Day 86, Year 1 Testimonies of God’s People and Works Bear Wisdom

“The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7 NASB)

In today’s verse, the word “law” is torah in Hebrew, which also means “instruction, or direction.” The word “restoring” is shub in Hebrew, which means “to return, to turn back.” Thus, the instruction and counsel of God is to turn back the “soul.” “Soul,” nephesh in Hebrew, indicates human mind, will, and emotions. In other words, God’s instructions can revive our minds and emotions because many thoughts and feelings of the naive have wandered, fainted, or fallen asleep in this crooked generation.

We can learn from the stories in the Bible the appropriate emotions and responses in various situations and things that please or displease God, thereby adjusting our own. For example, the New Testament references the account of Lot from the Old Testament, who lived in a sinful place and whose righteous soul was tormented day after day (2 Peter 2:8). The feeling of torment is probably God’s reaction to sin as well. Feeling pained by the pervasiveness of sin is a normal response. When we understand God’s reactions toward various things from the Bible, we can learn His instructions and regain a healthy mentality with normal psychological responses. Through meditating and reflecting on biblical examples, our minds and emotions could gradually be restored to normalcy with His direction.

“Testimony” in the second half of today’s verse, ‘eduth in Hebrew, also means “witness.” We could become wise when we read the Bible and understand God’s works, which are testimonies to His words and deeds, and subsequently comprehend the principles behind His actions. This is the major way for fools or simpletons to become wise because our narrow visions and knowledge will no longer confine us. To illustrate, some explained that Jesus and other servants of God could perform miracles because the eternal kingdom and God’s will and power intervene in earthly affairs beyond time constraints. This is also crucial to Jesus’ incarnation, resurrection, and ascension. In short, we could gain His wisdom through meditating on the essence of the events in the Bible.

Various marketing or online materials claim to help people know God better. Yet only a small number of materials can actually help us better understand the Bible’s spiritual principles and wisdom. We must carefully analyze different materials and choose those consistent with the Spirit in the Bible.

Reflection questions:

1) From the past to the present, have God’s instructions and counsel been able to lead you back to the path of restoring emotional and mental normalcy?

2) What are some things in your faith that seem feasible but are unrealistic in a spiritual sense? Are there things around you and in your heart that need to be removed because they do not help you to know God better?