Passage Read: Psalm 95-98
Meditation Verse: 97:8
Thought
Jerusalem and the villages of Judah rejoice over the Lord and His judgments. They rejoice because of His judgments! Because His laws and ways and judgments are pure and righteous, true and just. His laws and standards being peace and joy when they are upheld and obeyed. That's not something you hear every day! God's laws and His ways are too hard for mortal man to follow. His ways are too high! So it actually brings frustration and grief to try to accept and submit to His laws and ways. What is there to rejoice over? Sure, it'll be nice when He makes all those unbelievers walk in His ways, but what about us believers? If it's good for the unbeliever to be forced to obey God, isn't it also good for us?
Application
Better to willingly submit myself now to walk in His ways and discover whether His ways really do bring joy and cause for rejoicing. If I don't like them now, will I really like them later? If I discover how good they are now, then how much better it will be when His judgments are in fact the law of the land! If it is such a joy to hear and see His judgments enforced, then I should desire to do them now for the joy they offer! If it is only the wicked who hate them, then I need to check myself if I'm unwilling to follow them, because they are designed to teach righteousness and put an end to wickedness. If I struggle to obey them or really don't want to do them, that's probably because there is an evil that I don't want to give up!