(Psa) 119:97-103 CJB “How I love your Torah! I meditate on it all day. I am wiser than my foes, because your mitzvot are mine forever. I have more understanding than all my teachers, because I meditate on your instruction. I understand more than my elders, because I keep your precepts. I keep my feet from every evil way, in order to observe your word. I don’t turn away from your rulings, because you have instructed me. How sweet to my tongue is your promise, truly sweeter than honey in my mouth!”

If there is one lesson we must impress upon our children before they leave home, it is this. Degrees, careers, and accomplishments have value, but none of them will keep a young man or woman faithful to Christ. A heart that treasures God’s Word will.

The psalmist declares: “How I love your Torah!… I am wiser than my foes… I have more understanding than all my teachers… I understand more than my elders, because I keep your precepts.” (Psalm 119:97-103)

This isn’t arrogance.

It is confidence in the wisdom of God.

Love God’s Word More Than Human Wisdom

Every generation asks the same question:

How do we prepare our children for the world?

Today that question often centers on college.

Universities can provide valuable education and training. They can also become places where biblical truth is questioned, moral boundaries are blurred, and students are encouraged to exchange God’s authority for man’s opinions.

The greatest preparation is not simply academic excellence.

It is raising children who love God’s Word and believe it without apology.

Children who know:

• God’s creation account is true.
• God’s history is true.
• God’s plan of salvation is true.
• God’s promises are true.
• God’s warnings of judgment are true.

When Scripture becomes their authority, they are equipped to recognize ideas that oppose God rather than being carried away by them.

Love God’s Word and Gain True Wisdom

The psalmist says God’s Word made him wiser than his enemies, his teachers, and even his elders.

Why?

Not because he possessed a higher IQ.

Because he possessed a higher authority.

Knowledge gathers information.

Wisdom rightly applies truth.

Our culture celebrates knowledge while often rejecting the fear of the Lord, which Scripture says is the beginning of wisdom.

Young people who know God’s Word are able to discern truth from error, resist temptation, and recognize the empty promises of idols that cannot satisfy.

God’s wisdom is always greater than man’s brilliance.

Children Learn to Love What Their Parents Love

Perhaps the most searching question is not whether our children love God’s Word.

It is whether they see us loving God’s Word.

Children usually imitate what they consistently observe.

If they see parents who eagerly open the Scriptures…

If they hear parents discussing God’s truth around the dinner table…

If they watch parents faithfully worship with God’s people…

If they witness parents gladly obeying Christ…

They learn that God’s Word is not merely important.

It is precious.

We cannot expect our children to treasure what we treat as optional.

The Secret to Standing Firm

The goal is not to shelter our children forever.

Jesus sends His followers into the world.

Our prayer is that they will live among sinners without adopting sinful ways.

That they will seek the lost without becoming lost themselves.

That they will make disciples by teaching others to obey everything Christ has commanded.

The secret is not greater self-confidence.

The secret is a greater love for God’s Word.

When Scripture becomes sweeter than honey, obedience becomes a delight rather than a burden.

Those who treasure God’s truth will be prepared to stand firm wherever God sends them.

Run Today’s Play

• Ask, if my children or those I disciple copied my love for God’s Word, would they be prepared to stand firm in the world?
• Spend at least 20 uninterrupted minutes reading and meditating on God’s Word before turning to any other source of information.
• Have one intentional conversation with your child, grandchild, or another younger believer about why you trust the Bible as God’s completely trustworthy Word.