The rich and sweet Law of God

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Psalm 19:10

We are to pray every day for the Lord to grant us our daily bread (Mt. 6:11), which I take to mean not only the provision for food but for all our earthly and physical necessities - those things, in other words, which money can buy. In the following verses in the Sermon on the Mount from which the Lord's Prayer comes, our Lord will go on to talk about how his disciples need not worry about food and clothing, for the Lord will provide for his own. We are to pray for them and we are to trust God for them.

But God has given us something even better than food and clothing. He has given us his Law, his commandments, his word. It is "more to be desired . . . than gold," even "much fine gold." All the riches in the world cannot compete with the privilege of having God's word entrusted to us; there is simply no comparison in value. The man or woman of the Bible with the smallest bank account is infinitely more wealthy than the greatest billionaires on the planet.

Why? Because God's word can do for us what wealth cannot, and what God's word can do is far, far more important than anything which can be bought with gold and silver. For God's word reveals to us God's mind and his will for our lives. It is the avenue by which we enter into fellowship with the God of the universe, the way by which we learn how to live lives pleasing to him. It is by the word of God that we are converted and made wise (7), by which we are made joyful with the purest joy and enlightened with the truest knowledge (8), by which we receive words which are pure, clean, and righteous (9), by which we are warned away from destructive habits and choices and receive great reward (11).

And it is sweet. The words of God to us are not like broccoli (my apologies to those of you who actually like the stuff), which is good for you but disgusting. Rather, God's word to us is like honey - good and sweet, enriching and delightful. As the apostle John will say, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:3). They are not burdensome, but an easy and light yoke that leads us in the best way (Mt. 11:28-30).

Let us treasure God's word today. And the best way to do that is to apply it to our lives. Food is not meant to be put on display but to be eaten. Food is not meant to dwell in recipes but to be enjoyed and tasted and ingested. So it is with God's word. Brothers and sisters, let the word of Christ dwell richly in you today (Col. 3:16).