The longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, discusses God’s authority. The author finds his greatest joy in knowing God and living under His sovereignty. He proclaims to the Lord, “You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees” (Psalm 119:68). When he describes God as “good,” he doesn’t simply mean decent and well-behaved. He refers to good in the sense of a meal being good (it’s delicious and healthy), a story being good (it’s gripping and insightful), or an investment being good (it’s reliable and yields a generous return). God is good, His actions are good, and His authority benefits us: delicious, healthy, gripping, insightful, reliable, and rewarding. Psalm 119 states, “Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart” (v. 111).
If you prefer God to stay out of your affairs and desire no authority but your own, you won’t feel what the author of Psalm 119 experienced, you won’t seek what he sought, and you won’t believe what he believed. However, if you’re open to hearing more from someone who cherishes God and values living under his authority, God’s Holy Spirit can awaken within you a desire for God, a joy in his authority, and a vibrant belief in him. Psalm 119:18 says, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”
Psalm 119 expresses delight in God and a desire to know Him better, becoming more attuned to His authority. The psalm begins with, “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart” (Psalm 119:2). Why is it a blessing to live under God’s authority? One reason is that this aligns you with reality. God is the supreme being you are not. His authority directs the universe; you do not. Jesus came to earth preaching the kingdom of God, announcing His authority and kingship while directing and blessing our lives. If you believe this good news and willingly live under Christ’s kingship, you will rise higher. However, if you disregard God’s authority, you will crash and burn.
“A pilot was practicing high-speed maneuvers in a jet fighter. She adjusted the controls for what she believed was a steep ascent — and flew straight into the ground. She was unaware that she had been flying upside down. This serves as a parable for human existence today,” writes Dallas Willard. “Most of us, as individuals, and world society as a whole, live at high speeds, often unaware of whether we are flying upside down or right-side up.” Lives become shattered when we disregard God’s authority and the guidance of His Word. We damage our health, our families, our culture, and our dignity, ruining one thing after another. If we never figure out which way is up, we risk crashing into hell forever. We need to discern what’s up and what’s down. When we desire and accept God’s rule and authority, we can fly right-side up.
