In yesterday’s devotional, we began a series on “Wisdom for the New Year” and we talked about beginning with God. Today’s devotional which is a continuation from yesterday is on the study of God’s Word. 

Daily Devotional for Today (January 2, 2024) – Delight in the Law of the Lord

Scripture Focus: Psalm 1:2-3

After seeing the need to begin the year with God, it is important to consider that making the most out of the year is not guaranteed by beginning with Him but by staying with Him through the year. 

The Bible speaking in John 15:4 says;

One of the ways we can abide in Him and stay with Him for a prosperous and fulfilling year is by delighting in the law of the Lord which is His word. 

This is gotten from Psalm 1:2-3. 

We read this scripture a lot and enjoy memorizing it but what does it mean to delight in the law of the Lord? 

To delight in the law of the Lord is to find pleasure studying the word of God. Now, it does not end there. It is also about being willing to obey the word of God. 

It is one thing to study the word and it is another to do what the word says. 

The Bible says that; 

While you find excitement reading the word, learning about God, understanding the newness of life, becoming more life Jesus, knowing your place in God, and the many other benefits that comes with studying the word, make up your mind to be obedient to the instructions in the word. 

After all, the Bible says that 

Delighting in the law of the Lord is not without benefits. These are some of the benefits you stand to gain when you study the word of God:

Fruitfulness and Prosperity 

You will be like a tree that is planted by the rivers indicate fruitlessness. This principle is also seen in John 15 where Jesus expects us to bear fruits. The believer is expected to bear fruits and through diligent study and meditation on the word, this can be possible. 

Prosperity is also part of the bargain. However, this is not material prosperity alone. It is all-round prosperity. Prosperity in your relationship, career, job, finance, and otherwise. 

Wisdom 

Another interesting benefit of delighting in the law of the Lord is wisdom. You can get wisdom from God’s word and it is not just wisdom about God but every other thing. 

I have found that the quality of my interactions with my spouse, other people, my family, and others improved greatly when I studied scriptures on relationships and interactions. This is because I got wisdom from the scriptures. 

There are so many areas of our lives where we need God’s wisdom and if you are going to get it, you should study His word. 

Deliverance

Lastly for today’s devotional is deliverance. The Bible says;

There are times when something you know about God and His word can be the difference between life and death. It is like you are faced with a life-threatening situation and you remember one of the promises of God’s word that says you shall not die but live. Declaring that word can be all you need to survive – no prayer, just a declaration.

2025 will come with its challenges but they have nothing on the man who has made the law of the Lord his delight. 

Today, decide that you are going to give yourself to reading, studying, and meditating on the word of God daily. Yes, it has to be daily. Let no day go by without doing all three. 

January 2nd Prayers 

Pray these prayers before you go:

1. Father, I ask that you help me to fall in love with the study of your word. I pray today that I will love You more this year and place utmost priority on the study of the Word. 
2. Lord, open my eyes to behold the beauty of your word. Help me to understand. May the studying and reading of the word become more fruitful to my understanding from today, in the name of Jesus. 
3. Father, I ask for the grace to be obedient to your precepts and instructions. Help me Lord to be willing to do your word and obey your instructions. 
4. Father, I pray that today is blessed for my sake and all that I set my hands to do prosper as I delight in your law. Thank you, Lord, in the name of Jesus.