Psalm 119:97-104
MEM
97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.
101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word.
102 I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
It might seem like a chore for most of us (and, I’ll be the first to admit, it’s a chore for me as well) to take time out of our busy schedules to purposely meditate on the Word, or on Scripture. We can also see it as tedious, bothersome and even counterproductive for us to stay mindful of Scripture, while we are occupied with the tasks of the day.
One motivation I’ve seen these past weeks is that, well, our common enemy – Satan, the hater of our souls – is relentless in his assault against our minds, and our entire beings. I back this claim up with all the distractions we see online and around us, as well as all the lies we see and hear at every turn and moment. Somewhere in his book in the Bible, Daniel prophesies an ‘increase in knowledge’, and ever since we’ve had the internet, we’ve seen communication and data transferrals improved dramatically, and we’ve also seen quite the surge and spread of knowledge, to the ends of the earth. We’re getting more, and we’re getting it a whole lot faster than our grandparents, and even our parents ever did – and here’s a war we’re unknowingly participating in, day by day, no matter where we are: It’s a war of accurate knowledge versus falsehoods, lies, and half-truths, a conflict between integrity and personal intentions.
What are we to do in this war? How are we to respond, being involuntarily part of this very subtly violent conflict?
The Psalmist responds by meditating on the law, on God’s Word, all the day. And if I’m honest, if we have the time, we really should be doing this as well. However, we’re to give thanks to God and be at peace, at a calm and meditative state at all moments of our existence here. Why? Because, first, we have the Word of Life and the Living Word – Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God; He is with us, and we are with Him, His glory and grace and His presence integrated into all aspects of our being, and all instances of our existence (before, during and after our conception, as well as in our past, present and future). Christ is the Word and the Life to whom we not only have the opportunity to meditate upon, but He is whose PRESENCE we enjoy – more than mere knowledge of Him, we enjoy ALL of Him, as He more than meditates and thinks of us, but enjoys us as well.
To know that Christ is with us no matter what – that gives me peace in a world where we see, more often now than ever, people attempting to impose their will over others, and stepping on each other in order to be ahead. Christ’s presence is my peace, OUR peace – a Friend who sticks closer than a brother, no matter how bad actors all around us would attempt to steal from us, kill us, and destroy us.
And, did you catch that? The Psalmist appreciates the proximity of the Word and the law with him, as it is his source of wisdom. Here, because Christ has guaranteed our closeness to God, and God’s closeness to us, and because Christ has guaranteed an inseparable, always connected and close relationship with our Creator, we are sure to have the same wisdom superior to those around us.
There’s a revelation: In the presence of the Word, there is wisdom. However, because Christ is the Word whose presence is always with us, we always have the wisdom ahead of those who would call themselves our enemies…
..and even, apparently, the aged and elders, as well as our teachers and mentors. And this is not to outshine those whom we respect, but more really to testify of the superiority of the Word, and the absolute benefits of meditating on the Word – or, in our case, meditating on Christ and His finished work.
And actually, I need to mention this: The Psalmist meditates on the word, and keeps His precepts. In contrast, those of us in Christ know that the He is the One always thinking and meditating on us, and it is by His obedience to the commandment that we are always kept in His embrace. In other words, the Psalmist meditates on the word, but through Christ, the Word meditates on us.
And see, within this portion of Psalm 119 – we see more. Not only are we entrusted with superior wisdom as part of the Word’s presence and proximity to us, but I suppose it just naturally follows that we are kept in the ‘right way’, and our feet are directed away from ‘every evil way‘.
Indeed, friends, we have much reason to thank God; We have the Scripture from thousands of years ago, and we now have the Living Word, from forever to forever, ministering to us. Even in the presence of ridiculous amounts of lies, falsehoods, half-truths, distractions and outright overwhelming amounts of data, we can and are still – For in His presence, friends, we have wisdom beyond our years… and we have guidance, as only the Holy Spirit would pour out upon us.
Really, it helps to know that Christ is with us at every turn, and no matter what. It truly ministers to my heart and mind, when I take time to do any of this – that is, to force my being to remember the goodness of God, and in so doing, transforming my entire being – By way of going through the Word, but also simultaneously writing about it, letting out the junk, and letting in more and more of that Truth that ministers to us.
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