Perhaps youve seen the TV ad in which a person answers the door and finds someone who hands over a check for an enormous amount of money. Then the amazed recipient begins shouting, dancing, jumping, and hugging everyone in sight. I won! Im rich! I cant believe it! My problems are solved! Striking it rich evokes a great emotional response.
In Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, we find this remarkable statement: I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches (v. 14). What a comparison! Obeying Gods instructions for living can be just as exhilarating as receiving a fortune! Verse 16 repeats this refrain as the psalmist expresses grateful gladness for the Lords commands. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
But what if we dont feel that way? How can delighting in Gods instructions for living be just as exhilarating as receiving a fortune? It all begins with gratitude, which is both an attitude and a choice. We pay attention to what we value, so we begin by expressing our gratitude for those gifts of God that nourish our souls. We ask Him to open our eyes to see the storehouse of wisdom, knowledge, and peace He has given us in His Word.
As our love for Jesus grows each day, we indeed strike it rich!
Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible. Although the author is not named, most scholars say David composed it because the psalm sounds Davidic in tone and expression and is consistent with Davids experiences. The focus of its 176 verses is God and His Word. God is mentioned in every verse, while the entire psalm celebrates the Scriptures and speaks of their priority and sufficiency in the daily life of the believer, using a wide variety of words to capture the different dimensions of Gods Word in our lives. Scripture is described as law (vv. 1, 7), statutes (vv. 2, 14), ways (vv. 3, 15), precepts (vv. 4, 15), decrees (vv. 5, 8, 12, 16), commandments (vv. 6, 10), and word (vv. 9, 11, 16).