But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

   - James 1.25

For the law does not make one holy by hearing, but doubtless by performance; each should honour the Lord, not simply by words and bodily toil, but by ripeness of character and purity of heart.

   - Columbanus, Sermon II, Irish, 7th century

Notice how these two quotations position the Law of God as a kind of fulcrum between knowing the blessing of God and honoring Him with our lives.

We are blessed, having read and meditated in the Law, when we go forth to obey it in all our lives. As we do, the Spirit works within us to solidify righteousness in our souls so that we can honor the Lord by living according to His will.

How, then, can we possibly go wrong by making the reading and study of God’s Law an important part of our daily disciplines? The Law is the Law of liberty, as James says. It “liberates” us from slavery to sin into the power of God’s Spirit and the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Surely that’s a good thing?

The only way we can fail to know the blessing of God or to bring honor to Him is by ignoring the Law of God, contrary to Scripture’s advice (cf. Ps. 1). But isn’t this precisely where a great many of us are? We hear the apostle telling us that the Law of liberty will set us free from everything that keeps us from the blessing of God, if only we will consider it carefully and obey it promptly. And we hear the greatest saint of the Celtic Christian period telling us that performance of God’s Law will bring honor to the One Who has saved us by His grace.

This seems like pretty strong incentive for making time in God’s Law a daily priority. The Law is not a burden to weigh us down (1 Jn. 5.1-3); rather, it is a standard to lift us up, as the Spirit of God meets us in the Law, teaches it to us, and enables us to carry out all that it requires (Ezek. 36.26, 27).

Great adventures in blessing, and in bringing honor to God, await us, if only we will take up the Law of God.

Psalm 119.171-176 (Regent Square: “Angels from the Realms of Glory”)
With our lips we praise You, Jesus, for you teach us, full and free.
Now Your Word will ever please us; Your commandments true shall be.
Let Your hand come forth to ease us; we Your word choose gratefully!

For Your saving grace we plead, Lord, and Your Law is our delight.
We to live and praise You need, Lord, all Your help by day and night.
Straying sheep, we do not heed, Lord; come and seek us by Your might!

Heavenly Father, help me to keep Christ’s commandments in all things, and let my life shine forth in bright deeds to the people around me. Adapted from Sechnall, Audite Omnes Amantes