By Matt Capps
How excited would you be if someone gave you vast riches beyond your wildest dreams? Could you imagine the sense of security that would come with such a gift? There would be no more worries about tomorrow because your supply would meet whatever demand tomorrow would hold. There is a certain peace that comes with having all you need for a secure future, isn’t there?
The possibility of riches has a strong power to settle our hearts from the potential distress that awaits us. Interestingly, the psalmist likens the joy he receives in God’s revealed decrees to the joy one might feel with all the riches of the world.
Many Christians take how precious God’s revealed Word is for granted. With easy access to Scripture, we can often treat it as commonplace. However, we must remember that the gift of God’s Word is just that—a gift. God’s Word is a free gift from a self-revealing God. God was not obliged to reveal His law to us but did so in love.
Humanity’s deepest need is to be in right relationship with our creator God. The law shows us what God expects of all people. Therefore, the written Word of God stands as one of the greatest and most precious of all of God’s gifts to His people! We do not have to wonder what God desires.
Even still, when we read the law, we see that we have all fallen short. Who can live up to the standards of God? No human except one, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the law in our place, becoming our obedience. Jesus Christ sacrificially died in our place, perfectly paying the price for our disobedience. The written Word is upheld by the Word made flesh.
Without the written Word or the power of the Spirit, disobedience to God’s decrees is inevitable. However, the good news of the gospel is that in Christ, we are declared righteous before God. In Christ, we have the power of the Spirit to enable us to live according to God’s decrees. The law shows us what living in response to God’s grace looks like.
How much more then are we, like the psalmist, stirred to admire God, who has so lovingly bestowed this great gift upon His people? There is no distress of this kind for the Christian! No Christian wonders where they stand with God. In Christ, there is peace and security in eternity. This truth matters not only for eternity but also for every day of our lives. This matters more than all the riches in the world. Let us echo the psalmist and rejoice in God! “I rejoice in the way revealed by your decrees as much as in all riches” (Psalm 119:14).
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