Psalm 110:129-138 – Making God’s Word our delight

“Pe,” the seventeenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabets commences Psalm 119:129-138. These verses promise delightful experiences for those who love the Word of God and seek to live it.  The Psalmist tells us that the testimonies in the Word of God are all crafted to bring wonders to one’s soul. The truths they provide are more than what could be explored and contained in one’s mind. As we take time to dwell on them, we, like the Psalmist, will be awed by the wisdom and benefits they provide. Hence we must love the Word and make it our habit to spend time meditating them.

When we interact with the Word of God and begin to understand them, we will feel as if a light had been switched on. It illuminates and brings enlightenment to us. So clear they would be that even it would make sense to the simple. The Word shed light on the way to do life effectively. As God’s loving believers, we must make the Word the road map in our complicated and complex world. It will help us successfully navigate our way in life.   

Verses 131 indicates the kind of attitude on how we must approach the Word to experience maximum benefit from it. We must come yearning to partake of it. The two words “panted and longed” suggest deep desires. That’s what we must start with as we come to study God’s Word. We are assured in verse 132 that God will give us an audience when we love Him and His teachings. Here the Psalmist reminded God of how graciously and mercifully he had dealt with those who loved His Word. So like them, he wanted similar experiences with Him.

Refusing to allow temptation and sin to dominate and rule his life, the Psalmist next asked to be guided to walk in the Word. There is a need to take the Word of God seriously. And as we do so, we know that He will order our steps. We can concur with the Psalmist that our lives are often constrained by the oppressive opinions of others. They hamper our freedom to live and exercise the precepts of the Word that we know to be right and true. When we fear man we will be snared. God can redeem us from this trap and we must seek it. Let’s love Him enough to boldly obey Him.    

The great benefit of knowing and applying the Word can never be over-emphasized. The Lord will make His face to shine on those who love and exercise His Word. We need to open up our heart so that His Word can light up our ways. As the Psalmist saw how people refused to take the Word of God seriously, it made him cry. It’s an indication of how much he truly loved the Word. Let’s take a moment to pause and reflect. How much do we love the Word of God? The degree we love it will determine the time we will spend studying it.  Let’s be a delight to God by delighting in His Word. 

Psalm 119:121-128 – Find security by living life as God’s Word has prescribed

Psalm 119:121-128 starts with Zayin, the sixteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabets. The Psalmist launched this portion with a prayer for God not to leave him unguarded before his oppressors. He used the way he had conducted his life as the basis for his plea to God, asserting that he had lived his life justly and righteously. It is certainly helpful to live such a kind of life. And this kind comes by considering God and the principles laid down in His Word. There can be no better surety than God, so the Psalmist asked God to be his surety and keep the oppressors from harassing him.

We sense the resoluteness of the Psalmist from what he said in verse 123. He asserted that “My eyes fail with longing for Your salvation and for Your righteous word.” He knew the power of God’s Word, and was certain that it could bring about salvation and righteousness. So he asked God to show mercy, which we have ascertained is not dealing with one according to what one deserves. That’s how God had always dealt with us. God knows that we are made of clay. Where would we be, had God dealt with us according to what we have done? Thankfully we are the recipient of His grace rather than His wrath. Grace is giving us what we don’t deserve and that’s what God has done. He is a great and wonderful God. So it’s not surprising that the Psalmist should ask to be mercifully dealt with. Apart from asking for mercy, the Psalmist also asked to be taught His statutes. This is by way of saying that his desire was to walk according to the decrees set in God’s Word. Having been granted mercy, it’s only natural to seek to walk in God’s way.  

Verse 125 affirms that spiritual truths need to be spiritually discerned. So the Psalmist sought for that ability. It’s true that to understand the ways of God, we need His illumination. We thank God for the Holy Spirit, the Divine helper Whom He had sent to come alongside us. He is the one to help us understand all truths. So every time we are stuck, we can call on Him to show us the instructions of God clearly. It is true that in the world of faith, there is great confusion. People had irresponsibly twisted and contorted the Word of God. The Psalmist knew that only God can give the remedy. In times like this, God’s intervention would be needed. So he asked God to intervene.

