But their delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law they meditate day and night. like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever that person does, they prosper.
Psalm 1:2,3
Ponder these strange laws from around the world: (these are internet sources and I haven't checked their actual validity, but if true...)
1. In France, it's illegal to sell E. T. dolls because the government does not allow dolls without human faces. I guess Shrek is out of luck too.
2. In Louisiana, biting someone with your natural teeth is considered “simple assault,” but biting someone with your dentures is “aggravated assault.” Another good reason for brushing one's teeth.
3. In Samoa, it’s a crime to forget your own wife’s birthday. I think that's a universal law.
4. In London, it is illegal to flag down a taxi if you have the plague. Duh.
I'm sure that all of these laws, whether true or otherwise, probably had an original impetus for enactment, but in the large scheme of things, it wouldn't do me much good to ponder them for the day or the night. It would be like spending an afternoon sitting outside on the veranda pondering why the speed limit is 100 kilometers per hour.
There must be something different about God's law as opposed to governmental laws that requires my ponderance. First we read that this is not a commandment, but meditation on he law is an opportunity for joy and fulfillment. To understand the law as set forth for the faithful is a chance to recognize how life can be lived better in God's world. Often, as Christians, we read that Christ is God's fulfillment of the law and thus, at best, ignore Old Testament faithfulness to community living and, at worst, openly speak against the laws because they are 'outdated' or 'irrelevant.'
A Wartburg College professor, Chip Bouzzard, once said in class, "The laws of the Old Testament are like freedom within a fence. Whoever stays within the fence is free." When we don't understand the law, we can't understand freedom.
Thus, our psalmist tells us that delight flows from the meditation, and the one who does so, is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever that person does, they prosper. (We'll do this verse a little more tomorrow.)
But meditation on God's law changes a person from thirsty to quenched, spiritually barren to productive, withering to dancing in the wind.
Which commandment is hardest for you to meditate on? What does freedom within the fence mean to you? Which laws give you question and seek to ask others about?
Dear God, remind me of your steadfastness and the unchanging nature of your Word. Even as perception changes, even as I change, the basic law you give is love. Free me from fear and doubt. Amen.
1. In France, it's illegal to sell E. T. dolls because the government does not allow dolls without human faces. I guess Shrek is out of luck too.
2. In Louisiana, biting someone with your natural teeth is considered “simple assault,” but biting someone with your dentures is “aggravated assault.” Another good reason for brushing one's teeth.
3. In Samoa, it’s a crime to forget your own wife’s birthday. I think that's a universal law.
4. In London, it is illegal to flag down a taxi if you have the plague. Duh.
I'm sure that all of these laws, whether true or otherwise, probably had an original impetus for enactment, but in the large scheme of things, it wouldn't do me much good to ponder them for the day or the night. It would be like spending an afternoon sitting outside on the veranda pondering why the speed limit is 100 kilometers per hour.
There must be something different about God's law as opposed to governmental laws that requires my ponderance. First we read that this is not a commandment, but meditation on he law is an opportunity for joy and fulfillment. To understand the law as set forth for the faithful is a chance to recognize how life can be lived better in God's world. Often, as Christians, we read that Christ is God's fulfillment of the law and thus, at best, ignore Old Testament faithfulness to community living and, at worst, openly speak against the laws because they are 'outdated' or 'irrelevant.'
A Wartburg College professor, Chip Bouzzard, once said in class, "The laws of the Old Testament are like freedom within a fence. Whoever stays within the fence is free." When we don't understand the law, we can't understand freedom.
Thus, our psalmist tells us that delight flows from the meditation, and the one who does so, is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever that person does, they prosper. (We'll do this verse a little more tomorrow.)
But meditation on God's law changes a person from thirsty to quenched, spiritually barren to productive, withering to dancing in the wind.
Which commandment is hardest for you to meditate on? What does freedom within the fence mean to you? Which laws give you question and seek to ask others about?
Dear God, remind me of your steadfastness and the unchanging nature of your Word. Even as perception changes, even as I change, the basic law you give is love. Free me from fear and doubt. Amen.
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