Scripture That Stops You in Your Tracks
"Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them." — Psalm 119:129
Have you ever read something in Scripture that stopped you in your tracks—not because you fully understood it, but because you didn’t? That’s the kind of "wonderful" the psalmist is talking about here. God’s words are a miracle, not just because they’re true but because they’re extraordinary, even hard to grasp.
When the psalmist calls God’s testimonies wonderful, he’s pointing to their depth and richness, the way they show God’s goodness and declare His good news. It’s the kind of wonder that keeps drawing you back, like exploring a world that feels endless—where every mountain reveals a new valley, and every door opens to another room.
Charles Spurgeon put it perfectly: “Those who know them [the Scriptures] best, wonder at them most.”
Why Are God’s Words So Wonderful?
God’s words are alive. They’re not just text on a page; they’re God-breathed. They instruct, convict, correct, and train us to live in a way that aligns with who God is and who He’s shaping us to be (2 Timothy 3:16).
But it’s more than just instruction—it’s revelation. God’s Word isn’t wonderful just for what it tells us to do but for who it reveals: Jesus. He is the Living Word, and Isaiah calls Him Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6). So when we open the Bible, we’re not just reading words; we’re encountering the One who embodies everything wonderful about God.
The more time we spend in Scripture, the more we see the wonder of God’s character, promises, and grace—and the more we’re drawn into awe of Jesus Himself.
It reminds me of Psalm 119:17-18:
"Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things from Your law."
That’s the kind of prayer I want to bring every time I read Scripture: God, show me the wonder here. Let me see what You see.
Keeping What We Treasure
Here’s the connection the psalmist makes: because God’s testimonies are wonderful, my soul keeps them.
Not just my mind, or my actions—though those matter, too—but my soul. That’s the core of who I am. And keeping something at that level takes more than memorization; it means treasuring it, guarding it, letting it shape me.
Thomas Watson once said, “Prize this book of God above all other books.” That line got me thinking: you can’t keep what you don’t highly prize. If I’m not treasuring God’s Word, how can I hold onto it in a way that shapes my life? But when I do prize it, it starts to sink deeper, touching my emotions, desires, and even the parts of me that I don’t always understand.
So What?
Here’s what this verse has me thinking about:
Start with Wonder: When I open the Bible, am I expecting to see something wonderful? Do I come ready to explore or just check a box?
Stay Curious: God’s Word is full of layers, like a never-ending story. I want to slow down and let myself discover the connections and insights that aren’t obvious at first glance.
Let It Change Me: It’s not enough to admire the Word; I need to live it. If it’s truly wonderful, it should change the way I think, feel, and act.