Verses 127 and 128 remind us that nothing could be compared with the Word of God.  The Psalmist reminds us that it is certainly more valuable than fine gold, a costly commodity. What can the Word of God be compared with? The author would have gladly traded all his gold for the truth of God’s Word. So it’s no wonder that he should esteem the Word of God and hate all false ways. What about us? The Word of God is absolute truth. Let’s seek to be fully acquainted with the Word and to live out the precepts daily.  

Psalm 119:113-120 – Loving the Word helps us to depart from evil

Samekh, the fifteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabets, starts off this portion of Psalm 119. Here the Psalmist expressed how he intensely disliked people who were double-minded. The opinions we entertain matter, because they reflect the kind of character we become. When the Psalmist talked about double-minded people he was referring to people who are indecisive, wavering with fluctuating sentiments and can’t stick to a good decision that they have made. In contrast to such people, the Psalmist stuck to the Word of God and loved it. It’s his way of saying that he pondered and studied the Word daily, and consistently lived them out. Frankly speaking we all do entertain vain thoughts occasionally. But we must learn never to dwell on them. What we think about all the time will either free us or ensnare us. Thus it’s wise to emulate the Psalmist and think about the Law and love it.

More than just merely black words on white paper, the Bible leads us to God. He is our best shield and protector. It is through the Word of God that we will be led to Him. He reveals Himself through the Word. That’s why the Word holds great hope before us.  Refusing to be influenced by people who were evil, the Psalmist stayed far away from them. He knew that the principles of God’s Word that he practiced weren’t congruent with the principles of those evil-doers. So he wanted to have nothing to do with people who practiced those evil principles.   

The Psalmist’s desire to walk uprightly according to the Word of God led him to pray for strength to be able to uphold his way of living. He was sure that God would be able to help him stay a faithful witness to the hope he had obtained. He refused to entertain the thought of being a disgrace to the hope he professed. This is the kind of God-pleasing attitude we should also adopt. Like him we must seek God to sustain and keep us safe so that we can continually honor Him, and uphold the standards He had ordained in His Word.        

In verses 118-119 we see a warning to people who have scant regard for God’s Word. Such people would accommodate deceit that God hates and cannot tolerate. He will deal with them. Nothing escapes the sight of God. He can see through man’s pretense and hypocrisy. The best way to show that we love the Word of God is to practice it. Ultimately God will remove all the wicked of the earth. Hence it pays to love God and His Word. The judgments that God will pour out on people who love wickedness is a fearful thing. When we love God and walk according to the His Word, we need not fear his judgments. But there’s a kind of fear that we should cultivate: a reverential fear for the Lord. We should live in awe of Him. It will help us to treat Him with respect and walk circumspectly before Him. Thankfully we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. And in practicing His Word daily, we are being honed and transformed to be more and more like Him.    

Psalm 119:105-112 – Let’s be guided by the Word of God!

Nun is the fourteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabets and it starts off Psalm 119:105-112. Here the Psalmist showed clearly that the Word of God had guided and directed him in his life’s journey. It illuminated his ways so that the routes he had to walk were clearly lit to keep him from stumbling. Ever since the fall, man’s capacity to make the right choice concerning how to go about life has been severely hampered. As believers we now have the Word of God to guide us. Without the Word of God illuminating our path, we would be wandering in darkness. Verse 105 makes perfect sense. It shows us how needful we are of the Word of God so that we can be guided onto the right pathway.   

