Recently the Holy Spirit convicted me of my habit of being a scoffer. Since then, my every thought or statement has been filtered through whether or not it is scornful. This has been work. But in the process he showed me a remedy: to delight in God’s character.

I used to delight in my own character

There was a good portion of my life that I thought I had some kind of reason to think I was better than everybody–if not everybody, at least most people. In some ways I had no self esteem issues, but truthfully I felt I needed to prove my value because I was so insecure.

I had done it all right, but I wasn’t alright. Like the religious leader who prayed to God about how great he was compared to the tax collector, I was ugly inside, and what’s worse–all my trying couldn’t pretty it up.

Our intrinsic value is based upon the worth that God himself places on us. He created all things–including us–for his delight and the fulfilment of his will (Revelation 4:11). It is not based on what we do or do not do.

To take it a step further, our value and place in the world are secure in him. We belong to him–first as his beloved creations, and then as part of his family by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus–the blood that takes away our sin and replaces it with his righteousness.

Meditating on–to the point of delighting in–God’s character will expel scorn

Our thoughts and our words travel up from our hearts.

The next verse of the psalm talks about the blessed man, who does not hang with the wicked, the sinners, and the scornful.
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

Let’s take just a minute to consider the law of the Lord. This is the law established through Moses; it is meant to keep the people close to God, teach them how to walk with him and to be holy. Woven into their daily experience are thousands of opportunities to remember that they are following this invisible God. Festivals and sabbaths and sacrifices remind them of their God’s mercy, justice, faithfulness, and unending covenant.

When Moses was on Sinai, God declared to him his own name: “The LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…” (Exodus 34:6 ESV)

This is the nature of God.

This is the nature we see in Jesus, “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3 ESV) They’re the same.

The one who constantly meditates on the law of the LORD keeps remembering who God is.

When we remember who he is and what he has done we make room in our thoughts for miraculous intervention. Because what is the Bible but stories of miraculous interventions!

This is why it is so vital for our soul’s life and health to share our stories–our testimonies. If God can show himself merciful to this one, then he can show himself merciful to that one! He healed this one, then he can heal that one! If he can set this one free, then he can set that one free! (You may replace “this one” or “that one” with your own name, by the way.) There are no exceptions.

If I delight in the merciful law of the Lord, I will delight in the way he loves others.

And I’ll be amazed at the way he loves me.

Do you know how comforting and stabilizing it is to know that he has established justice? Not only that, but he will execute justice–which means I don’t have any need to pronounce judgment on anyone else. [bctt tweet=” He will execute justice–which means I don’t need to pronounce judgment on anyone else.” username=””]

And the more I look at the law of the Lord, the perfect law that brings liberty (James 1:25), the more I delight to anticipate the way God alone can break through.

When I delight in the law of the Lord–his mercy, his justice, his unfailing love, his faithfulness and his kindness–is there really room for scorn?

This is not something I have mastered. I doubt I’ll ever get to that before I die. However, every single thought and word that I have produced in the past several weeks has been filtered through this revelation. It crushed me when I realized I have been scoffing my whole life.

But there is hope.

Mercy overcomes judgment

This summer our church hosted a week-long “Camp Overcomers.” This was basically a homegrown VBS program to encourage the kids that Jesus helps them overcome–because he has overcome. They learned this song from Elevation Worship, Overcome, complete with hand and dance motions. It was wonderful, and they still do the motions when we sing it as a congregation.

The chorus says, “And for every fear there’s an empty grave–the Risen One has overcome.”

There is an answer–an overcoming answer–for every fear, for every problem, and for every disaster and death.

[bctt tweet=”In response to every trial, weakness, fear, injury or place of darkness, we can appeal to God’s character. This is how we overcome. ” username=”cindymchen”]

We have a high priest who can sympathize with our weakness. (Hebrews 4:15) And he overcame every weakness and every sin. In Jesus God’s righteous justice and his tender mercy gave us the power to overcome in him.

This is not just about whether God can save a person’s soul from death and hell. No–he is so much bigger than that!

He has the power to bring resurrection power into every part of life. He offers identity to the uncertain. Love for the truth can grow in the heart of the one who can’t stop lying. Peace is available for the one who storms around in a cloud of anger. He can put courage in the heart of the one trapped by crippling anxiety.

When I consider the ugliness that has resided in my heart, and know how God has helped me, saved me, changed me, based on who he is, not on who I am–I have hope that he can do the same for anyone.

Really. Anyone.

He can even cleanse the tongue of the scoffer.

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on this law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:2)