47 And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love.
“Delight” - Is that the first word that pops into your mind when you think of the Bible?
In today’s mainstream culture, I think the general perception of the Bible is: “Thou shalt not.”
That’s why this is such a shocking statement to me. Delight in Your commandments?! Which I love?!
The first time I read through Psalm 119, I remember thinking, “okay, this guy must have known something about the Bible that I don’t know…”
What he knew is that God gave us His word for our benefit, and for our delight. Jesus Himself confirms this:
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11
So if we open the Bible expecting to be beaten over the head with a stick, then we have the wrong expectation, and truthfully a wrong perception about who God is.
But even then, God doesn’t force this delight and joy on us. He doesn’t override our freewill. It’s a choice we have to make. The psalmist says, “I will delight myself…”
So the next time you open your Bible, I would encourage you to cultivate the attitude of delight. Expect to be delighted. Prepare your heart to receive joy. Revisit these two verses and meditate on them.
And ask the Lord to open your eyes to what is so delightful about His word. He’ll answer that prayer.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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