Psalm 119:14-16

"In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in you statutes. I will not forget your word."

~ Psalm 119:14-16 ~ 

In verse 14 the psalmist gives us a great comparison of how he views the Word of God "...delight  as much as in all riches." We should be excited in and take delight in God's word more than we are about wealth and prosperity. Riches are nothing compared to the scriptures and the glory of God. Our Bibles should hold an important place in our home and an important place in our hearts. How often do we hear stories of distant tribes that receive the Word of God translated into their own language for the first time. There is celebration, dancing, rejoicing, they pour over the scriptures that they are able to read for the very first time, something that you and I often take for granted. I was curious and looked it up on YouTube and found the following video. It brought me to tears to see these people and their reaction to receiving their first Bibles. 

How incredible (and humbling) is that? They waited in anticipation for the day they could read the Bible from Matthew to Revelation in their own language, I think this is a beautiful illustration of taking delight in God's word. Did you see how excited they were? I want that excitement in my own life. Another quick illustration for you is about a homeless man named Peter that I met on an open air evangelism trip to NYC several years ago. Peter didn't have many possessions, but he had the Word of God. He had two Bibles and a concordance and was sitting at a little table studying Matthew. That picture has stuck with me to this day, he had very little possessions but he he possessed the greatest treasure there is. I pray that this would be true of me and that I remember that it is one thing to possess the treasure of Scripture, it is another to treasure it. (See also Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25 and 12:34, Matthew 19:24 and 6:21.)

Verse 15 shares and idea we are familiar with, meditating on God's precepts and keeping our eyes fixed on His ways. I like to look up words in the dictionary so here are the four key words:

 Precepts - a doctrine that is taught

Way - a course of conduct; a journey or passage; how something is done. 

Meditate - reflect deeply on a subject; to think intently or at length. 

Fixed - securely placed of fastened or set; fixed and unmoving 

Here is the verse expanded in my own words, "I will reflect deeply, think intently and at length about the doctrine taught in Your Word and my eyes will be securely fastened and set on the course of conduct set out in Your Holy Scriptures." How many times do we just glance over the scripture in our quiet time and devotions and don't take time to really meditate on it and think about what it says and how we can apply it to our lives. I know I am very guilty of this at times. The psalmist just had the law and the teaching from previous generations at his disposal and we have the entire cannon of Scripture, we should be willing to spend time soaking it up like a sponge. When I read the last part "and my eyes fixed on your ways." I thought of Hebrews 12:1-3. May our eyes be fixed on Jesus so that we can run the race with perseverance. 

I also love verse 16, but I really think the last part speaks for itself. "I will not forget your word." May we never forget or neglect the Word of God. See Deuteronomy 6:5-9, 8:6.

Father, 

I pray that like the psalmist I will take delight in Your Word and that it would become my treasure. I pray that I will keep it close to my heart, memorize it and take time to meditate on it and fix my eyes on You. May it be in my heart and mind continually and that I will never forget it. And may I have an attitude of excitement and joy over reading Your Word like the Kimyal tribe had when they first received the blessing of Bibles in their own language.