How Sweet It Is!

                               

Psalms 19:1-14 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

I am a pretty simple person.  I am not what you would call a brain and I have always had to work hard for a passing grade in school.  Knowledge only came easy to me in one subject, gym.  I loved that 45 minute stretch of time when I could finally excel in something at school.  There wasn’t a sport or game that I would shy away from and give my all to win, whether it was kickball, volleyball, softball, basketball, doing the most sit ups or hanging from the bar the longest;  I wanted to come in first.  Even in Awana, I was the worst at Bible memorization, but the best at the Olympics.  My parents had boxes full of trophies, medals and certificates I had won over the years from catching the biggest fish to the President’s award for physical fitness.  If there was a physical competition, you could bet your bottom dollar I was involved and loved it.

Mom and Dad always warned me that one day sports wouldn’t be important anymore.  I didn’t believe them and thought they were old fuddy duddies who had lost their minds.  I went off to college and again struggled to pass out of bone head English but my volleyball team was the best.  I just couldn’t make the leap from play to study.  It just didn’t interest me at all - I liked physical strength, not mental - Until one day I got an English teacher that gave me an assignment that changed everything.  She wanted me to write a descriptive paragraph.  I was introduced to a new and wonderful best friend: words.  Mom and Dad were right, sports were no longer important.  Go figure.

I wore my library card out as I began delving into how people put words together and crafted a story for me to enjoy.  I would read something from every genre, and even if the book bored me I wanted to know how it would end so I would read away.  Along about the same time, I was challenged about my walk with God and reading the Book of all Books, the Bible.  Early in the morning I would make my way out by the lake and read and talk to God.  I love thinking back on those times watching the Canadian geese glide across the water and the way the sun would come out and greet me as if I was the only person in the world for whom it’s rays were shining. 

I have watched that same sun rise in it’s brilliance over the Adriatic Sea, set in flaming color on the Amazon River and play peek a boo through the clouds above the Alps.  I have stared longingly at the moon while lying in a hammock in the middle of the jungle and hunted constellations in the middle of the Caribbean.  I have studied the art of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, the smile of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris and stained glass windows in the old stately churches of England.  I have hiked up waterfalls and fished for piranha in hidden lakes while monkeys played in the trees above and pink dolphins swam around me.  I have watched rare birds high up in the mountains, called crocodiles from their hiding places, bungee jumped from great heights, and toured the canals of Venice in a gondola.  All of these marvelous things I have been blessed to see and do in my life have made me appreciate the world that my God created and the way He announces Himself no matter what the language, culture, or time of day or night.  My God proclaims Himself to be the most Mighty and Wonderful of all as He rages in a hurricane or delicately opens the petals of a lily.  Nature tells us where His footsteps have softly fallen through time and it truly is magnificent.  But   none of it compares to the moments when I open the Old Black Book and read God’s Words written as if just for me.  It never bores me and even though I know what is going to happen at the end, I still read it over and over again as if for the very first time.

David was establishing the very same thoughts in Psalms 19.  Here is a man who had observed life in the sheep pastures and welcomed the dewy morning knowing his flock had made it safely through the night. He had heard the thud of Goliath’s body when it hit the ground, and tasted victory all because of five little rocks he picked from a stream in faith that God would prevail. He had watched the sun set while hiding from Saul in the mouths of caves while listening to the water drops echoing in hollowness of something formed by the finger of God.  I think he watched and listened and took note of everything around him that showed him God was real and powerful, and after telling us how wonderful his life and experiences were, it paled at the doctrine of God’s Words.  He saw the perfection of what God was teaching him and how beautiful holiness really was. It was sweeter than the honey he was going to eat later that day.  It is almost like he is reaching through time encouraging us to read, really read, and feast on God’s Word.  And just think, he only had heard and read a small portion of what you and I have today.

Look, Mom has given us a practical plan for our Bible reading and walk with God, so let’s do it.  And David has told us about what God’s Word will do for us, so let’s put it to the test.  I believe we will find that It will bring us back to God when we wander.  It will show us the difference between folly and wisdom.  It will make our hearts rejoice.  It will lead us in the way we ought to be going.   And It will teach us right from wrong.  We don’t need to look any further or add to It.  God’s Word is perfect.  That means It is whole, entire and all that we need.  It is the very best way to really get to know Him better.  

If I could never write another word, I would end here telling you how sweet God’s Word is and how much I believe we should read it.

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sheri