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I love how David communicates his love for the influential power of Scripture over his everyday life. Read these words from the acrostic Psalm 119 (verses 97–104, Mem) and fall in love with how in love David is with his Bible!
Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.
I hold back my feet from every evil way,
in order to keep your word.
I do not turn aside from your rules,
for you have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
If you genuinely believe that the Bible is the Word of God, preserved by God for you, wouldn't it be the most valuable, esteemed, treasured, and well-used possession in your life? Would you not love the moments when you could sit with it, read it carefully, study its content, and meditate on its implications?
Wouldn't that quiet time, when you separate yourself from other people and other responsibilities, and it is just you, your Lord, and his Word, be your favorite part of your day? Wouldn't you treasure the teachers and preachers whom God has raised up to walk you through his Word?
Wouldn't you commit yourself to be an avid reader and a lifelong student of the Word of God? Wouldn't you work to be sure that you have understood and interpreted it correctly? Wouldn't you want to apply it to every area of your life?
Wouldn't you want to make sure that everything you desire, think, say, and do was influenced by the Word and not by the world, its philosophies and values, and all the voices of influence that are sent your way from clickbait news articles, celebrity gossip, mean tweets, Instagram reels, or the latest viral memes?
If the Bible that we have in our houses and can hold in our hands is the Word of God, shouldn't what I have described above be true of all of us? But sadly, it isn't. Many of us do not spend daily time in our Bibles. Many of us have a low level of biblical literacy and lack clear theological understanding.
Many of us are not students of God's Word. Many of us are only fed from it for one hour each week as we gather together for worship. And many of us have voices of influence in our lives that are functionally more authoritative than Scripture.
Other than our salvation and his presence now living inside us as his children, our Bible is God's most precious and valuable gift to us. The question is: In our everyday lives, do we act as if it is?
Do you still find the joy in the study of God's Word that you once had? Is the Bible your most esteemed, sought-after, and influential teacher?
P.S. If you're a parent, grandparent, teacher, youth ministry leader, or anyone with influence over the heart and life of a child, you will be very aware that our kids are constantly bombarded with voices of influence from culture, entertainment, and social media. How do we monitor these platforms and what our kids are exposed to, protecting their minds, eyes, and ears and, most importantly, influencing them with the Word of God?
Paul Tripp Ministries has a new free teaching series, Voices of Influence, that will help you navigate this age of technology and point our children to Christ. Visit PaulTripp.com/Voices to access the three-lesson series and study guide.
A Prayer for Today: Lord, would you give me a zeal to continuously seek your Word? Would you help to make me a student of the Bible in ways that don’t feel robotic or duty-driven, but fueled by passion for you and what you’ve communicated to me in Scripture? I’ll admit that I need you to help me desire you, so would you create a fresh desire in me to pursue your Word each day? Thank you for speaking to me through your holy, inspired Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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