your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors. [psalm 119:24]
we’ve talked quite a bit about delighting in the testimonies of the Lord. that to delight takes regular consumption, a soft and willing heart to submit, understanding that comes through the Holy Spirit. we will know our Maker and have life!
but then often times ,we leave that beautiful time in the presence of the Lord, face the challenges of life, and have no idea what to do. we go ask others for wisdom, we read a book for help, we post our woes on social media, hoping for sympathy and affirmation. sometimes we even see professionals to guide us. and we leave the wisdom of God in the closed book on the night stand.
the psalmist knows that the wisdom of God is infinite and unmatched. in timothy, we read that it is useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness. even in this very psalm we see that it is useful for
blessing [vs 1-3]
to have steadfast ways [vs 5]
to keep us from shame [vs 6]
to praise with purity [vs 7]
to keep our way pure [vs 9]
to keep us from sin [vs 11]
to keep us from idolizing money [vs 14]
to keep our eyes fixed on eternity [vs 19]
to take away scorn and contempt [vs 22]
to lessen the grasp of worldliness [vs 23]
to give us life! [vs 25]
to melt away sorrow [vs 28]
to put away false ways [vs 29]
to keep us from selfishness [vs 36]
to answer the taunts of our enemy [vs 42]
to give hope [vs 49]
to comfort in affliction [vs 50]
and that’s only in the first 50 verses! oh, what we would gain in life if our counselors were the testimonies of the Lord!
today, let’s pray to this end. God’s wisdom surpasses any wisdom of the world or of man in infinite ways. let’s ask for delight in his word that we might gain this wisdom. let’s ask for discernment when the world or man is giving us their wisdom, that we might know truth from untruth by the standard of truth, God’s word to us.
and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. [james 1:4-5]
~ arwen eastman