Psalm 119:20

When I sat down today to look at Psalm 119 I couldn't decide if I wanted to do all of verses 20-24 of just look at verse 20. I think I will just look at verse 20 because I think it packs a pretty good punch all by itself. 

"My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times." 

- Psalm 119:20 (ESV) - 

"I am continually overcome with longing for Your judgments."

- Psalm 119:20 (HCSB) -

"My heart is breaking with the longing that it has for Your ordinances and judgments at all times."

- Psalm 119:20 (Amplified) - 

"My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous -insatiable for your nourishing commands."

- Psalm 119:20 (The Message) - 

I wanted to use a couple different versions to look at this verse. Each version listed here gives the verse a little bit differently. In the ESV version they chose the word consumed. When we are consumed by something it means to engage fully, when we are fully engaged into something it has our attention. Think about something that usually requires your full attention like driving for instance. Driving requires your full attention, you need to be aware of changing speed limits, when lights change, when there are stop signs and when the driver in front of you changes they way they are driving. I know when I drive I have to focus on the road and not get distracted by calling people, texting or listening to music. When we are studying the Word of God it needs our full attention, we should be fully engaged into what we are reading and learning. It should be our constant attitude toward scripture. The psalmist writes "at all times." he isn't just consumed with scripture every now and then, when he went to the temple to worship or when he prayed, it was constant and all the time.

 I also liked the way the message interpreted this verse "My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous - insatiable..." If you've ever forgotten your lunch for work or school and couldn't purchase a lunch, or if your like me and sometimes getting a break to eat is out of the question some night, you will likely get home and be so hungry you might utter the well known phrase "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" (at least I have). You get that deep ache in the pit of your stomach for just a tiny morsel of  food and you just can't stand to not have something to eat and then it seems like nothing pleases it. This is the picture that The Message paints for us in this verse. That overwhelming  desire for food that is insatiable. We should hunger after the Word of God. Paul writes in 1 Peter 2:2 "Like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation." We should crave and long for the pure spiritual milk of the Word so that we can grow. But don't stop at just the milk. A baby will eventually stop growing and will fail to thrive if it's mother only ever feeds it milk. The milk is good for a time, but eventually they need cereal, then the pureed fruits/veggies, then more solid food. That is what we as Christians should desire, we need to grow in our faith, grow in our relationship with the Lord and long to learn more and more about scripture and dig into the meat and potatoes! 

Father,

Kindle a fire and desire in my heart and soul to be completely consumed with You and Your Word. I want to dig deeper into it each and every day, and I want to know You more and more. Create in me a passion, an insatiable desire to learn Your rules and statutes, to understand Your character and Your love for me. I want You to be the desire of my heart, help me to be fully focused on You.