One Of God's Greatest Gifts

It was 24 years today God blessed Brenda and I with our oldest son Taylor. He is a blessing. So are our three other sons Tanner, Tucker and Turner. Each a gift from God we treasure. Each a blessing in their own right. That is not the great gift I am thinking of today.

I am not even thinking about the greatest gift of all in Jesus Christ and the salvation He purchased for us. Nor am I thinking about the gift of the Holy Spirit. I am a different gift in mind. One that is not more important than those but it is meaningful. I am thinking of the word of God.

The 119th Psalm is a great declaration of value of the word of God and clear instructions about how we are to handle it and relate to it. We are to treasure it more than honey. We should value it more than silver and gold. In what was the last sermon in the series "Summer In The Psalms," we ended with a brief look at this Psalm. We looked at various verses.

I want to make some brief comments abut those verses here.

Psalm 119:9 (NKJV) 
9  How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 

Temptations abound. Especially for young men and women. Evil is everywhere. One way to combat that evil is to obey God's word. A second verse goes a little further.

Psalm 119:11 (NKJV) 
11  Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! 

When Jesus got tempted in Matthew 4 he refuted Satan by quoting Scripture. He said three times, "It is written..." In Ephesians 6:17 the word of God is described as the sword of the Spirit. These are our weapons against sin. It's vitally important to know and memorize scripture in our fight against sin.

Psalm 119:92 (NKJV) 
92  Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. 

How many times has God used His word to help in times of trouble and distress. A certain verse that shows up at just the right time to minister hope, strength and comfort. If we delight and find pleasurable enjoyment in His word we do not get destroyed by our trials.

Lastly I look at verse 165.

Psalm 119:165 (NKJV) 
165  Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble. 

Those who stay in God's word and love it find great peace. Their minds are at rest and their hearts are quieted irregardless of their circumstances. Nothing causes them to stumble. Not sorrow. Not trials. Not death. They do not falter in the faith and lose heart. God uses His word to nourish and sustain His children.

On this day I am thankful for the Bible. God's love letter. The Holy Scriptures. The divinely inspired word of God. It is a gift to be treasured and not taken for granted. It is a book to be studied. Truth upon which  to meditate. Words of life to read and apply. It is meaningful material to memorize. It is one of God's greatest gifts.