The Book of Psalms (30-Day Journey)ਨਮੂਨਾ

A Love for His Word

As we went over in yesterday's devotional, one of the most powerful themes in Psalm 119 is the psalmist’s deep and personal love for the Word of God. He doesn’t say, “I used to love Your law,” or, “One day I will love it.” Instead, he speaks in the present: “Oh, how I love Your law!” (Psalm 119:97 NIV) His words are personal and current. He doesn’t speak for others or lay down expectations—they are the sincere confessions of someone who treasures God’s Word with all his heart.

This kind of love isn’t superficial. A nominal or cultural Christian may read, understand, or even outwardly obey Scripture. But only the believer whose mind is being renewed by the Spirit truly loves God’s Word—and lives as though they cannot live without it. For the casual reader, Scripture might serve to quiet the conscience. But for the true believer, it is nourishment and medicine, guidance and comfort—life itself.

A troubling issue in the Church today is the tendency to treat Scripture as optional or customizable. Some professing Christians pick and choose which parts of the Bible to believe or obey, or they reinterpret it to fit personal preferences—twisting God’s words into something more palatable and digestible. Even among pastors and teachers, there can be a begrudging tone when discussing obedience, as though it’s a burden rather than a blessing. Obedience taught from obligation alone may produce duty and obligation, but it won’t kindle a love of obedience. What we need—what Scripture calls us to—is not reluctant compliance but joyful delight in God's Word. Obedience must spring from a heart that sees God’s commands as a gift, not a burden.

Charles Spurgeon spoke powerfully on this point: “You cannot bend the Bible to your mind; how much better it would be for you to bend your mind to the Bible, and to say, ‘Oh, how I love Thy law—the doctrines of it, the precepts of it, the promises of it, the ordinances it enjoins upon me, the warnings it sets before me, the exhortations it gives me!’ Love the whole Bible—from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation—and be prepared even to die rather than to give up half a verse of it.”

And again, he urges: “Let your Bibles be everything to you. Carry this matchless treasure with you continually, and read it, and read it, and read it again and again. Let its narratives mingle with your dreams; let its precepts color your life; let its promises cheer your darkness. As you love God, love this Book—which is the Book of God, and the God of books.”

If we desire to love God’s Word more, that love can be cultivated. True love may not be manufactured on demand, but it can be nurtured. How? Give it your time. Keep it before you constantly. Give it your attention. Don’t just read—listen. Give it your honor. Treat it with reverence. Give it your obedience. Live what you read. Give it your appreciation. Be thankful for the good it has brought into your life. Give it your trust. Depend on it in all seasons. Give it your praise. Speak highly of it to others.

Scripture also gives us many sound reasons why we should love the word of God:

It is the Word of the Lord (Genesis 15:1)
The Word of God (Luke 8:11)
The Word of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:19)
The Word of Salvation (Acts 13:26)
The Word of Grace (Acts 14:3)
The Word of the Gospel (Acts 15:7)
The Word of Faith (Romans 10:8)
The Word of the Cross (1 Corinthians 1:18)
The Word of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19)
The Word of Truth (2 Corinthians 6:7)
The Word of Life (Philippians 2:16)
The Word of Christ (Colossians 3:16)
The Word of His Power (Hebrews 1:3)

And in Psalm 119:105 (NIV), it says: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Simply put, we should love the Bible because it helps us walk the way God desires us to walk. And how should Christians walk?

1. Worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1,)
2. Uprightly (Isaiah 57:2), In the light (1 John 1:7),
3. Humbly (Micah 6:8)

None of this is possible without the Word of God lighting our way. And that, above all, is a powerful reason to love it.