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"My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times."

~ Psalm 119:20

 

With what is your soul consumed?  In what does your heart delight?

This section of Psalm 119 begins with a request for the LORD to deal bountifully with his servant.  For those who are servants of the LORD, we know that this is a request that the LORD loves to grant, is more than capable of granting, and does indeed grant.  As servants of the LORD, we are to be faithful servants.  We would be very foolish servants to think we could be lazy and unfaithful and expect bounteous dealings from the LORD.

The servant of the LORD who wrote this psalm declares that his “soul is consumed with longing for [God’s] rules at all times” (v.20), and that the LORD’s “testimonies are [his] delight; they are [his] counselors.” (v.24).  This servant of the LORD is rightly standing on and pursuing the Word of God (v.17) in all its laws (v.18), commandments (v.19), rules (v.20), testimonies (v.22), and statutes (v.23). 

He is both experiencing and requesting bounteous dealings from the LORD.  His motivations are not selfish, but yet he could not be doing anything ‘more better’ for himself than this.  His motivation in requesting that the LORD deal bountifully with him is so that he can continue to “live and keep your word.” (v.17), “behold wondrous things out of your law.” (v.18), “meditate on your statutes.” (v.23)! 

Our greatest good comes when God is most glorified.  God is most glorified when our souls are consumed by his Word and our hearts delight in the counsel of his truth.  May we be “all in” on bringing the greatest glory to God by keeping his Word (v.17), not wandering from his commands (v.21), and meditating on his statutes (v.23).

Will you pray with me for God to “open [our] eyes” (v.18) to all the wonders of his Word?