As I sit here this morning I'm enjoying coffee and a muffin. This is my habit as I meditate and then blog; so, if you see a crumb here and there.... :)
But, oh, not just any coffee or any muffin! For the coffee, I make a half-and-half blend of Teechino (a decaf herbal coffee) and dark roast. Then, for the muffin, I grind my own wheat, so that it retains all the nutrients and none of the GMOs or artificial ingredients found on grocery shelves. Today's contains the home-grown blueberries from my mother's prolific bushes. Home cooking at its best!
Therefore, I was bemused at a phrase in today's passage from Psalm 119:97-104. (The Message)
Oh, how I love all you’ve revealed;
I reverently ponder it all the day long.
Your commands give me an edge on my enemies;
they never become obsolete.
I’ve even become smarter than my teachers
since I’ve pondered and absorbed your counsel.
I’ve become wiser than the wise old sages
simply by doing what you tell me.
I watch my step, avoiding the ditches and ruts of evil
so I can spend all my time keeping your Word.
I never make detours from the route you laid out;
you gave me such good directions.
Your words are so choice, so tasty;
I prefer them to the best home cooking.
With your instruction, I understand life;
that’s why I hate false propaganda.
For someone who loves to cook and loves even more to eat, that is a strong preference expressed there! The King James Version translates the underlined phrase as "sweeter than the honey from the honeycomb". That is God's "home-cooking", right? We've not yet figured out how to make honey on our own, I don't think.
This passage expresses the inherent health and goodness of studying God's Word. Like we feed our bodies physically each day, we are wise to also deliberately feed our spirits on the Word of God. Along with prayer, this is how we "seek Him".
What are the benefits of meditating on God's Word daily?
1. God reveals Himself to us. He shares His heart with us.
2. We receive power to triumph over our enemies. (Who are our enemies? The spiritual forces of Satan, who are committed to destroying us and who oppose us on a daily basis.)
3. God's precepts never become obsolete, outdated, irrelevant or insignificant, despite what scoffers say.
4. We become more and more wise if we obey that on which we meditate. You know, it's not enough to simply learn at the feet of God; action is required! Otherwise, as Paul says, it's similar to looking in a mirror, realizing that you look like "the wreck of the Hesperus" and then saying, "Oh well! La-ti-DA!"
The psalmist says that he watches his step, careful to avoid the ditches and ruts of evil. You know a ditch implies something that you accidentally fall into and then, as quickly as you can, you get out of; but, a rut is something you get into and remain in, to your detriment. Bad habits are ruts. Besetting sins are ruts.
The psalmist keeps to the path! He doesn't get distracted by the temptations flung his way by the enemy. He may say, "Look! A squirrel!" But, he doesn't chase it. God's directions are trustworthy; so, he follows them.
5. We are given the enlightenment to recognize and to hate false teaching, what the MSG calls "false propaganda" about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, when we consistently study God's word and absorb it into our very being. (vs. 104).
6. We are satisfied, spiritually, with this "good food". God's word equips us for the daily battle, and it satisfies better than the tastiest dessert.
I have a very busy day ahead, a high-stakes meeting, and then about 4 hours of teaching two classes - - all this seasoned with about 3 hours of travel. But, God, in His mercy equips me for today and every day. He has a hearty breakfast waiting for us every morning in His Word.
So, as the Italian mothers say, "Mangia! Mangia!"
Dear Lord, thank you for the best food ever! It's the spiritual food you give us each day through your Word and prayer. It is impossible to eat too much and do ourselves harm because it is the perfect spiritual food. Give us wisdom to apply it to our lives, Father. Sometimes, we spend too much time in one book or on one theme and we misapply what we read. That is because Satan can use anything, even twisting Your words, as he did when tempting the Savior (Luke 4:1-13) Jesus replied to him that the secret to sustenance was (to "eat") "every word that proceeds from the mouth of God". So, Lord, give us wisdom to apply Your precepts rightly. When we do, we will then walk...resplendent! Thank you for revealing Yourself to us, Father, through Your Holy Word and through Your Only-Begotten Word, Your Son, our Savior. It is in His name I pray, amen.
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