Psalms 119:99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my mediation.
I’m on the second day of reading Psalm 119, and I will be in Psalm 119 for another day. Psalm 119 is by far the longest psalm at 176 verses. It is the longest portion of the Bible, longer than any other chapter. So, I am not going to rush it. I’m going to break it up, read it in the time that I have, and make sure I am making the most of the time I have to read this psalm.
We talked recently about aspirations in reading the Bible. We talked about goals, what we wish to accomplish, then habits, what actually undergirds those goals. As far as aspiration, the Bible tells us in Psalms 119 that God’s Word gives us understanding, joy, and life. So, those are three reasons I should aspire to read the Bible.
Let’s talk about what the goal should be in reading the Bible. For many people, their goal is to read the Bible in a year. That is a noble goal. However, your ultimate goal in reading the Bible should be to understand it, not to get through it. The Bible is a massive book, and if all we do is rush through it, then we have read it, but we may not be benefiting from it. In short, who conquers whom? My goal should not be to conquer the Bible. My prayer should be that the Bible should conquer me, that it would inform me, enlighten me, and give me joy, direction, guidance, strength, and power for life.
So, your goal for reading the Bible this year should be to understand it, not to get through it. That is a daunting task, but it is one that can be broken down into something doable. Let’s talk about a few things that will help you understand the Bible.
First, understanding equals meditation. Meditation is a buzzword for all kinds of ideologies these days. When we talk about meditation, we are talking about thinking on something, and the something which we are thinking about is the Bible itself. Psalms 119:97 says, “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” There is something driving the psalmist, and that is a love of God’s truth. Verse 98 says, “Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.” So, God is the source of wisdom. He gives it through His Word, and the upshot is that I can be wiser than my enemies.
In verses 99-100 he goes on to say, “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.” Psalm 110:14 says, “Through thy precepts I get understanding.” So, understanding is the bottom line. The Bible is not magical. It is not as if when my eyes are reading the words there is some aura about me. No, the Bible is not magical; it is supernatural. It is true, so it actually works, but in order for me to work it and allow God to work it through me, I have to have some level of comprehension.
The Bible is so deep and wide that I will never plunge to all its depths, but I can understand more than I do now. That takes work. So, understanding equals meditation. It means to roll something around in the mind, to think on, to think about the Bible. Understanding requires meditation, thinking about what you are reading.
Second, mediation requires time. I can not just rush through the Bible, check it off, and say, “I’ve read a chapter today.” Some days I read more than a chapter, some days I read less than a chapter. Maybe I’m reading a paragraph or a story that takes either more or less than a chapter. If someone is consuming a large amount of food but is not able to digest any of it, he is wasting his energy. He is wearing down his teeth for nothing because he is not gaining the nutrients and energy from that food. Likewise, you are just wearing out your eyes if you just read the Bible thoughtlessly and do not read at a pace at which you can actually absorb what God is saying for your life.
My recommendation is to read less, think more. I’m not saying, “Read less of the Bible than you are right now,” although, as unspiritual as it may sound, it may be that some of you need to stop reading so much and start thinking about what you are reading. If you have fifteen minutes to read your Bible, I would take five minutes to read and ten minutes to think about it. Thinking about it is something that requires cultivation, which we will talk about subsequently. But your goal in reading the Bible should be to understand the Bible, not to get through the Bible. Your goal should not be to conquer the Bible, but to allow God through His Word to conquer you. This will give you joy, peace, and wisdom for life.