145 I cried with all my heart; answer me, O Lord!
I will observe Your statutes.
146 I cried to You; save me
And I shall keep Your testimonies.
147 I [bn]rise before dawn and cry for help;
I [bo]wait for Your words.
148 My eyes anticipate the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your [bp]word.
149 Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your ordinances.
150 Those who follow after wickedness draw near;
They are far from Your law.
151 You are near, O Lord,
And all Your commandments are truth.
152 Of old I have known from Your testimonies
That You have founded them forever.
As I read this, it’s obvious the psalmist needs help. Over and over he cries out for God to help, and I think we can all identify with that. Where does he then find his answer? By meditating on God’s word, and learning God’s commandments. By finding God’s truth, he also finds the solution for His current situation.
Too many times, we pray, and then just wait. Like the psalmist, we may rise before dawn, or lay sleepless in the night watches. We ask God, why aren’t you answering? And likely, He is asking, why aren’t you reading my Word? The answer you’re waiting for may just be in arms reach, but we don’t take the time to pick it up and read.
But beyond the instruction we may find in God’s word, we also find more. When we meditate on God’s truths instead of wandering about aimlessly, we find peace and contentment for our souls. We find joy that we didn’t think was possible, and ultimately, we find God himself.
There is an important bit in v. 151, that “You are near, O Lord…” He is always near to you, but have you drawn near to Him? Or are you shouting across the room, “God, help, I need you!” And He stands there waiting, saying, “Child, come here. Come closer.” And one of the best and most important ways we can do that is to read His word.
Just as one cannot be strong and healthy by only eating one food all the time, so it is with our spiritual walk. The Bible is only one part of a healthy diet, and a vital one. Without it, we’ll spend all our energy crying out for help, never realizing help is already there. Open your heart, and your Bible, and ask God what He wants to tell you today.