Psalm 119:71 It was good for me to be afflicted
    so that I might learn your decrees.

At first glance, this verse might seem to be downright masochistic, particularly in the Japanese translation, but that’s not it at all. It’s all a matter of priorities. The Psalmist places knowing and obeying God’s will above everything else, so anything he goes through that accomplishes that end is happiness for him. To be honest, I think very few people genuinely have that attitude! I personally would modify it a little bit, changing “know Your commandments” to “knowing You.” Knowing God is indeed the highest good, because I can’t imagine genuinely knowing Him without loving and obeying Him. There was a song in my youth that said, “To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him, and I do.” That was of course talking about romantic love, but when applied to God, it is spot on. The thing is, knowing God is not the same thing as knowing about God. Far too many people know facts about God without ever entering into a personal relationship with Him. It is when we welcome Him into our heart, our soul, as Lord that He reveals Himself to us in all His grace and love and magnificence, and that is absolutely captivating. Nothing on this earth can compare to that!

I was a textbook case of someone who knew a lot about God, all the while having only a very shallow relationship with Him. It was only through some very painful confrontations with my own fallenness that I really came to know Him, so in that sense I can really identify with this verse. At this point in my life, I certainly agree with the song that says, “The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.” At this point, I want everyone to know what a perfect Father He is, desiring the very best for us but not spoiling us. After all, since He couldn’t just excuse sin, being absolutely pure and holy Himself, He sent His Son to die for us, taking the penalty for our sin on Himself. That fact is widely known, but until we apply it to our own personal sin, it doesn’t sink in. I want others to know God as I do, and at the same time, I want to know Him more and more deeply, to be more and more obedient to Him, for His pleasure and glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the privilege of sharing the good news of Your love and grace with others. I pray that I would do that more and more effectively, so that more and more people would repent of their sins, repent of turning their backs on You, and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!