The Words of Eternal Life

A Reflection on the Psalm for Sunday, March 3rd, 2024:
Third Sunday of Lent

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Psalm 19

R: Lord, you have the words of eternal life.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple.

R: Lord, you have the words of eternal life.

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes.

R: Lord, you have the words of eternal life.

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

R: Lord, you have the words of eternal life.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb. 

R: Lord, you have the words of eternal life.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Before I gave my life to Christ, my relation to God’s word did not reflect the words of the Psalmist. It wasn’t sweeter than honey or finer than gold. Reading the words of the Scripture certainly didn’t rejoice my heart. I did love the Old Testament as a kid — a source of endless trivia. I approached it the same way I approached the Lord of the Rings, with fascination for all the names, battles, and drama. But fascination isn’t the same thing as joy. 

When I read the Scriptures as a kid, I often skipped over the Psalms. The poetry was beautiful but struck me as repetitive. When we sang them in Church, that reinforced my opinions. When it came to the Gospel, I read about Jesus the same way I read about other good men and women of history — there was something to be learned so that I could be inspired to achieve big things or fight against injustice. But again, there was nothing I could see that made this book that special.

That was of course compounded by how I heard and experienced the Scriptures outside of Church. Some people quoted it out of context. Other people shared it with me earnestly. Both misuse and genuine attempts at evangelization fell on deaf ears. I was numb to the words and to the Word speaking through the Scripture.

After I gave my life to Christ, everything changed. Whatever barrier had been in my heart crumbled. I returned to the Scriptures, which I had read so many times before my conversion seeking meaning, and found in it not some trite life lessons, but a true encounter with God through these words of eternal life.

I saw and understood something about the Bible as a whole that had eluded me when I only read it with the eyes of my heart closed. The Scriptures contain the story of God’s boundless love and mercy for His people. And the Psalms are the movement of the heart of David, a microcosmic view of God’s love at work. David fails. David is flawed. But God works in and through him. When David says the Lord has the words of eternal life, he says that with the experience of a person who has had the love story of the Scriptures breathed into his life. The Psalms, which I had always skipped before, became a place of refuge for me as I worked to let God move in every part of my life.

In the words of Scripture, I encounter the Word who is Jesus. His breath moves in and through these precious words. As I read this Psalm, I encounter Him again and am reminded to keep seeking Him where He may be found. His Words in the Scripture fill my lungs with His Spirit. Now that I have the eyes to see it, all I can see is that they are finer than gold, sweeter than honey, and always working to enlighten my eyes.




Stéphanie Potter

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