“The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.”
(Psalm 119:72)
No one naturally delights in God or His Word. Instead we follow the ways of the world and seek out our selfish desires (Eph. 2:1–3) because we are all born dead in original sin. But when God’s Spirit opens our eyes to the light of the glorious gospel of God and by faith we embrace Christ as Savior and Lord, our appetites change. Like newborn babies, we begin desiring the milk of the Word that is essential for spiritual growth and maturity.
As we develop a taste for God’s Word (Ps. 34:8), we soon grow to love His Law (Ps. 119:97) which becomes our spiritual nourishment for life. That is why Christianity should never be reduced to a list of requirements, regimens, and commands… for this is nothing but the letter without the spirit. Such religion is lifeless; it is works without faith (James 2:26), which is “dead.”
And this is why one who presumes to serve God grudgingly does not serve Him at all. Cain brought his offering to God with a reluctant spirit—dutifully, yes, but not delightfully. Thomas Watson said, “Cain brought his offering, but did not bring himself. What Seneca says of a gift, I may say of a sacrifice: it is not gold and silver that makes a gift, but a willing mind. If this is lacking, the gold is only parted with, not given. So, it is not prayer and hearing that makes a sacrifice, but a willing mind. Cain’s was not an offering, but a tax; not worship, but penance.”
God’s Word is alive and active and effective and powerful because it is infused by the Spirit of God (Heb. 4:12; John 6:63). It is Spirit-breathed and spiritually discerned, and those whom God has redeemed hunger for it, for it is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey (Ps. 19:7–10). Which is why the soul that looks into it, perceiving its justice, mercy, truth, and holiness, cannot help but delight in it.
Jeremiah testified to this same truth when he said, “Your words were found, and I did eat them; and your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” (Jer. 15:16). The believer’s heart resonates with God’s Word. And though we may sometimes drift into spiritual apathy, God’s Spirit draws us back again to the joy of His truth, the beauty of His statutes, and the sweetness of His gospel.
The Word of God is not only the guide for our obedience, but the source of our joy, peace, and hope. It confronts our sin and comforts our soul. It humbles us and lifts us up. It wounds us that it might heal. And the one who delights in this Word is truly blessed.[1] For when the believer treasures God’s Word above all riches, when he hides it in his heart, when he meditates on it day and night, he shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water, fruitful in every season (Ps. 1:1–3).
Contemplation:
- Examining My Delight. Help me carefully examine my love for Your Word, Lord. Do I desire it with a willing mind? Do I open it joyfully? Your Word is living and full of light, and yet my heart can grow dull. Awaken in me again a desire not just to read but to hear You speak. Let me not bring a Cain-like offering of begrudging religion but make my mind eager, my heart soft, and my will ready to obey.
- Valuing the Word Above All. Do I love Your Word above all riches and cherish it as my greatest treasure? “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches” (Ps. 119:14). “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver” (Ps. 119:72). “Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage forever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart” (Ps. 119:111). Lord, let these verses be more than beautiful phrases. Let them be the true state of my heart, day by day, hour by hour.
- Receiving the Word as Comfort. Do I see Your Word as my chief comfort in affliction? Is it truly the balm I reach for when I’m wounded? When I read it, do I hear it as the voice of God and not the voice of men? (1 Thess. 2:13). I want to hide it in my heart that I might not sin against You (Ps. 119:11). Make it my delight in trial, my refuge in pain, my anchor in the storm. Let Your promises be the lifeline I cling to when all other supports fail.
- Stability Through Scripture. Is the Word of God my sure foundation when everything else is shifting? When I am tossed by temptation, is Scripture my anchor? When I feel discouraged, do I run to Your truth for strength? Make me one who lives not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from Your mouth. Let my mind be renewed daily by Your Word. Let me walk in its light, think in its wisdom, and speak from its fullness. Keep me from neglect and lead me into deeper love for You through every page.
Prayer
O God of all wisdom and truth, I bow before You in humble dependence, acknowledging that without Your Word I am lost. You are the God who speaks, and Your voice gives life. By Your Word, You created all things. By Your Word, You uphold all things. And by Your Word, You save, sanctify, and satisfy the souls of Your people. I come to You now, asking for a deeper delight in Your Word, a more consistent hunger for its truth, and a richer experience of its power.
Lord, I confess that I am prone to wander. My affections are too easily drawn to the worthless things of this world. My time is too often consumed with noise and distraction. Forgive me for treating Your Word as optional, as common, as less than the treasure it is. You have given me a gift beyond price—Your holy Scriptures—and yet I often neglect it. Please give me grace to repent and to return to it with eager joy.
I ask for a willing heart… and one that is not only willing, but eager, cheerful, and submissive. Let me not read out of obligation but from love. Let me not study to gain knowledge but to know Christ more deeply. Let me not pray without listening, nor listen without obeying. May my relationship with Your Word reflect my relationship with You.
Teach me, Lord, to taste and see that You are good through the nourishment of Your Word. Let it feed me, correct me, guard me, heal me, strengthen me. Let it be my compass in confusion, my shield in temptation, my light in darkness, and my song in the night.
Bless me with increased desire and discipline to read, meditate, and live according to Your precepts. Let my life be shaped by the truth, my thoughts governed by Scripture, and my speech seasoned with its wisdom. Let it dwell in me richly, overflowing into a life of obedience and worship.
I ask that by Your Spirit You would make the Word effectual to my sanctification. Conform me to the image of Christ by the means You have appointed. Do not let me sit under it in vain. Let the seed take deep root and bear fruit in abundance.
I love You, Lord, and I want to love You more. Let Your Word be my delight. Let Christ, the Living Word, be more precious to me than all riches. And let my daily communion with You through Scripture strengthen my soul until I see You face to face.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further References for Psalm 119:72
Ps. 119:127, 19:10, Prov. 8:10; Ps. 119:14, 97, 103.
[1] “Infidelity is Loving or delighting in any thing above God, his word and ordinances, or preferring them before God and his favor, as— 1. Parents, children, or friend, as Eli. 2. Pleasures, as Esau. 3. Pomp and wealth of the world, as the young man coming to Christ. 4. Ourselves, whereunto Peter persuaded our Savior. Mat. 16:22.” John Brinsley, The True Watch (At London: G. Eld, for Samuel Macham and Mat. Cooke and are to be sold at the Tigers head in Pauls Church yard, 1606), 21–22.
