A Godly Man is a Lover of the Word: Part Nine

A Godly Man is a Lover of the Word

by Thomas Watson

"O how love I your law." (Psa. 119:97)

Part A: Godly Man Loves the Word Written

f. By preferring it above things most precious: (1) Above food: "I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food." (Job. 23:12). (2) Above riches: "The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver." (Psa. 119:72). (3) Above worldly honour. Memorable is the story of King Edward the Sixth. On the day of his coronation, when they presented three swords before him, signifying to him that he was monarch of three kingdoms, the king said, "There is still one sword missing." On being asked what that was, he answered, "The Holy Bible, which is the 'sword of the Spirit' and is to be preferred before these ensigns of royalty."
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This is a tough one. It convicts me. I want to say that I prefer it above all things, but when I think of the number of mornings I have grabbed my coffee and logged in to check my email before opening God's Word, my actions belie my words. To place an importance upon it, to spend time studying and memorizing and meditating upon it is a different thing from "preferring it above things most precious."

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