DIVE IN HIS WORDS

January 12

Psalms 119:16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Soon after the giving of the Torah at Mt Sinai, a man was put to death by the congregation because he was gathering sticks to make a fire. He had apparently ‘forgot’ the law that forbade him to make a fire during the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36). To help the children of Israel to remember His statutes, the Lord instituted that they should wear four fringes laced with a thread of blue on each of the four sides of their garments. The thread of blue is supposed to remind them the Commandments of the Word (Numbers 15:37-40).

Thanks to Jesus who shed His blood as atonement for our sins, we have been restored into the presence of God. The Holy Spirit within us has the Word of Commandment engraved upon our hearts instead of upon stones. Jesus also promised that the Holy Spirit will ‘remind us’ of all things (John 14:26). In essence, we should not have a problem ‘forgetting’ the Word any more right? But is reality so?

Many of us seem to be afflicted with “selective memory”. The things we like and care for, we tend to remember easily; while the things we like less and don’t care so much for, we seem to ‘forget’. Regularly delighting in the Word, daily diving in its unsearchable depths, is the key to heal a ‘poor memory’.

The Word is like a vast sea. Staying near the shore, we can be amused for a while wading in the waves or even venturing out swimming a little further. But if we are to discover the treasures of darkness (Isaiah 45:3), we must lose sight of the shore, dive in and put ourselves at the mercies of God. Only then can we enjoy a lifetime of adventure and discovery while studying the Word.

May God help us to venture out by faith and discover the delights of His Word. May we be blessed with unforgettable experiences that will draw us back for more.

Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.