The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward (Psalm 19:7-11).
The Psalmist tells us that the Bible is perfect. It is sure. It is right. It is pure.
It is true.
He says that the rules of the Lord are more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey, profitable for those who hold fast to it.
I have to wonder, do I really believe it? Do I love the Scriptures the way that the Psalmist describes?
Do I find them sweeter than honey—even the parts I don’t like?
But, at the heart of these questions is this: Do I trust the Scriptures?
If I trust the Scriptures, I will love them. If I trust them, I will desire them. If I trust them, I will see their perfection.
So why should I trust the Scriptures?
Because they reveal to me Jesus—God become a man who died as my substitute on the cross and rose again to break Satan, sin and death’s hold on me, and on all those who would believe in Him.
I trust the Scriptures because they reveal the real me—they reveal my sinful state and my inability to save myself. I trust the Scriptures because they show me who I am in a way that no human-inspired work can. I am not simply lacking education, through which I can pull myself up by my bootstraps. I am a slave to my own desires, chasing after what I want and what catches my fancy with no regard for anyone or anything else.
At least I am without God’s merciful and gracious intervention.
I trust the Bible because it is like a mirror that shows me what I don’t want to see. It shows me who I really am.
It shows me that I need to repent. I must turn away from the sins God reveals in me, forsaking them for that which is “more desirable than gold.” And because I truly do not know the level of my own depravity, I must also ask him to forgive the hidden sins and to reveal them to me.
I trust the Scriptures because they destroy my pride. They show me that, truly, I am far worse than I could ever imagine, but far more loved than I could ever hope.
What about you?
Do you trust the Scriptures—and the One whom they reveal? Will you?
I hope so.
For other entries in this series, please visit the Blogging the Psalms page.
