05/03/2024 – God’s Commandments Are Learned by Practice
Psalm 119: 99, I understand more than my teachers, because your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand better than the elders, because I obey your commandments.
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and is dedicated to the exaltation of God’s Word in every verse. Deep in this psalm, beyond where a casual reader would delve, we find this profound revelation: to understand the Word of God it is necessary to meditate on it and put into work what he commands us to do.
The former revealed here is as surprising as the latter. It may seem to us that we first need to understand God’s commandments to then fulfill them; but verse 100 tells us clearly that we will understand God’s commandments clearly when we obey them. The Holy Spirit wants us to know that living god’s Word precedes his full knowledge and is essential to learning and understanding it correctly.
This truth is also manifested in our secular life. When we need surgery, we look for an experienced doctor We would be terrified to know that the doctor who is about to make radical changes to our body is only beginning in a learning process. The same applies to any work that requires trained personnel. We understand that the knowledge acquired to through study it is fundamentally and supremely important. But we also understand that a degree does not make an expert. Certainly, education and experience go hand in hand. The same applies in a spiritual sense to the understanding of the Bible. Study and practice form and empower the disciple. God is looking for disciples today with biblical education, but also with experience. Skilled in giving, experienced in obeying, accustomed to praying. They will draw closer to the light of Christ and better understand his Word.