I came across a scripture last evening that captured my heart. I am sure I have read it many times before, but today, it arrested my thoughts.
Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life. Psalm 119:92-93
The Amplified says verse 93 like this; I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have revived me and given me life.
I love that! The word of God is alive and full of power. It has the power within itself to revive us…to literally give us life.
As I dug through the Strong’s Concordance for the meaning of delight, I found the root word of delight means freedom from trouble and to cry aloud. However, to delight yourself in the word simply means to take pleasure in reading and obeying the word of God. To find pleasure in declaring it aloud.
Websters 1828 Dictionary defines delight as; A high degree of pleasure, or satisfaction of mind; joy.
It also says…DELIGHT is a more permanent pleasure than joy, and not dependent on sudden excitement.
God’s joy that comes from delighting ourselves in His word is not dependent on anything going on around us. It is entirely dependent on the power and the life that is released in the word of God as we meditate on it.
Now, let’s look back at the scripture; Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life.
This writer is describing a time of affliction. A time of battle. It was at that precise moment he took pleasure in God’s word. He says if he had not taken delight in God’s word, the battle would have been too much for him. He would have perished. However, because he stayed in God’s word and obeyed his commands, life was imparted to him.
He was infused with life by one thing; the word of the Living God!
We all go through battles. Most of us go through things we don’t think we can make it through. Things that feel like it is draining the life right out of us. The good news is this, the word of God is full of power and it will breath life back into us. It will revive us and give us new life. No matter what we are walking through.
A precious friend comes to mind as I am writing this. She is one of our partners who lost her Mom last year. We had a couple late night prayer times. She was heartbroken. It all seemed to happen so quickly. Yet, she hung on to God and His word. She continues to hang onto Him, and I know He is bringing her out into a place of pure joy. Joy unspeakable and full of glory. This only comes from Him. It can only come from His word.
This joy is not dependent on anything going on around us – it comes entirely from the life that is found one place. In the word of God.
What are you walking through today my friend? Are you feeling like you have no hope? Does it feel as if all life is drained from you? If so, are you delighting yourself in the word of God? If not, you should. There is life there. There is a reviving there. There is joy to be found there, in His word. His word…is our lifeline. Delight in it!
Meditate on this:
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
