Gaining an Edge

No matter what arena you compete in, it’s wise to “get an edge”.  To do your best to find a way to gain an advantage is often the difference between victory and defeat.  In sports,  coaches spend time showing  how that could be had over opponents. In life itself it is the Word of God that gives us a distinct advantage over those who reject it and oppose it as well as victory over our own flesh !

Verses 97-104 are the “Mem” section (that’s the M in our alphabet).  And the writer gushes with a very emotional and jubilant statement: “O how love I Thy Law !  It is my meditation all the day.”  When we move from the place where God’s Word truly starts to dominate our thoughts rather than fleshly concerns we are on a clear course of victory.  As a teen, being newly saved I can relate to what is written here. I was starting to read the Bible daily, I was thinking about it when I read it, trying to understand it, mulling it over in my mind, figuring how it applied, etc and before long I was meditating on it throughout the day and soon my behavior started to improve (and I needed that help !).  That’s one “edge” from getting into the Bible well.

Another is the Word brings into your life a wisdom from above ! “Though through Thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies…” (vs98) &  “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for Thy testimonies are my meditation.” (vs.99) and then “I understand more than the ancients, because I kept Thy precepts.” (vs.100).    As these verses teach, once we not only read but we meditate (let it swirl around inside your head and muse upon it well) and heed or keep “Thy precepts” God begins to give us the edge of His wisdom which is far more powerful than the wisdom of this world and the experience of age !    You know how its typical for a teen to start bucking his parents or to dishonor them in their words, actions or attitudes and then as they grow into adulthood all of a sudden Mom and Dad look alot wiser?  Wouldn’t it be great to skip that phase?  One can !  By carefully reading and heeding the Word, you skip the lessons of unwise youth and advance to wisdom.  Or how about a parent who flusters their children in some way with hypocritical attitudes and actions?  The Bible applied can give us the edge we need to succeed ! Anyone who has really tried to maintain a habit of reading and even memorizing verses knows what I mean, that it does truly work  because the Bible’s effects on our mind are powerful and once that starts the behavior begins to improve vastly !

Verse 101 ties into this “I have refrained my feet from every evil, that I might keep Thy Word.”  The writer had a stronger and more spiritual will to say no to sin than before he let the Scriptures impact his heart. Saying “No” to sin isn’t easy for sinners often, but the Bible gives us an “edge” even in that !    So you have in your home, a POWERFUL “edge”, the “sword of the Spirit” (Eph.6:17) as Paul called it. You have in a good church,  a POTENT weapon you can learn much about from skilled preachers, don’t neglect it and you will have all the edge you need to win in whatever battle you face !!!