworthy” “right” “radiant” “righteous” “precious”  “pure” and “sweet.”

Now that my analysis has destroyed the beauty of the poetic form of the Psalm, I will remind you finally of the impact of God’s  Word on our life – “…by them your servant is warned, in keeping them there is great reward.”

We can observe that “the road of life is dangerous, so pay attention to the warning signs.” God’s Word provides the warnings that we need to successfully navigate life.

Great reward comes to those who “keep” God’s Word. Just as Jesus said that those who build their house in the rock are those who “hear the Word and put it into practice.” (Matthew 7:24-27) Those who receive great reward are not just those who know God’s Word, but those who keep God’s Word.

This Psalm ends with the familiar benediction, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalms 19:14) When we put God’s Word in the forefront of our life and meditate on its our words, thoughts and actions will be pleasing to Him.