JOB 23:12 – “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”
THEME OF THE DAY: LOVE FOR GOD’S WORD. Right now, could we read today’s scripture and not only say, “Amen” to Job’s words, but also affirm they describe our attitude and actions towards God’s Word? Let’s add a couple of thoughts about this profound truth of Job’s words and its application to us.
First, the only supporting evidence his words mirror our lives is our attitude and actions toward God’s Word. It will not be our profession, “I love my Bible. I treasure God’s Word more than anything in my life.” What if I had followed you, 24/7, for the past week, observing your use of time, would I walk away with the clear picture that you love the Word of God? Would such love have been evident by the DAILY time you gave to seeking the Lord in His Word? Would I have observed the intentionality of your obedience to the Word of God? And would I have heard you praying God’s Word back to Him in praise and desire to know Him? Just to make the “scales even”, put me in this picture too. If you had followed me the past week, around the clock, would those same things be true of me?
Next, understand this . . . our love for God’s Word reveals our love for Jesus. How so? Well, not by just reading it. Jesus said, “If you love Me, your will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Love for the Lord will always be through purposeful, consistent, and love motivated obedience. When obedience to God’s Word is absent, so is love for the God of the Word.
There is a chapter in the Bible, the longest chapter, given over to the treasure we have in the Word of God. It is Psalm 119 and contains one hundred seventy-six verses. The author is not mentioned and much debate through history has been given over to various possibilities. Majority opinions ascribed authorship to David. Charles Haddon Spurgeon said of this Psalm, “the holy soul’s soliloquy before an open Bible.” He also called it “a little Bible with the scriptures condensed.” As one reads Psalm 119, and I would encourage us to do so in one sitting, there are many places the Psalmist proclaims his love for God’s Word and the evidence he does by his actions with the Word of God, like meditating upon it and keeping it. Below are four examples to evaluate ourselves by to see if our love for God’s Word measures up to the Psalmists . . .
“I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes” (Psalm 119:48).
“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97).
“Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold” (Psalm 119:127).
“My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly” (Psalm 119:167).
Remember, love for God mandates a love for His Word, and a love for His Word is to be a doer of His Word (James 1:22).
PRAYER: Father, may I so love Your Word I never neglect to read, study, memorize, and obey it all the days of my life.
REFLECTION: Our love for God’s Word will always produce time in God’s Word and a life obeying God’s Word.