Revered and Read

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law. Psalm 119 verse 18. Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our reading, titled Revered and Read, was written by Monica LaRose and read by Rochelle Traube. Psalm 119 verses 17 through 32. Remove from me their scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes. Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees. Your statutes are my delight.

They are my counselors. I am laid low in the dust. Preserve my life according to Your word. I gave an account of my ways and You answered me. Teach me Your decrees. Cause me to understand the way of Your precepts, that I may meditate on Your wonderful deeds.

My soul is weary with sorrow. Strengthen me according to Your word. Keep me from deceitful ways. Be gracious to me and teach me Your law. I have chosen the way of faithfulness. I have set my heart on Your laws. I hold fast to Your statutes, Lord. Do not let me be put to shame.

I run in the path of Your commands, for You have broadened my understanding. Revered and Read. Written by Monica LaRose. Our home has a well-stocked, overflowing bookshelf. I have a weakness for beautiful books, especially nice hardcovers, and over the years more and more have been added to the collection. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time and energy to actually read nearly as many of the volumes as I've collected.

They remain pristine, beautiful, and sadly, unread. There's a danger that our Bibles can become a bit like that. SAS John Updike, speaking of the American classic Walden, commented that it risked being as revered and unread as the Bible. The difficulty of understanding ancient scriptures, written in different cultures than our own, can tempt us to leave our Bibles on the shelf, beautiful, beloved, but unread.

It doesn't have to be that way. As the psalmist does in Psalm 119, we can turn to God, asking Him to open our eyes to see Scripture's riches. We can find trustworthy teachers to help us understand what we're reading, and believers have Christ's Spirit to guide our hearts to see how it all points to Him. Through Scripture, God can give us strength in times of sorrow, protect us from deception, and broaden our understanding of how to joyfully live. The Bible is a priceless gift. May it be both revered and read.

Let's pray. Lord, open our eyes to see the treasures of your Word and guide our hearts through your Spirit to understand its truths. May we cherish the Bible as a priceless gift, finding strength, wisdom, and joy in its pages. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. As you go about your day, reflect on these questions. What resources help you understand the Bible? How has God used Scripture to shape your life?