Chrissie Prichard, member since 2007, Outreach Council member

Psalm 1:1-2 (NIV)
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”

Colossians 3:16 (CEB)
“The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

Reflection:
Reading the Bible has never come easy to me. I grew up in church participating in Bible drills and memorizing all of the “important” verses. I guess I hoped that would get me by. But as I grew in my faith, I realized God didn’t give us the gift of the Bible so we could proudly rattle off John 3:16 on cue (although that’s never a bad thing). God gave us the Bible so we could learn more about the character of God and grow in our relationship with Jesus.

Isn’t it interesting that the very first chapter of the book of Psalms—a book full of calls to sing and dance and praise the Lord—calls us not to sing and dance, but to delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on God’s word?

It makes me think of when I became a first-time dog owner. Before I brought my little puppy home, I read everything I could get my hands on about puppies. I spent hours reading about training, feeding, special characteristics of his breed, and on and on. I’m sure you’ve felt this way before—with a new puppy, a new baby, or maybe an exciting trip. We delight in the opportunity to learn! Our delight is good and natural, and part of the joy God wants us to experience in this life It is also a sign of respect and adoration. And guess what? One of the definitions of worship according to Merriam-Webster is “extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.” In other words, one of the ways we can worship God is through learning more about God’s character, meditating on God’s law, and allowing the word of Christ to live within us.

While I absolutely love hymns (they are far and away the thing I miss the most about our in-person COVID worship services), for me personally, I know I am often called to worship God through quietly studying God’s word. And while I still consider myself a novice Bible reader, I’m so grateful for the gift of The Daily Habit and the many other Bible study classes and resources St. Luke’s offers. I know that each time I devote myself to studying God’s word, and allowing God’s word to live within me, I am worshipping God and praising God’s name!

Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of the Bible and for the opportunity to study it to learn more about you. We desire to worship you, adore you, and sing your praises. Today we worship you by delighting in your word. We pray that through meditating on your law, we will learn more about you and deepen our relationship with you. We praise your name! Amen.