Today’s Reading: Psalm 52 & 56
Why did David praise the word of the Lord?
What is it about God’s word that prompted his praise and
thankfulness? After all, David was in a deeply distressful period of
his life. He was at risk daily of being killed by king Saul and his
agents. He was living a life of scarcity and loneliness, hiding in caves and
mountains. There really wasn’t much to be thankful for at this point in his
life. Yet he takes time to give thanks for and to praise the word of God.
David, of course, did not have the full Bible we
enjoy today. But he praised the word of God. Perhaps he had some
fragments of the writings of Moses, or Joshua, or Samuel, or the priests of
Israel. We don’t really know for sure if David had any form of God’s written
word, but we know that he certainly had God’s word written upon his heart.
David had grown up as an Israelite boy, where he had been taught the Book of
the Law. As a child, David had “hidden God’s word” in his heart (see Psalm 119:11). But
more than that, God had spoken to David on numerous occasions through Samuel,
the Judge and Prophet of Israel and again as David inquired of the Lord, the
Lord spoke to him directly via the impressions of the Holy Spirit on his
heart. David certainly had God’s word, but why did he praise
it? What prompted his praise and thankfulness?
David praised the word of the Lord because he recognized its power in his life. He had come to know the word of God as something that was always with him and that he could always fall back on as a form of comfort, encouragement, conviction, guidance, and confidence. To him, it wasn’t just some empty “religious” words, but it was communication from the very heart of God. For this, David gave praise. In reality, praising the word of the Lord is praising the Lord of the word!
Spending time in God’s word does some pretty
amazing things! As you turn to His word, your anxiety and fear gives
way to peace ruling in your heart. Like David, you no longer fear what man can
do to you, because you recognize that God is on your side. Not only do you get
peace, but you get wisdom for life causing you to feel more confident to make decisions and act in God-honoring ways. The
word of God brings you to the place where God confides in you as His friend.
Oh, how God loves to speak to us through His Word! One of the most
awesome benefits to reading the Bible is that suddenly God really becomes real –
He’s not just “out there” somewhere, but He is tangibly showing up in your
life. Ultimately, the word of God has power to cause you to know
your faith and live out your faith. Instead of just remembering Bible stories
or things that others have said, the word really starts to come alive for you. For all of this, and
more, we should live in praise of God’s word.
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