Better Than Gold

Better Than Gold

“I love thy Word better than gold; yes, better than fine gold.” Ps.119:127

From this psalm, we get a fairly good picture of the spiritual growth of the writer. We have already noticed his understanding (an answer to one of his prayers) of God as creator, as savior, and we see his growing admiration for such a God. We also see his faith deepening as his confidence grows. He acknowledges his continued dependence on God even as his strength grows and he is victorious. We see changes in his character as he withdraws from all that is ungodly. He wants to change because he admits to God: “I am thine…”

Amidst life’s complexities and challenges, he accepts the Word as a light to his path and a lamp to his feet. This gives him a sense of direction, and he knows that as long as he is guided by the Word he will always be safe because God is his shield, his refuge, his security. He feels certain that life itself depends on God’s grace and love: “Uphold me according to thy Word, that I may live….” and “Hold thou me up and I shall be safe….”

So how does he respond to God? His response is one of total commitment to God forever. He is thirsty for God’s righteousness and salvation. He sees God’s Word as his “heritage” (inheritance) and it is the source of his joy throughout eternity. The psalmist is so moved by his entire experience with God that he humbly surrenders: “I am thy servant,” and he asks God to teach him even more because he sees perfection in God: “I esteem all thy Word concerning all things to be right…” (V128)

All Scripture was designed by God for our inspiration and learning. We should reflect on the experiences of this psalmist and on our own experiences with God. Whatever we find ourselves lacking, God is more than able to supply: “God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Al Jones