Doxologist ContentPsalm 1: Part II
You’re Best Life Now? Not necessarily…
I find that there is still a strong desire in my heart to adopt the “bible promise book” mentality I spoke of in my introduction to this series. I want to hold onto the promise that “all that I do will prosper” above all the rest of the prohibitions and cautions of this opening prayer of the Psalms. But the psalmist will not let me. I have access to that blessing only to the extent that I delight in God’s word and keep it close in meditation. The great english preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon says it well:
“The law of the Lord is the daily bread of the true believer. And yet, in David’s day, how small was the volume of inspiration, for they had scarcely anything save the first five gooks of Moses! How much more, then, should we prize the whole written Word which is our privilege to have in all our houses! But, alas, what ill-treatment is given to this angel from heaven! …How few among us can lay claim to the benediction (blessing) of the text! Perhaps some of you can claim a sort of negative purity, because you do not walk in the way of the ungodly; but let me ask you - Is your delight in the law of God? Do you study God’s Word? Do you make it the man of your right hand - your best companion and hourly guide? If not, this blessing does not belong to you.” from the Treasury of David - Psalm 1.
I think this issue of delight is really the heart of the matter. Again I turn to Luther who really drives this home:
“There is a difference between meditating and thinking. To meditate is to think carefully, deeply, and diligently, and properly it means to muse in the heart… But one does not meditate on the law of the Lord unless his delight was first fixed in it. For what we want and love, on that we reflect inwardly and diligently… Therefore let delight be first sent into the heart as the root, and then meditation will come o fits own accord.” from Luther’s Works - Vol. 10 - Lectures on the Psalms
Delight is the true blessing
When the psalmist makes this an issue of delight he makes it an issue of the heart and of worship. This is where Jesus comes in. I would take Luther’s comments a small step further to say that unless we delight first and foremost in Jesus we will not delight in his word. The word is not God but reveals the glory of the Father seen in the face of Jesus Christ through the illumination of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3:18-4:6). Jesus is the only man who has ever, or will ever, fulfill the requirements of Psalm 1. He has never walked in the counsel of the wicked, stood with sinners or sat with scoffers. He delights in the law as the one who inspired it. John says he is literally the word in the flesh (Jn 1:1). And as such, he experiences the fullest blessing possible as an eternally fruitful, everlasting tree of truth and righteousness. To be in the truth of the word is to be in Christ. Apart from him there is no truth at all.
To say we must “delight” in God’s word changes everything. This requires much more than a regular “quiet time” or daily devotional reading of the scripture. These activities could be a part of it but to delight requires a change in heart that is only possible through the supernatural regeneration of the Holy Sprit. It means that we value, love, desire and take pleasure in the word. When this happens is becomes perfectly natural to meditate on that word day and night. It also follows that what we do in that state would prosper as our hearts are unified with Jesus.
In Conclusion
I think we have a tendency in matters like these to work from the outside in; to first ask, “what should I do?” before we ask, “who should I be?” We grab onto a ritual like daily bible reading when the psalmist is challenging us to a heart that delights in the word. I would challenge you to search your heart and ask the hard question of, “where do I truly delight?” Ask the Spirit to search your heart for anything you delight in before Jesus and His word. Ask the Spirit to show you how to walk away from those idols and to place a insatiable desire for His word in their place. This is the heart of Psalm 1, Psalms 2-150 and the whole of Scripture.
Heavenly Father… Open the eyes of my heart that I might truly see your glory revealed in Jesus by the Holy Spirit in the pages of Scripture. Reveal anything that opposes this and give me a deep delight in Your word. Grant that Jesus, as revealed in Your word, would be my deepest source of satisfaction, rest, comfort, pleasure and identity. Remind me that anything that prospers in my life ultimately comes from You. It is for Your glory and my joy that I pray this… Amen.
Hey Matt. I love this article. Thanks for putting it out there for the encouragement and conviction of the believers. Keep it up.
Many of the themes remind me of John Piper’s teaching, as he has been doing a fantastic series on the Psalms right now too. But, it is so good to hear how the Spirit has been working in your heart in relation to the word too.
I am so looking forward to this series. As with most people, this is my favorite book and this is going to be a great study.
Although we are home for the summer, we are teaching in Saudi Arabia and came across the church’s website this past spring. Thank you so much for all the work that goes into this. It was so great to be able to listen to Christian messages while we were over there. It seems as if you have a great ministry. Thank you for the indepth sermons that you always give about Biblical truths.
Thanks Tim. I agree with you that it is Christ that we should first and foremost meditate upon. And we find out about Christ from the Word of God.
I remember a nominal Roman Catholic woman from a strong Irish Republican area in Belfast tell me how her life was changed when she found a little school edition Gideon New Testament, when she was tidying her son’s room. She read a chapter each day and was amazed at how Jesus dealt with the Pharisees, the sich and the different women.
In her words she said:Jesus came out of the pages and came to live in her house.She continued to read and read and her husband would laugh at her in front of her kids and say’There’s your ma reading her Bible again.’ She would laugh too but soon each of them came to a living faith in Christ.She still lives in that area and invites different ones to her house which she calls a ‘House of Prayer’ for Bible study,prayer and a cup of tea. She had become a fisher of men as Jesus had promised: ‘Come follow me and i will make you a fisher of Men.’