Radiant

"The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes."
Psalm 19:7-8

Perfect, trustworthy, right and radiant are the poetic words used to by David to sing the praises of God's Word revealed to him in the Law. Immediately following David's song of praise to the glory of God seen in the gift of His creation, he goes on to sing a song of praise for God's gift of His law. Perhaps the most telling of these adjectives to me (at least on this day) is radiant.

Radiant is probably a word that we have not often used to describe God's written Word. It's a word that evokes strong feelings. In fact, this beautiful word might be quicker used to describe a sunset, or a bride on her wedding day, or perhaps even a child's smile. Though I love the Bible, and cherish it as my only rule of faith and life, I must confess I have rarely thought of it with words that conjure up images of beauty. Truth be told, I have, over the years, found it difficult to understand, tedious, demanding, and ominous - images of radiance have not often jumped into my head. So where was David coming from in using the word radiant to describe the law? Can we really, in good conscience, use this word to describe the Book that we love today?

I think we can, and I will tell you why - the word radiant actually means emit light, or to beam it out. Something that is radiant, shines out light for all to see. In this sense the Bible is truly radiant, for it beams out the light of God's glory for all to see. In fact radiant fits right in with perfect, trustworthy and right, in that all four are words equally used to describe God. If the creation is God's way of generally revealing Himself to humanity, then the Word of God even more succinctly reveals to us what God is. When we indulge in the perfect, trustworthy, right and radiant law, we are given a glimpse into the very nature of God. His Word radiates His glory. To read the Bible is to know God.

Is it any wonder then that reading this Holy Word revives ones soul, gives wisdom to the simple, gives joy to the heart and light to the eyes - for to drink deeply of it is to fill up on the knowledge of the very nature of God.

I think every Christian knows and feels that they probably ought to read the Bible more frequently. In fact, over my years in ministry, it has been my experience (both personally, and from young and old alike) that many feel a lot of guilt over shoddy reading practices. I still find reading the Scriptures tedious at times, sometimes ominous, and more often than not, demanding. The thing that has freed me from guilt and nudged my nose deeper into the Book is the idea of its radiance. I no longer read because I feel I ought to...I read because I want to know and be known by my Faithful Father. I read to touch His glory, so that I might be a reflection of His glory for all to see. I read to say thank you.

Praise be to God for His radiant Word!

Be God's, Scott