The other day I was reading in Psalms and
came across a disturbing verse. It was
Psalm 119:16 and says, “I delight in Your decrees . . .”
I stopped reading and thought, "Wait just a minute . . . so let me get
this straight, Mr. Psalmist, you like
rules?" Well that’s the first. I don’t know anyone who particularly enjoys
rules (especially when the penalty of consequence is invoked upon them). Most of us agree that we need rules. We need that
stoplight in town telling people to go or stop so that the student driver doesn't T-bone my car with my kiddos in it.
We need the signs at Wal-Mart and Target that say “Stealing will not be
tolerated” to help avoid our sky-scraping inflation from being further damaged
by people who want to live outside the law.
But to like these rules is
entirely different. Obviously the psalmist isn't talking about the general laws of the land, but about God's laws; but the same principles of our love and obedience to them still applies.
As I read on in Psalm 119, another verse
popped out that I could relate to better: “Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in Your law” (v. 18). Now
that’s more like it. I’m all about
honesty. Sometimes I want to say, “God,
Your laws stink! So help me to see the
good in obedient living!” It’s usually
about this time that God will smile and pull me closer to Him like a father
does his son with a gentle side hug.
He’ll show me a verse like in Psalm 119:24 that says, “[My] statutes are
[your] counselors.” Then He’ll show me several
more verses like 67, 71, 92, 105, 130, 140 and then back to 59. “You've done it your way, cowboy,” He will
say. “And your way never works!”
God’s right, you know. He’s always right.
The psalmist writes in verse 32 that the purpose
of God’s laws is not for restriction, but for freedom! Jesus said that His burden is light. He doesn't want to harness us with a
lifestyle of rigid rules. In fact, He only
has two basic rules that all other rules flow out of. Consider these two rules the mother and
father of all laws and regulations: 1) Love God with everything in you, and 2)
Love and care for others like you love and care for yourself (Mt. 22:36-40). Now that’s simple. Not only simple, but truly liberating as
well!
Maybe that’s what the psalmist figured
out.
Consider the old saying of the hippies, “It’s
all about love, man.” They were on to
something . . . but never joined that idea with God’s Word. The marriage of love and obedience is really
what it’s all about. As I continued
reading on in Psalm 119, I learned how the psalmist loved God’s law and chose
to follow and obey them. It may sound
easy and honorable, but he ends 119 with a confession: “(v. 176) I have strayed
like a lost sheep. Seek your servant,
for I have not forgotten Your commands.” Isn't it funny how the closer we get to God the further away from Him we seem? Perhaps I’m weird that way.
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