Deeper devotion, deeper love

This week at church, our pastor challenged us to commit ourselves to gaining a deeper understanding of and a deeper love for the Word of God. He reminded us that the only way to accomplish both of these spiritual goals is to pour ourselves into the Bible daily and allow the Word of God to pour itself into our hearts and minds daily.

Psalm 119:97-104 (NKJV)
Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.
I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
I have not departed from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me.
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.

Daily reading of scripture and daily meditation on scripture is something with which I struggle. I find myself distracted by a variety of things, even good things, that battle for my time and attention. But that is precisely why I must commit myself to reading and meditating on the Word of God daily, because of the many things that compete for my time and attention.

So how can I face those things and determine which should be priorities in my life and which should be pushed aside? I cannot, unless I have studied them under the microscope of the Word of God. My prayer and my commitment must be that of the author of Psalm 119, who devoted his life to meditating on the Word of God, hiding God's word in his heart and letting it pour out of his life daily.

Psalm 119:9-16 (NKJV)
How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O LORD!
Teach me Your statutes.
With my lips I have declared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.