How do you approach God’s Word?  Are you putting in your time? Are you checking something off your to-do list? Are you doing it because you are “supposed” to read your Bible?

OR

Are you more like the Psalmist who said, Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law[i] I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.[ii] Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors. My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word![iii]
In a cursory review of Psalm 119’s 176 verses, there are 172 references to God’s law (26); testimonies (23); precepts (21); statutes (22); commandments (23); rules (17); word (28); and promise (12). Of the 176 verses only 10 of the verses do not have one of these words.  The entire Psalm is about loving God’s Word and the life-permeating impact it has in the writer’s life.
This Psalmist was not raking over the surface of God’s Word; he was plumbing the depths for every morsel of truth he could glean so he could follow and obey God with intimate love and delight. This psalmist was not satisfied with the superficial; he was gem-mining, digging deep for the diamonds.
That statement made in a church announcement gave me pause.  Will I be satisfied to rake the surface or am I willing to invest the effort to dig deep and find the rich blessings that await?
As you take a look at your life, which would characterize your approach to God’s Word?  Are you raking or digging?
Blessings, Diane
[i] Psalm 119:18
[ii] Psalm 119:15-16
[iii] Psalm 119:24-25
Diane Hunt serves part-time on the staff of America’s Keswick providing ministry support from her home in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.