Delight in God's Word

“If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction” (Psalm 119:92)

I am constantly amazed at the things people reach for when their world crashes in on them, when affliction comes through no fault of their own or otherwise. Sadly, all too often I see people reach for the wrong things. Now don’t get me wrong, there is indeed a place for many of the things people reach for, but in most instances such things bring surface and temporary relief. That’s certainly the lesson the psalmist learned.

As I’ve meditated on this verse over the past week, I’ve come to see that the exact words the psalmist used are instructive. Let me show you what I mean. There are three key words in the verse; delight, perished and affliction. Each is important.

The word “delight” means to take pleasure in; the word “perished” means to vanish or to be exterminated; and finally, the word “affliction” means misery. In total, the psalmist is saying that if it were not for taking delight and pleasure in the word of God during his season of misery, he would have vanished or been exterminated. He’s not referring to a literal extermination, but rather an extermination of his spirit in the midst of misery. Unless I’m wrong, some of us have been very close to such extermination. Am I right?

I am privileged to sit with you each week as you share your stories of “affliction.” God has graciously put me in such a position and I take it very seriously. Yet can I tell you that, in many instances, by the time you share your situation with me, you have explored other sources of relief, often at the expense of taking your delight in the word of God.

Here’s what I’ve learned in my own life. There is no substitute for the unchanging word of God to comfort, direct, calm, encourage, sooth and settle down my heart in the midst of affliction. There have been times when reading and memorizing a verse that I’ve come to believe that the passage was written specifically for me and my situation (which of course is true -- true for you as well). The psalmist learned that there was no substitute for the word of God in the midst of affliction. How does that apply to you?

Let me encourage you to do something this week. Be intentional about asking God to show you specific passages that speak to your specific situation. If the Holy Spirit does anything well, he brings us comfort through the word of God. The psalmist survived his affliction. You will as well as the law of God becomes your delight!