It is one thing to make a resolution but quite another to declare it. Here the Psalmist declared what he had already made up in his mind. A good way to ensure that we keep a decision we have made is to make it known. This was precisely what the Psalmist did. He was bent on keeping what he had decided and declared. Verse 107 shows us that the Lord is the best person to turn to when we are in affliction. This was what the Psalmist did. He turned to God and the promises that He had made in His Word. He believed that he would be made alive in God. What a wise move! What marvelous example for us should we face hard times. And like him, we should also freely offer to Him our praise and prayer, the offerings of our mouth, as we humbly seek His help to discern the next step to take.  

Verse 109 gives us a clue on how to remain steadfast in the Lord. He did so by not forgetting the Law, the Word of God. It suggests that he had continually filled his thought with scriptures. He memorized them and stored them somewhere in his mind. In times of difficulty, he just recalled the promises that God had made in His Word. It is as if the Word had been written on his heart and fixed in his mind. He had no difficulty in making right choices because he was full of the Word. What a way to do life!    

The people who oppose God may also want to ensnare us, His followers. They would seek to stumble us. But the safeguard for us is the Word of God. When we have studied and are acquainted with God’s ways we will know how to avoid their traps. Bear in mind that our greatest heritage is the treasure of God’s Word. The principles will keep our heart rejoicing in the ways of God. So like the Psalmist let us incline our heart to apply His word to the very end. Let’s make and keep a lifetime commitment to God and His Word.      

Psalm 119:97-104 – Cultivate a passion for the Word

Psalm 119:97-104 began with “mem” the thirteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabets.  Here the Psalmist reaffirms his love for the Word of God which is referred to here as the Law. His life had been sustained by the instruction from God’s Word that he had meditated, and seeking to live them out. The love the Psalmist spoke about here is the kind that is attended to by deep passion and intensity. It comes with strong enthusiasm, zeal and vehemence that he would do everything for it. Hence he was consumed by the Word and he dwelt on them all the time.   

The Word of the Lord, without equal, always makes one wise. Hence, the Psalmist asserted that it made him wiser than all his enemies. And this wise Word of the Lord was never out of his mind. He always thought and consider every word it says. If we are to live wisely there is no substitute for the Word. The Word has better insight from any teacher because what it provides are absolute truths. Teachers may give opinions, but the Word gives unchangeable truths. Because the Psalmist kept what the Word had instructed, he was able to demonstrate more understanding than more experienced people. The Word of the Lord had directed him in the right path hence he was kept and preserved from distraction to evil. By coming to the Word, the Psalmist was excellently taught.

Guided by God’s Word, we can live a full life that is pleasing to Him. And we will have a better perception of life. Through the Word, we have real understanding into the different facets of living. Our views of things and people are rightly aligned. We understand our destiny better and thus are better in charting our course in life. The secret to walk in the will of God for us lies in knowing and understanding the Word of God. How else can we know and understand its instructions, unless like the Psalmist, we make it our business to discover them and to apply them to our daily living moment by moment. We will be kept on course by living out the Word.

Psalm 119:89-96 – God’s Word is our security

Lamedh, the twelfth letter of the Hebrew Alphabets, starts Psalm 119:89-96, dealing with the truth that the Word of God is forever sure and settled. It will always stay relevant to God’s people because it will never change. This is the assertion of the Psalmist. In life everything changes. Everything grows old and becomes less effective, but the word of God stays current and permanent. The potency of God’s Word can never be minimized. He spoke and the word came into order. His Word established the earth.

Not only is God’s Word powerful, it is also faithful and full of integrity, because it’s the Word of our faithful God. He has never failed in any generation. His people, regardless of the period of time they existed, have experienced the blessing of His gracious and merciful Word. His people have and will always experience the promises made in His Word. From Genesis, we know that God brought about the heaven and earth by His Word. The Psalmist here tells us that he had established the earth meaning it will remain forever. Think of it this way, He had placed earth rotating in the orbit after He had created it, and it had remained there rotating ever since.

