" Righteous Indignation ! "

 

Psalm 119:97-104  "O how love I THY law ! it is my meditation all the day. THOU through THY commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for THY testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep THY precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep THY WORD. I have not departed from THY judgments: for THOU hast taught me. How sweet are THY WORDs unto my taste ! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth ! Through THY precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way."

     The LORD grants spiritual understanding to those who love HIM with a pure heart and are willing to walk in the light of HIS precious WORD: "Through THY precepts I get understanding (v.104a). Our love for the truth should motivate us to dig deep into the Scriptures, and as long as we do not allow sin to harden our heart and dull our ears, the HOLY SPIRIT will speak to us through the WORD. The psalmist loved GOD's Law and pondered its truth night and day, so it is no wonder that his study of Scriptures resulted in a knowledge that surpassed even the learned (vv.97-100). Notice, too, that connection between understanding the Bible and obeying it: "I understand. . .because I keep THY precepts" (v.100 pictured above). Often we rebel against the LORD and then wonder why the Bible seems to have lost its attraction, yet deep down we know the answer. We yearn for GOD's WORD only when we are walking in HIS will.

     Notice the final phrase of our text: "Therefore I hate every false way" (v.104b). How different this mindset is from what we hear today. Both the world and much of Christendom tell us to always be positive and never negative. They advise us to always look for the good in everything, even if that requires a conscious oversight of the bad. NO ! We must label and handle accordingly anything that is contrary to the divine standard of GOD's WORD. The HOLY SPIRIT will never lead a believer to endorse what GOD condemns or to accept what GOD rejects. Let us meditate on today's text and ask ourselves if GOD would have us to be a bit more negative at times. If we truly love GOD's Law (v.97 pictured above), we will battle against and "hate every false way" (v.104b). DWC

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

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