Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Scripture that Sings: Psalm 119:100

"I understand more than the aged,
Because I have observed Your precepts" -Psalm 119:100

Or, as George MacDonald put it: obedience leads to understanding.

When I was a kid, Psalm 119 was this incomprehensible monolith to me. It was scripture, so I revered it, but I didn't get it, and just the idea of reading it through exhausted me.

But I've slowly come to love it. It's a love song to God's law, and the more I read it, the more of it comes alive to me, the more of it sings. It's like a rich mosaic: beautiful and wisely patterned when you take it in all at once and see the grand plan of praise, but also each individual part - every verse - is its own rich and polished jewel, shining and twinkling and reflecting back the light. It feels like the more I read it, the more verses light up for me.

And verse 100 is one of them. Here I read that the psalmist is wise because he observes the law. He learned wisdom through his obedient actions. This just rings so true to me. How many things have I learned by doing? Experience isn't everything, but no one will tell you that experiential knowledge isn't a different beast than theoretical.

Obedience to God's law enlightens. Amen!

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

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