Psalm 119:17,18
It is a good thing that we have traffic laws and that they must be kept. If each one could drive on whatever side of the road he wanted, and at the speed he preferred, the death rate would far exceed what it is today. There is something good about laws.
There, is something even more wonderful that the psalmist tells us in Psalm 119:17, 18 about God's law; and he prays that God will enable him to see those wonderful things in that law. He writes, "Deal bountifully with Thy servant, that I may live, and keep Thy word. Open Thou my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law."
What is so wonderful about that law is first of all that it teaches us why we were created, namely to love God and live for His glory. Another wonderful thing is that we learn why the curse is upon this earth. It shows us why the death penalty rests upon the human race, and how we must behave, if we are going to live, It shows the folly of thinking that medicine, chemotherapy, and the like are going to remove the curse from mankind. It teaches us the need for the cross of Christ, if we are going to be delivered from God's holy wrath.
That is why the psalmist prays that God will deal bountifully with him so that he may be weaned away from breaking God's law. That our versification states in these words:
Thy servant, blest by Thee,
Shall live and keep Thy law with awe;
Lord, open Thou my eyes to see
The wonders of Thy law.
By nature we do not see that in God's law. It does not look wonderful to us, but looks horrible, When we see that law fulfilled by Christ for us, we see the wonder of wonders. We see that the God against Whom we sinned has in His Son suffered our punishment. And now we live for Him in a love unto Him that enables us and moves us to keep His law with awe and gladness.
Read: Psalm 119:17-32
Psalter versification: #323:1
Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
I Samuel 18:5-30
I Samuel 19
John 8:31-59
Psalm 112
Proverbs 15:12-14
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Quote for Reflection:
“It must also be observed, that the power and office of illuminating is not confined to the personal presence of Christ; for though he is far removed from us with respect to his body, yet he daily sheds his light upon us, by the doctrine of the Gospel, and by the secret power of his Spirit. Yet we have not a full definition of this light, unless we learn that we are illuminated by the Gospel and by the Spirit of Christ, that we may know that the fountain of all knowledge and wisdom is hidden in him." John Calvin on John 8:12
Additional Info
- Date: 16-May
Heys, John A.
Rev. John A. Heys was born on March 16, 1910 in Grand Rapids, MI. He was ordained and installed into the ministry at Hope, Walker, MI in 1941. He later served at Hull, Iowa beginning in 1955. In 1959 he accepted the call to serve the South Holland, IL Protestant Reformed Church. He received and accepted the call to Holland, Michigan Protestant Reformed Church in 1967. He retired from the active ministry in 1980. He entered into glory on February 16, 1998.