Ps 119:97-104 Mem
97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. 98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. 100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. 101 I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. 102 I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

When we read this we are not left to wonder why David is said to be a man after God’s own heart. He had become so intertwined with God and the word of God that his personal desire was identical to the will of God. He had given up his will so that he would want only what pleased God. He loved God, therefore he loved the word of God.

A part of this love for God and his word was due to his experiences. He had listened to God and done his will and God had taken care of him. He had been in danger and God delivered him. He had needs and God supplied them. He had been despondent and God brought joy and cheer to his life. He had been lonely and God befriended him.

All of this happened while he was young and was a lowly shepherd out in the fields. So when he rose to the unlikely position of King over God’s people, he was able to continue this love and trust for God and for his law. He realized that the law of God was not just rules that prohibited him from things but was filled with promises for his wellbeing.

It is because of his love for God and his reliance on God that we have the Psalms that give us such hope and cheer. There is hardly a problem in life that does not have a Psalm that aptly fits the occasion with assurance and joy. We benefit from his experiences and his commitment to God. So it is today when we serve him. We offer hope to others who are struggling. We give comfort to those who are grieving. We inspire those who are on the verge of turning from God to be faithful and continue to trust him. Truly, the word of God is sweeter than honey!

O God, I thank you for your word. I thank you for the inspiration it gives to me when I am struggling and when I begin to doubt. I ask for a heart like David that I may ever trust you and always have complete confidence in your word. Give me wisdom to apply it to my life in a better way than I have done before. Use me to bring cheer to others as I lead them in your path. I ask a special blessing on those who have family members who are shut in with sickness. I ask for those who are aging and unable to do for themselves. I pray in the name of Jesus. Robert