Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2)

As we shared in the previous devotion, a happy or blessed man does not fill his heart and mind with the “wisdom” dispensed by the ungodly but instead meditates upon the instructions given to us by God, night and day. The happy man does not consider this to be a chore but actually finds delight in doing so, thus reminding us of another Psalm which says, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law (torah) is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). It is this idea that provokes us to meditate on the benefit and the need for God’s Word to be in our heart and not just in our mind.

Also recorded in the Psalms is the statement, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). The simple truth revealed here in the surface of the text also hints at another truth — if His Word is not in my heart, then it is more likely that I will sin against Him. In other words, it is one thing to know in our head what Scripture says but it is another to allow its message to penetrate our heart. I know that I should not eat junk food but sometimes my heart doesn’t get the message — and you know what that means. From beginning to end, God’s Word addresses the call given to us — Love God with all your heart first; then your mind and then your strength.

Here is the point: if God’s Word is truly in our heart and we delight to do His will, that which is in our heart will permeate our mind and soul. If His Word is in our heart and mind, then we are going to meditate upon it night and day. But the process doesn’t stop there because how we think and what we think on determines what we will do with our hands and feet — that is, our strength. So then, if we have hidden His Word in our heart and we continually meditate upon His instructions, then as a logical result we will do what His Word says. In short, this is how we are to pursue the command to love God with our heart, soul and strength. In the end we will truly be blessed.

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill 

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