Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. (Psa 119:165)
The Bible has been the book that has sold the most ever with over 5 billion copies since 1985! Why, one must wonder? This is the only book known to man that can change a person’s life perfectly! It is the only book that will let you find out where you can spend eternity. It’s a self-help book that actually makes permanent changes to one’s life! There is not one lie or any deceit in its pages. It is the only book that a person can read and walk away changed when it is added daily into one’s reading schedule.
With all that, let’s look at today’s verse. The structure of this verse is so wonderful when one takes a few minutes to meditate on it. In so doing, we receive a blessing beyond words. The Lord God tells us that we will receive abundant peace if we love His law (the Scriptures) and nothing will be a stumbling block or an enticement to us. Strong’s defines the word “offend” as:
H4383
מכשׁל מכשׁול
mikshôl mikshôl
mik-shole’, mik-shole’
Masculine from H3782; a stumblingblock, literally or figuratively (obstacle, enticement (specifically an idol), scruple): – caused to fall, offence, X [no-] thing offered, ruin, stumbling-block.
Have there been things in life which have been a stumbling block or an enticement to you? Are you quickly able to discern what should be done? The amount of spiritual discernment is equivalent to the amount of time spent in the Scriptures. The more you are in the word of God, the more you will be to deal with its ups and downs and avoid stumbling blocks and enticements.
It all boils down to what your priorities are. Do you spend ten minutes in the morning doing a devotional and call that your time with the Lord? How would you like to have only ten minues of time with your spouse or your children? Would that be enough? Of course not. How much time do you spend on the internet? Is it more than the time you spent with the Lord? I’ve been in this situation and so I speak from experience. So I ask you:
Do you spend time on the internet and neglect your husband?
Do you spend time on the internet and leave your children to the television?
Is your house a disaster while you are surfing?
If so, the internet has enticed you and has become a stumbling block. There is no peace in that. Instead, you work frantically to get caught up on your chores – you’re bushed when hubby comes home so he gets what’s left over of your personality – you rush to get dinner ready – your kids are hyper because they’ve been sitting in front of the TV or their phones for too long and you wonder why they are uncontrollable. Priorities – priorities – priorities.
How different your day would have been if you had reversed the roles and spent more time in the Scriptures, then your hubby, then your children, then your chores, and finally a few minutes for the internet, if any time is left. There is much to glean on the internet, however, it is a huge time waster.
So, how can we receive that abundant peace the Lord promises in Ps. 119:165? We must love His law. You cannot love what you have merely scanned over for a few minutes a day. Don’t believe me? Think of your favorite book – how many times have you read it over? You must have read it more than once because you say it is your favorite. However, do you love God’s word more?
Although we have repented and received Christ as our Saviour, it cannot end there. Ten minutes a day in His word won’t be enough to get you to the point where you “love God’s law”! Loving God’s law doesn’t come with hours of reading either. It needs application! Loving God’s law is obeying it; that’s application.
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. (1 Sam 15:22b)
You can read the Bible all day long but if you don’t obey it and apply it your life, your reading is in vain.
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. (Psa 119:165) The bottom line is if you obey it, God will give you abundant peace to the point where nothing will be a stumbling block or enticement to you. Nothing? That’s what this verse says. Nothing! However, you can only claim this if you love His law and obey it!
Are you being enticed today? Are there stumbling blocks in your life? The more you’re in the Bible, the more you will recognize them and you will do something about it! It’s a wonderful cure!
BLEST ARE THE UNDEFILED IN HEART
by Isaac Watts
Blest are the undefiled in heart,
Whose ways are right and clean;
Who never from Thy law depart,
But fly from every sin.
Blest are the men that keep Thy Word,
And practice Thy commands;
With their whole heart they seek the Lord,
And serve thee with their hands.
Great is their peace who love Thy law;
How firm their souls abide!
Nor can a bold temptation draw
Their steady feet aside.