In keeping them is great reward

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. Psalm 19:7-9

I guess I never read this Psalm with the right lens before, such a backwards and counter-intuitive mix of truth. When we see the word "law" do the words "reviving, rejoicing, enlightening" pop into your head right off? Is "delight" your first instinctual reaction? If you are anything like me the words that first spring to mind are words like "keep, break, fail, show my sin, forgive, grace". But the Psalmist says delight? How can the law, the harsh, sweaty, difficult, exhausting, nitpicky law that he knew so well, cause such glowing words? He wasn't living like us under the Law of Love. Or was he? He served the same God, who showed the same compassion, and poured out the same blessings, and gave the same grace to live uprightly before His face. Should his words really surprise us? The law IS reviving, He sets the high standard of holiness, unachievable, but also gives us the strength to meet it. His law IS cause for rejoicing, His blood has covered our sin, clothed and wrapped and close to our skin, we are enfolded by His love. His commandments ARE pure, we cannot see the nature of our own sin, without the glasses He places in our eyes, and we see not only our vileness and weakness, the true nature of our inadequacy, but also the faithfulness of His love for us. We can only revel and rejoice in His perfect law, because His mercy endures forever, His steadfast lovingkindness, His all sufficient grace. And out of that love, we can set our feet on the path of righteousness, grab the torch of holiness and run the race to the finish.