The Close Connection Between God and His Word

We’re closing down our series on God’s word called “Well Watered.” There was an idea that I repeated again and again, namely, that the point of knowing the Bible isn’t simply to know facts but rather to know God Himself. Remember, it’s about a relationship with God. You need the facts to be in relationship with Jesus Christ, but mere facts about Jesus don’t amount to a real relationship.
There were two verses (among many) that I pointed to in order to show the connection between knowing God and knowing His word.

Psalm 119:2 (ESV) - Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart.

Psalm 119:10 (ESV) - With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!

Notice how the psalmist in the first half of verse 2 is talking about keeping “his testimonies,” and then in the second half he speaks of seeking “him.” Why make the switch? Why doesn’t the second half of the verse read “who seek them with their whole heart”? Or what about verse 10? The first half references seeking “you” while the second half mentions not wandering from “your commandments.” The same switch as taken place. Why doesn’t the writer finish the second half of the verse with “let me not wander from you”?
The answer is found in the close connection between God and His word. At the heart of keeping God’s testimonies is seeking him. Keeping God’s word, that is, obeying it, isn’t just a master to-do list that’s meant to be mindlessly checked off. Seeking God with the whole heart is the opposite of wandering from His commandments. God and His commandments are not identical, but God’s commandments reflect who He is, so if we wander from His commandments, then we’re wandering from Him. Bible-reading is about a relationship, and disobedience, our sin problem, is a relationship problem.