A Look at Psalm 119:14
I rejoice in following Your statutes...
Psalm 119:14 “I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.”
Statutes are distinctly laws laid down. They are explicit laws. The Psalmist would rejoice in these laws as one rejoices in great riches. Have you ever dreamt of great riches? The reason we think riches would be so wonderful is because we think it would mean we could live the kind of life we so desire.
What kind of life do you really desire? Is it a life that finds only fulfillment in material things? David understood that true wealth was obedience to God. He truly felt that following God’s statutes would result in the kind of life that would give him true satisfaction. It was the kind of life that no material wealth could buy.
Our minds tend to get clouded by the spirit of this world. We see pictures of people willing millions of dollars in some type of contest, and they are depicted as the happiest people on earth. The joy is understandable from a fleshly perspective. However, that which challenges us is David’s rejoicing over the statutes of God in the same way a person rejoices over great riches. It takes a truly spiritual man to see that spiritual growth is as beneficial as temporary gain.
The Word of God teaches us that we are to take the mind of Christ. Our carnal minds rejoice in getting all we can for ourselves. The mind of Christ says, “And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well” Matthew 5:40. If we struggle with the thought of giving someone our cloak then we are fooling ourselves if we think we are as spiritual as David, who rejoices over the statutes of God.
Let me encourage you to take some time to pray, meditating on this verse. As you do, ask yourself if you truly have the mind of Christ.
Continued
