God’s law is God’s word. The love of God’s law is manifest in the careful listening, diligent reading, and daily meditation of His word. According to God’s command, we engrave it upon our hearts and walk in obedience.
Ezra, the scribe, was determined to examine and teach the law of God to the Israelites after their exile. The Israelites assembled "as one man" in the open square to hear Ezra expound upon the law from morning till noon. They were deeply moved and many wept (Neh 8:1). At the age of twelve, Jesus sat in the temple among the teachers, listening and asking questions. When Jesus grew up and taught the people, Mary sat at His feet to hear His words. All these are beautiful examples of those who love God’s law.
People who love God’s law have great peace. There are two kinds of peace we can experience. One is an outer peace that comes from good health, stability, and sufficiency—this type of peace is related to favorable circumstances. The second kind is inner peace—that is, peace that sustains us no matter what our circumstances may be. With this inner peace we can behave with perfect composure even during difficult situations. This type of peace is a refuge in times of storms.
According to the Scripture, nothing can make those who love the law of God stumble. There are also two kinds of stumbling. One is secular: it includes frustrations in school, marriage, or ambition. The other is spiritual—that is, stumbling on the path of salvation and forfeiting eternal life. Such spiritual stumbling is equivalent to forsaking the true God.
Almost everyone pursues external peace, but internal peace is more valuable. Inner peace allows us to experience heaven on earth. People whose hearts are set upon this world fear most stumbling in a material way. As Christians, however, we must be concerned with not making a spiritual fall—for that means eternal condemnation.
Intimacy with our Lord Jesus Christ produces an immense inner peace and a sure foundation for our journey to the heavenly kingdom. This is a blessing we can all experience as people who love God’s law.
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