Psalm 119 Vs 97-104

Mem

A Bible Devotion from Psalm 119 Vs 97-104

Sweeter Than Honey To My Mouth

97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.

98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.

99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.

100 I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.

101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word.

102 I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me.

103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Psalm 119 Mem - Verses 97-104, NKJV

This section from Psalm 119 is all about passion; passion for the Word of God. In these eight verses the Psalmist give us three reasons for the love he has for God's Law: he is wiser, he is kept from sin, and the Word is sweeter than honey to his mouth.

Psalm 119 Vs 97-104
He is Wiser

I love this first point; it is one that is almost totally ignored by the world at large. To be recognized as a wise person, one must have the educational background to prove it: If you have no letters behind your name, you are not wise. I'm not opposed to education; I have two girls in college and a son who is working on his Ph.D. They are gaining knowledge, but that doesn't mean that they are gaining wisdom and understanding! The Psalmist makes it clear that wisdom and understanding are the results of reading and obeying the Bible.

Psalm 119 Vs 97-104
He is Kept from Sin

We are a paltry lot! We try hard not to sin, and it seems like we sin all the more. Only by the grace of God through prayer and Bible reading do we see our desires and wickedness change. I've noticed that when I go through periods of neglecting my daily devotions and Bible reading, it's much easier to slip into sin, watch movies I shouldn't watch, read books I shouldn't read, etc. However, when my devotional life becomes more consistent, I become troubled about movies and books I had taken pleasure in before. I'm not trying to pick on movies and books, these are just two outward examples of sin creeping into our lives. Satan is quite creative; he is ready to slip into our life whenever the door begins to slip open.

Psalm 119 Vs 97-104
The Word is Sweeter than Honey to His Mouth

Thirdly, the Testimonies of the Lord are sweeter than honey. Ah! That's when you begin to see God working in your life - when you get excited about reading the Bible. You get up in the morning and can't wait for that special time with just you and the Lord. Sometimes, the longer we are a Christian, the more we trust in our own efforts to live a Godly life rather than continue to keep that personal relationship with the Lord fresh and open. That is why my goal in these devotionals is to keep us pointed to the Word and encouraged in our Christian walk. I try to keep them short so that everyone will have time to read the Word, think through it's application to us, and then spend time in prayer.

Pray that God will help you to be consistent in your devotional life, and that God will give you so much delight in the Word of God that it will be sweeter than honey to your mouth.

Next: Psalm 119 Vs 105-112 - The Joy of My Heart

More Devotions on the 119th Psalm Vs 97-104 from my blog, Daily Bible Devotions.

Thy Commandments, verses 97-100

Taught By God, verses 101-104