As a Further Matter!

Psalm 19:11 – Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.

For the past several posts I have been blogging from Psalm 19, writing about the different terms used to identify the word and what it does in our lives. Today, at least for the moment, I will conclude my blogs on this topic.

First of all, David started this verse with the word “moreover”. Moreover is used to convey the thought, “as a further matter, or besides”. David has been sharing with us in this psalm the purpose of the word of God. First he gives us a noun (testimonies), then he gives us an adjective (sure), and then he shares the action or verb pertaining to the noun (making wise); a pattern he uses six times to convey to us the importance, the blessings of the word. And now he revisits this theme by stating, “moreover”.

In other words, besides all of what I have shared with you in regards to God’s word, there is still yet to be said. Or as a further matter, in case you have not yet been convinced, I have something I want to add. Besides all of what I have already told you about the word, I want you to know that the Lord’s servant is warned by His word.

The word not only warns us about sin and how to avoid it, but it warns us that we have a real adversary and how he operates and what his agenda is in this earth’s realm. The word warns us against the futility of living in the flesh. The word warns us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood. The word warns us against false prophets and teachers. The word warns us against loving money. The word warns us of the pitfalls of life that we need to avoid. The word warns us of what a life spent without Jesus means for our eternity. And the list can go on.

But the psalmist also tells us that the same word, if we keep it, it has great rewards. I was just talking with a sister in the Lord and we were saying how grateful we are that we did it God’s way, in regards to marriage. Both of us have been married for over 30 years and we were rejoicing in the joys of having a blessed marriage and family. But we understood and know that it was because we kept the word of God and what it had to say about the sanctity of marriage, the way we were to raise our children, the way were to submit to our husbands and to respect him, the way we were to not go to bed in anger… Sometimes people say things to me like, “You are so lucky!” Well, I can assure you that luck has absolutely nothing to do with my life. But making the choice to live by the word of God and to honor Him has been the best decision I could’ve made.

The blessing of having a relationship with Jesus, the blessing of knowing that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, the blessing of going to bed at night with peace in my heart, the blessing of meeting old friends and having no guilt or shame, the blessing of seeing our children blessed, the blessing of knowing that my life is pleasing to the Father, etc. I give absolutely no credit to luck, and all the glory to the One whose Word I have chosen to keep. I’m not a perfect Christian. Far from it on some days. But I decided a long time ago to obey God’s word and adhere to His warnings.

I will close with this: I have seen and heard of men and women of God who didn’t end as well as they began. One day I asked the Lord about this and He said, “The devil is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour, don’t be one he can devour.” And from that day to this I have endeavored to live life in such a way that I give no place to devil.

You see, some people want to live their lives in such a way that it is as if they are trying to see how close to the world they can get without being burnt, or without fully committing to the world. But what is needed is a greater commitment to see how close to Jesus we can get, how much of His word can we get, how much of His love can we embrace so that we will look more like Him! And to leave the world alone with all of it’s headaches.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s okay to have a head knowledge of the word, or even to be selective of the word you choose to obey. There is nothing in this world more precious than Him, than His word. He warns us in it, so that we can discover the blessings in it. I am really thankful for this psalm. I have memorized this passage and I meditate on it regularly. I want the word to have a greater place of honor in my life and when I see myself straying from it, I rush right back to it. What ever term you use, the word of the Lord, the judgments of the Lord, etc…just read it, value it, obey it and let it bless you! Wonderful Jesus!