One of my favorite psalms is (Psalm 119). This amazing psalm talks extensively about how precious is the word of God. The psalmist, within its 176 verses, gives us many reasons why we should rejoice in the holy Scriptures. Below are just five reasons.
Reason 1 – Thy word is a great treasure
(Psalm 119:162) tells us: “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.” This verse is the overarching theme of the entire psalm. The Bible is God’s great love letter to His children and it contains, within its pages, everything we need to enjoy life to its fullest as well as how to obtain eternal life. No wonder the psalmist calls the word of God a great treasure. For you see no other book has the answers to all of our deep questions in life. It is the only book that tells us we are sinners, that we need a Savior, and then introduces us to this Savior – Jesus Christ. No wonder the psalmist tells us in this psalm that the word of God is his delight nine times (119:16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 143, 174).
Reason 2 – Thy word is truth
(Psalm 119:160) tells us: “The entirety of Your word is truth…” Is it any wonder that our society in America is morally decaying and the values that once made our country great are being jettisoned and being replaced with a new brand of woke morality. My friends, that’s what happens when we no longer rely on the truths contained in the Scriptures. In America today truth is totally relative, and often goes totally counter to the absolute truth of the Bible. I love that I can know truth because the truth of the Scriptures is like a moral compass that keeps me on the right road helping me to know how to live a life that is pleasing to my Creator. I love what we read in (John 8:31-32): “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” Knowing the truth of the word makes us free to truly enjoy life by no longer being enslaved to all of the counterfeit truths that in reality, when followed, keep us in bondage.
Reason 3 – Thy word keeps me from sin
(Psalm 119:11) tells us: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” The more I fall in love with Jesus the more I want to live a life that is pleasing to Him. As a result, my heart yearns not to disappoint my Lord by committing sin. Thankfully, the psalmist here understood that one of the best ways to keep from sinning is to hide God’s word in our hearts. Meditating on Scripture and memorizing verses can prove a powerful deterrent to committing sin. After all, Jesus used this tactic against Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness by quoting Scripture when tempted to sin. Three times, He quoted a verse from Deuteronomy and as a result caused Satan to flee.
Reason 4 – Thy word is my delight and my counselors
(Psalm 119:24) tells us: “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.” Notice here in the NIV the translators use the word statutes instead of the phrase, “Your word is my delight.” Sometimes the psalmist in (Psalm 119) uses the words law, statutes, decrees, commandments, and word to denote the Scriptures, but in every case he is referring to the precious word of God. (Psalm 119:24) brings great joy to my heart, not to mention sheer delight, when I realize that God’s word counsels me on how to live life. I believe, since God created me, He knows how to teach me to live a rich, joyful, and rewarding life. God echoes this thought in (Psalm 119:105) when we read: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Down through the centuries God’s word has proven to be the ultimate source of guidance and wisdom and as such studying it has proven to be one of my greatest joys in life.
Reason 5 – Thy word contains wonderful things
(Psalm 119:18) tells us: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” There are just so many wonderful things contained in the Bible that bring such joy to my heart when I read all about them. For example, reading and discovering who I am in Christ, how much I am loved by God, and just how awesome spending eternity with Jesus will be, all flood my heart with inexpressible joy.
May I challenge you to read (Psalm 119). I guarantee it will help you foster a love affair with the word of God and help you fall more in love with Jesus!