May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

What does it mean to have rules? They are limitations on behavior, guidelines for punishment, instructions on who is right and who is wrong. Rules are obstacles to be skirted around and carefully maneuvered through, right?

Psalm 19 says differently; David has a spiritual perspective on the Law, on God’s rules for life. They don’t represent the repressive list of prohibitions of a strict taskmaster. Instead, the Law is reflective of God’s character. He is the one who orders the world, sets up the balance of his Creation, makes things move by his grand design. The law is not merely a list of “thou shalt not” commands. It is a snapshot of God’s pattern. He wants us to be similar to him in that regard. We ought to be orderly, carefully considering our choices and measured in our ways. The rules don’t hold us back. They guide our growth!

Ethan Kirl