Obtaining Peace: Love God's Word

Peace 14

          In this blog series, I have attempted to shine a light on that precious blessing known as peace. I have defined and described it, spoken of what accompanies it, discussed what prevents it, and given you eight specific means of obtaining it. With today’s post, I offer you the ninth and last scriptural method of obtaining God’s peace, peace of mind and heart and spirit. It is this: love God’s Word. Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them (Psalm 119.165).

          Loving God’s Word is mentioned several times in this psalm. O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day (Psalm 119.97). I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love (Psalm 119.113). I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love (Psalm 119.163). Plainly, this is a point of emphasis both in this psalm and with the Lord. Do you love the Bible? Do you love your Bible?

          It is relatively easy to quickly answer in the affirmative and move on. “Yes, Pastor Brennan, I do love God’s Word. Now, when will the peace arrive? Today or tomorrow?”  It is quite a different thing, however, to evidence that love for God’s Word. Do you have any evidence to back up your assertion that you love it? Is there any proof?

          Do not tell me you love it if you do not know it. A. W. Tozer used an unforgettable phrase as the title of his most well known book, “The Knowledge of the Holy.” The extent to which I love God is seen at least in this, the extent to which I know Him. Surely, I cannot claim to love a God I do not know much about. The same is true with God’s Word. I dare not claim I love it if I know little about it.

          Do you know the books of the Bible? Do you know the basic gist of each one? Do you know the great stories of Scripture? Do you know the main characters in the Old and New Testaments? Do you know the events of the life of Jesus Christ? Do you know where in the Word you might find the doctrines you hold as precious?

          Do not tell me you love the Bible if you do not study it. Jesus called us to search the Scriptures (John 5.39). Paul commended the Berean Christians because they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily (Acts 17.11). Paul instructs us to study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (II Timothy 2.15).

          Do you merely listen to teaching and preaching, or does that listening drive you to study the content of it? Do you accept what your pastor says simply because he says it? Do you ever look up the references he cites later? Do you ever write down a question that comes to mind in order to search for the answer later? Would you recognize if he got off on some unscriptural tangent?

          Do you study what it has to say about your own needs? Yesterday, I sat with a child of God who is attempting to return to Him. We spoke at some length of their desire for God to work on their life. Do you have such a desire? Have you taken up the Word of God in order to find in it what you need to rebuild or grow your life?

          What do you do when you come across a word in the Bible you do not understand? Ignore the fact, or study it out? What about doctrines you do not understand? Ever study out one of those? What about a deep dive into some Bible character, tracing God’s hand at work in the arc of his or her life from beginning to end?

          Do not tell me you love the Word of God if you do not read it. Mandy and I exchange hundreds of texts a month. If I ignored them all, how could I maintain with a straight face that I love her? Why, it would be impossible. Read it at a scheduled time. Read it in an orderly manner. Read it when you are moved to, when your soul is hungry. Read it aloud with your family. Read it at work on break. Read it at school during lunch. Listen to it on CD or via a streaming app. Put it up as decoration all over your house.

          Do not tell me you love God’s Word if you do know think about it. God instructed Joshua, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein (Joshua 1.8). Meditate on it by schedule. Meditate on when the Lord brings it to your mind. Meditate on it on purpose, to chew over what you read earlier. Meditate on how it applies to your life. Meditate on what it reveals to you about God.

          Do not tell me you love the Scripture if you do not speak about it. George Herbert said, “Love and a cough cannot be hid.” If you really love someone or something, it overflows all over your life like an unwatched pot of water boiling on the stove. People know you love the Michigan Wolverines. They know you love coffee. They know you love camping. They know you love Thai food. Yet somehow, you assert that you love the Word of God but no one in your life is aware of the fact?

          Do not tell me you love the Word if you do not sing it. Just this morning I read through Colossians and came again across the wonderful passage about singing God’s Word. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3.16). We have a culture driven by music. Our celebrities are music celebrities. There is music playing in every store, during every commercial, and on most radio stations. Music tracks fill our databases. Our lives are best reflected by our self-chosen soundtrack. How much of that music is composed of what you claim to love, the Word of God?

          Do not tell me you love God’s Word if you do not memorize it. In this very psalm we are called to such precious work. Thy word have I hid in mine heart (Psalm 119.11). Can you quote by memory the verses for the plan of salvation? Do you know what it is like to lay awake at night on your bed, and softly whisper the words of Psalm 23 to quell your heart’s fear and worry? When subjects come up in discussion around you do Bible phrases and passages come often to mind?

          See? It is relatively easy to say you love God’s Word; it is rather more difficult to prove it with our lives.

          The word “great” is a terribly over-used adjective. Yet God never over-uses any word, including this one. In fact, he only defines peace as “great peace” one time in the entire Scripture record. What a priceless possession great peace must be. For such a thing, a man might give all the possessions of his house, yet it only comes one way. There is only one avenue in the entire record of Scripture to obtain great peace. We must love God’s Word.

          “I do, Pastor Brennan, I do.”

          If you know me personally, you know I have a great love for each of my children. I do not claim that; I live it. I know them. I study them, trying to figure out what makes them tick, why they do what they do, why they want what they want. I think of them often. I speak of them often. I have memorized numerous details about their life. I have even made up unique songs for each one of them. Why? Because I love them.

          So it ought to be with the Word of God in my life. And when it is, peace comes. Not just ordinary, everyday, run of the mill peace. But great peace.