“How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” — Psalm 119:103
What does it mean to love God’s Word?
It does not simply mean enjoying the Bible and reading it. It goes one step beyond obeying and practicing the Word. It means that God’s Word becomes the desire of my heart, my way of thinking, and my way of life.
Imagine that there is a delicious piece of candy in front of a child. The parents say, “You must not eat that candy.”
The child wants to eat it very much but forces himself to resist because he is afraid of being punished. He has obeyed his parents, but he still likes the candy in his heart.
But what if his heart itself changes and he no longer likes that candy? He will not eat it even when no one is watching. He does not have to force himself to resist it because he no longer desires it in his heart.
Eve also had God’s Word. God told her not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But when Eve looked at the fruit, she saw that it was “good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom” (Genesis 3:6).
She knew God’s Word, but in her heart, she liked what God had forbidden.
Eve had not yet experienced the consequences of disobedience. But after she disobeyed, she came to know the shame, fear, and suffering that sin brings.
As we go through life, we also experience the consequences of sin. We also experience the peace and joy that come from living according to God’s Word. Through these experiences, we come to understand how good God’s Word truly is.
Therefore, our faith must not stop at saying, “God told me not to do it, so I must force myself to resist.”
Our hearts must be changed so that even if I like something, I come to dislike it when God dislikes it. And even if I dislike something, I come to like it when God likes it.
The Bible says, “Let those who love the Lord hate evil.” — Psalm 97:10
Of course, in the beginning, the desires of my heart may be different from God’s Word.
That is why Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.” — Luke 9:23
When what I want is different from God’s Word, I must lay down my own will and choose His Word. This is the path of a disciple who denies oneself and carries the cross.
The more we live according to God’s Word, the more His Word becomes our heart, our thoughts, and our life.
Let us examine our hearts today.
Is there anything I still like even though God dislikes it?
Is there anything I still dislike even though God likes it?
