Posted by My Trusted Counselors
Psalm 119:24
“Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.”
Our passage is among the third of 22 groupings of eight that make up this Psalm. In it David uses a variety of terms when referring to God’s word, such as; “precepts,” “law,” “statutes,” “testimonies,” “decrees,” “judgments” and “commandments.” We are met with one or more of these at every turn throughout the psalm. To David, God’s Word was an inexhaustible fountain of both delight and wise counsel.
Peace Pleasure and Stability
Nothing will set our mind at ease like the peace and stability that come from knowing God’s Word. “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble“ (Psalm 119:165). David understood the powerful influence God’s Word can have on a person’s life like few ever have. God’s Word was his delight containing endless subjects for his meditation. David discovered a constant flow of inner peace, even in times of trouble. David’s delight in God’s Word came from his own experience of being counseled by it. God’s wisdom inherent in His every word had enabled David to safely navigate some deeply troublesome waters in his lifetime.
The word translated “delight” conveys a meaning of intense pleasure, and the word “counselors” is made up of two words that literally mean “the men of my counsel.” With this language, David paints a picture of a king sitting among his most trusted advisors. The advice they give him equips him to deal with those rulers who plot against him (see verse 23). To David God’s Word is all at once his counsel, his armor, and his weapon of choice against his enemies.
Wisdom Counsel and Insight
David’s counsel and insight came from above and set him apart from all his contemporaries. “Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts” (Psalm 119:98-100). Is it any wonder that David passed this wisdom on to his son Solomon and encouraged him to delight in God’s Words as his counselors as well?
Solomon listened to David and passed this wisdom on to his sons as well. Consider Proverbs 6:20-23 “My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life.” David had so thoroughly integrated God’s Word into his life that the Scriptures actually became part of his own counsel to Solomon, who took them to heart, and quite naturally they became his advice to his own sons.
We too will experience the blessings of becoming a person after God’s own heart by keeping His instructions and following His teaching daily. God’s Word will become a lamp for our feet and a light upon our path even in the darkest of times.
Your Counsel and Your Armor
Have God’s Word always on your heart; “wear the wisdom” of His Word as part of your favorite wardrobe. Wherever you walk, God’s Word will guide you; you will sleep under the constant protection it provides, and when you awake in the morning God’s Word will be speaking to your heart as well. Make God’s written Word your counsel, and every chapter and verse most trusted advisors
So, let all the Scriptures be your delight and your counselors, and let them always be your advice to others. Always be speaking God’s Word to yourself, meditate on it day and night so that you may diligently practice what is written in it. With God’s instructions as your trusted advisors, you will have wisdom and insight, you will be successful, you will be victorious, and you will Be Encouraged! – JSP