Delighting in the Commands of God

Nov 15 – Psalm 119:143

Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.

Hmmm…I’m pondering this verse.  Here are my semi-random thoughts:  My first thoughts is that “your commands are my delight” does not sound like something I would normally say.  Normally, we do not like people telling us what to do.  For that matter, we sometimes don’t like God telling us what to do either so why is the author delighting in God’s commands?  Well, the first part of the verse says “Trouble and distress have come upon me…”  When trouble and distress come upon me, I know my mind tends to get frazzled and I feel overwhelmed and I’d really just like someone to come in a fix everything.  So maybe God giving commands functions like that – His commands give some direction and some focus and maybe even some calm in the midst of some very stressful times.  In verse 105 of the same psalm, it says “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” – light that points the way out of those darker and frustrating times.

My other thought is that God’s commands – which could also be considered rules or laws – are really just boundaries for living.  We tend to see boundaries as such a bad thing, but consider what a world with no boundaries would be like.  Your first thoughts may be something like, Great!  I can stay out as late as I want!  or I can wear whatever I want!  or  I can drive as fast as I want!  But then, that means that, with no boundaries, people can steal from you and murder can’t be punished.  It means that 5 year olds could drive cars and mothers could leave their children.  In truth, while they sometimes seem restrictive or unnecessary, laws keep us safe and when laws come from God, they’re there to show us the way He created us to live.  Just like raising a child, you sometimes have to make them do things they don’t like just because you love them and want the best for them and you know what is best far more than they do.

Today, consider the boundaries that are in your life because of who God is.  Think about the ones you don’t mind and think about the ones you hate and remember that God has those boundaries there for you on purpose.  He wants His best – His holiness – for your life.  Find the up-side to His commands and maybe you’ll be able to delight in them just little bit more as well.