God's Word and what hinders me from delighting in it

And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love.

Psalm 119:47

As most people know, Psalm 119 is famous for the in-depth explanation of God’s word and how important it is in our lives. I once took about one month studying this Psalm and writing down all of the benefits and results of meditating on His word. It was a really cool thing to do. 

In Psalm 138 it talks about how God has magnified His word above His name. When God says something, He means it, and we should listen. His word is so so so important. It is something that we are taught from the moment we get saved. New believers are usually told 3 things to do once they get saved: read your bible daily, pray daily, and fellowship with God’s people regularly. Reading His word becomes something we just check off a list. But why? How did the Psalmist write 176 verses all referencing God’s word without running out of things to say? Because he loved His word. God’s word was his delight. 

I often wonder why it takes so much for me to get motivated to read His word some seasons and other seasons I have this excitement and hunger for His word. The issue isn't the book I'm going through. The issue isn’t with His word. It is with me. 

When I went back to Hawaii for my short visa trip, I attended the midweek service. My pastor was actually teaching out of Psalm 119 and he said something that hit me pretty hard. It was in reference to this verse. He said something along these lines, “It is hard to take pleasure and delight in His word when you find your pleasure in so much of the world and what it has to offer. Cut it off. Fall in love with the word of God.” Ouch. Yeah. The issue isn't His word, it’s me. When I am not crying out with the psalmist saying, “I love Your word!!! It is my delight!” it’s because I am finding too much pleasure in other things. And that just makes so much sense, doesn't it!?! If you are waking up not hungry for the word of God, it is because you have been finding temporary pleasure in other things and don't have an appetite for the things of the Lord. 

So what’s the answer? Cut off those things that bring you pleasure, the things that take away and distract from Him and His word. 

Now I’m not saying we are called to live miserable lives with no pleasure. No! The bible doesn’t teach that. Psalm 16:11 says, “You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” It is a life filled with pleasures that are eternal, not fleeting! How do I find these pleasures? His word is what guides me on this path of life that leads me to a life full of joy and pleasures. They are found in His hand. He opens His hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:16). I just memorized Psalm 103 which talks about just a few of the benefits we have in the Lord. He forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, satisfies and renews us; He has removed our sins far from us, He has been merciful, He rules over all. Bless the Lord! 

The only way to fall in love with His word is to find pleasure in Him first and let the things that this world has to offer grow dim in the light of His wonderful word. My desire is to not just seek Him first, but to seek Him only. I want to have an undivided heart that can say confidently that His word is my delight and that I truly do love His commands. It’s a beautiful cycle that I don’t want to get out of. The more I read His word, the more I love Him; the more I love Him, the more I long to hear His voice through His word.