Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.

In the final analysis, loving God’s Word to be obedient to it is simply the smart thing to do. The rewards for such a lifestyle are obtainable no other way, and they are highly desirable. It would be impossible to count how many people are searching for, or at least greatly desirous of, inner peace. Many of the latter group have given up searching, because they don’t think they’ll ever find it. However, it’s not far from anyone, and it comes by faith. There are few places in the world today where the Bible is unavailable (except by govern­ment decree). God who caused the Bible to be written is the source of all true peace, order, satisfaction, and everything else that’s good, and He is never more than a prayer away. However, access to Him is by faith and obedience, and there are many who balk at one or the other of those. Actually, many who say they are balking at faith are actually balking at obedience, because they realize that one will lead to the other. It is clear from the whole of Psalm 119 that the Psalmist does not separate love for God’s Word from obedience to it, and that’s why so many people decline the “abundant peace” that this verse talks about. As an added benefit, those who love God’s Word enough to be obedient to it have clear guidance, and so don’t run into things that make them stumble. This sort of guidance isn’t on the level of finding a street address, but rather in the matter of life choices, and it is truly priceless.

One of our church members several years ago, a recovering alcohol-ic, made a remark in a Bible study we were doing that moved me to tears. He said, “You’re addicted to the Bible. I know, because I’ve experienced addiction.” He wasn’t being critical! My tears were tears of gratitude, because that is very much how I want to be. Among various others in the Bible, I would certainly consider the writer of Psalm 119 to be a role model. I desire to impart love for God and His Word to all, and it pains me that so few really seem to get it. Even some whose salvation I don’t doubt can’t seem to “get into the groove” of taking in the Word, feeding on it, digesting it, and apply­ing it. I’ve got to accept that I can’t force that on anyone, but I am to make it clear that it’s available, and that the rewards are more than abundant.

Father, thank You for Your great love that caused You to make Your Word available to us. You even made Your Word flesh, to be born on earth as a human baby and die for our sins, to make eternal life available to us. (John 1:14; 3:16) Help me be an effective commun-icator of Your Word, both the written and the Lord we meet on those pages, so that many may receive and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!