Do You Appreciate God’s Word?

Psalm 119 is an acrositc. It is composed of 22 sections of 8 verses each, the verses of each section beginning with one letter of the Hebrew alphabet. So :1-8 all began with the Hebrew letter Aleph; verses 9-16 in this section all begin with the letter Beth. It is interesting to see how each section of the Psalm emphasizes a different aspect of God’s word. At least one of the emphases we find in this “Beth” section of Psalm 119 is how the author demonstrates that he really appreciates God’s gift of His word:— In :9 he shows he appreciates it by “keeping it.” If you really love God’s word you will DO what it says!
— :11 famously says “I have treasured Your word in my heart.” Memorizing it is another way to show how much you appreciate it.
— In :12 he prays “teach me Your statutes” — because he loves it, he wants to learn it.
— And in :13 he shows how he treasures scripture by telling others about it: “with my lips I have told of all the ordinances of Your mouth.”
— In verse 14 he says: “I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies” and in :16 “I shall delight in Your statutes” — this is the heart response of one who appreciates the word of God: having heartfelt joy and delight in it!
— And in :15 he shows his value for scripture by meditating on it: “I will meditate on Your precepts.” You are constantly thinking about the things that you really love.

Do you really appreciate the gift God has given you, of His word? If you think you do, then ask yourself: “How many of the responses of Psalm 119:9-16 characterize my own life?!”

About Shawn Thomas

My blog, shawnethomas.com, features the text of my sermons, book reviews, family life experiences -- as well as a brief overview of the Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson for Southern Baptist Sunday School teachers.
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