Are you crazy about rules? Do you get excited by lists of “Do’s and Don’ts”? I’m not generally a fan of rules, edicts, precepts, and laws. Of course, I’m referring to other people’s laws. I’m quite fond of my own rules.
I’m not a big fan of God’s rules either. He has a bunch of laws that are hugely inconvenient and annoying. I ran across some verses in Psalms that made me laugh. Take a gander at this hilarious statement:
Oh, how I love Your law!
Psalm 119:97
It is my meditation all the day.
Psychotic, right? Who (other than maybe lawyers) loves laws? And God’s laws are super hard to follow. Don’t lie. Don’t steal. Don’t covet your neighbor’s stuff. Honor your parents (even if they’re terrible). Don’t love anything more than you love God. These laws aren’t lovable. They’re awful.
It gets even funnier though. The Psalms go over the top about loving the law. The most outrageous part is I don’t think it’s meant as a joke .
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
Psalm 119:67
But now I keep and honor Your word [with loving obedience].
You are good and do good;
Teach me Your statutes.
The arrogant have forged a lie against me,
But I will keep Your precepts with all my heart.
Their heart is insensitive like fat [their minds are dull and brutal],
But I delight in Your law.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
The law from Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted – LOL!
“Man, I’m so glad my life fell apart. I was living by my own rules, doing what I wanted to do. It was awful! Fortunately, God dumped a bucketful of hardship on my head. Now, I love the law! It’s better than gold and silver!”
It takes maturity to appreciate rules. If you can’t understand what’s so great about God’s laws, then think about a game of chess.
Even if you don’t know how to play, you know that chess has rules. It would be great fun to just move your pieces wherever you wanted but it wouldn’t be “chess”. If you’re a chess player, you wouldn’t enjoy the anarchy. To love chess is to love the rules. The laws define the game. So it goes with chess and with life.
When you live life according to your own rules it’s fun for awhile. But pretty soon you’ll realize what the Psalmist said is true. “Before I was afflicted, I went astray.” Like it or not, life has rules just like chess. When you start making illegal moves, you’ll create chaos. You can’t live long in chaos.
One of God’s edicts is, “Thou shalt breathe often.” Try ignoring that law and see how well it goes for you. The consequences of disobeying many of God’s laws are not so imminent. You can get away with stealing, lying, and being selfish for much longer than you can last without oxygen. Only fools believe they can break the law forever.
“It is good that I have been afflicted.” That is wisdom speaking. When you appreciate the benefits of your sufferings, you’re on your way to being in love with the law. It’s better than gold and silver.
One Response
Maybe this is the definition of wisdom and maturity; learning to love God’s law. It takes us a little while, though, doesn’t it?
Same thing about trust.
Trust the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding.
Isn’t that beautiful?
Except when we try to do it!