When we fall in love with someone it is natural to want to spend as much time as we can with that person. We want to get to know them more, learn all that we can about them. We want to find out what their interests are, what makes them happy. If we say we love someone, but never want to be around them and don’t know much about them at all, then it is doubtful that we really do love them. That makes no sense at all. This holds true, not only in our relationships with other people, but also in our relationship with God, as we will see in our Psalm for this week.
This short psalm by an unknown writer, gives praise to Yahweh for all of His mighty works. There are two verses that I would like to briefly highlight, taking a closer look at them. The first is found in verse two where we read “The works of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them.” What are the “works of the Lord”, and how do we study them? The works of the Lord are all the wonderful, mighty, and righteous things He has done for us, our family, friends, the whole world. We see them in all of creation. We see them in all He has provided for our needs each and every day (vs. 5). The most important work of the Lord is His redemption of us, bringing salvation to mankind by sending His Son, Jesus Christ to die for us (vs. 9).
The psalmist urges us to study the works of the Lord. When we study for classes we take in school we spend time reading the textbook. We go over the chapters carefully as the class progresses, taking notes of important items. We attend the classroom lectures and discussions, paying close attention. We also might get together with other students to discuss the lessons and study together. If this is a class and subject that we are really interested in, then the time and attention we spend is a pleasure and not a chore or drudgery. We want to learn as much as we can. As believers we claim to love the Lord. If that is true, we should want to spend time reading and studying the Bible, our “textbook”. We should desire to hear the preaching and teaching from men and women of God who bring messages from God’s Word. We should also want to get together with other believers and share together what we have learned, just like students in school do.
The second verse in this psalm that I would like to take a closer look at is found in verse ten. The general consensus of most people would be that they would want wisdom in their life. Nobody wants to go through life making unwise decisions and actions. Wisdom is not just intellectual knowledge. It comes from showing good judgment and the application of experience. As believers we need to seek God’s wisdom, and not that of the world. True, godly wisdom includes spiritual discernment and the reverence and knowledge of God. Real wisdom is shown in having a right relationship with God. The wisdom of this world is opposed to God (I Corinthians 1:18-25; James 3:13-18). Jesus is the source of all wisdom. Without Him we cannot make wise decisions.
God’s Word here tells us that the only way to become truly wise is to fear God, to show Him proper reverence and respect. This is a problem that I see so much of today, and not just with the unsaved and blasphemers. Too many Christians today, and far too many worship services, show a very casual and almost careless approach to the Lord God. Yes, Jesus is our Friend, but we must never forget that He is also the God of the whole universe, and we must show Him proper, due respect and reverence.
There are two kinds of fear. Bad fear is based on false values and unnecessary worry. Good fear is based on reasonable understanding of danger, power, circumstances and consequences. Bad fear prevents us from going about our day with our usual activities, for fear of something happening. Good fear will prevent us from going down a dark alley where muggings often occur. There is healthy and unhealthy fear with our relationship with God. Healthy fear is proper reverence and respect for Him. Unhealthy fear is being afraid that He will turn away from us and abandon us.
In closing, we see in this psalm the importance for Christians to study God’s Word, the Bible, which will bring more understanding and godly wisdom. The Bible is more than just a book to provide tips to have a better life. It will show us how to live a Christ-honoring life. It shows us how to be rescued from sin and eternal separation from God. As those who say we love God, let’s be sure to study His Word, give Him proper fear, and seek to obtain His wisdom.
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