Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction. (v. 18)
The word of God is like spiritual food for our souls and many in the church are starving from a lack of sustenance. It is not that the word is unavailable, but that they don’t take the time to read and study it. We should have a daily intake of God’s word and allow it to feed our souls. However, another mistake that we often make is hurried bites of God’s word here or there. Reading a little devotional like mine in the morning is helpful, and hearing a sermon or a podcast is beneficial, but there is no substitute for deep, dedicated study of God’s word. Here the Psalmist prays that God would open his eyes so that he could “contemplate wondrous things.” That word “contemplate” speaks of deep meditation and it is a spiritual discipline that we all need to master.
Too often our readings of Scripture are rushed and cursory at best. We skim a chapter and think that we have done enough. It is kind of like taking a single bite out of a biscuit as we run out the door to work in the morning and saying we have eaten breakfast. Yes, we have eaten something, but will it nourish us? God is calling you to a seven-course meal where you take time to eat, enjoy, and fill yourself. We must set aside large chunks of time to read God’s word and then meditate on it. We should contemplate the wondrous things that come from Scripture and mull them over in our hearts so the Spirit of God can speak to us through His word. Incredible insights and life-changing understanding are waiting for you, but it takes time, desire, and hard work to meditate on it and unlock all that is there.