Everything is subjected to God the Creator. We and everything He had created, exist to serve God’s pleasure. The whole order moves at God’s command and functions according to what He had made them to do. The Psalmist affirmed that He was sustained by God’s Word. He acknowledged that had he not made the law of God His delights, he would have perished under the heavy weight of the afflictions he underwent.  Like him, we must realize that our life and the duration we live, are in God’s hand. Hence it is wise to yield to Him our every moment in life. And again like him, we must never forget the precepts God had set in His Word. Everything God says energizes life. It brings spiritual health and vitality.  

The wonderful truth is: we belong to God. And when we recognize that, we are preserved because we will seek to live by the principles of His Word. As we seek to understand and live them out, we are incrementally influenced by them to live life rightly. And as we continue to do so, we find sustenance in Him. As God’s people we may have to encounter foes who oppose the God we worship and serve. They harbor wicked intention against us. Some may even scheme our destruction. No matter what they do we should never be distracted from God’s Word. We choose to stand by the testimonies of God’s Word against the fear of threats we encounter.           

  

On earth nothing is perfect. Everything will come to an end. In contrast the Word of God is perfect and will last forever. It is broad in that it permeates every area of life and will continue to endure. It is applicable for time and eternity, to guide and direct us into the fullness of God’s purpose for us. It helps us align to His plan and programs. It is effective and is adequate for now and forever. It is full of integrity and will never lead us into deception but to the true state of being with God.

   

We are imperfect but we have a perfect God and the legacy of His perfect Word. It behooves us therefore to come to His Word to read, study, meditate, memorize and apply. The more we do so, the more we will find our security in Him, in an imperfect world full of uncertainty.    

Psalm 119:81-88 – Hold on to God’s Word tenaciously

Psalm 119:81-88 starts with “Kaph,” the eleventh letter of the Hebrew Alphabets. These verses describe the desperate cry of the Psalmist in affliction. He was obviously in fear, brought about by his weakness and his foes. His heart seemed to be fainting for fear but his hope was not. Though he was thick into his bleak and dry situation, his eye never stopped focusing on the Word of God. He refused to give up on it. He was clearly confident that what God had promised in His Word will come to pass. It’s undeniable that the Word of God is a sure and faithful guide to peace and security.  

The Psalmist made it very sure in verse 81 that although he was seriously wearied by his weakening soul, he held fast to the Word of God in great hope. He refused to turn away from it, believing the God who had never failed in His promises would break through bringing salvation and deliverance. He was longing for the moment of comfort and relief that the Word promised. He refused to give up even though his eyes were growing weary and dim. The Psalmist was honest with his feeling. He was wishing that the deliverance of God would come sooner. Won’t we yearn for the same thing if we were in similar circumstance?

Obviously the Psalmist felt debilitated by his situation. He used the illustration of a leather water bottle, dried and cracked up and brittle, to describe his desperate condition. Even in that condition he was thinking of God’s decree and did not let it out of his sight. He refused to forget God’s Word. Verse 84 suggests that the Psalmist was under relentless attacks and so was longing for God’s immediate deliverance. He was aware that vengeance belonged to the Lord and that He would be the One who would repay it. So he wished for God’s intervention soon.  

The author of this Psalm knew that the arrogant people, who came against him and scheming his demise, would have nothing to do with God’s Word. He was aware that they were laying traps for him so that he could be ensnared and destroyed because of their disregard for God and His Word. Yet the Psalmist refused to give up on the Word and commandments of God. He was confident in the integrity of the Word because of the faithfulness of God. Though his experience might appear contrary to the promise of God’s Word, he would still rely on the Word of God and was sure the help would come. And even though if they should bring him to the very end of his existence, he would not give up holding on to the sure principles of God’s Word. The Psalmist asked to be sensitized to God’s mercy even in the relentless attacks of his enemies. His one passionate desire was to be able to live out the Word of God and be a testimony of God’s goodness.    

It is said that crisis makes a man and this is true. Yes, crisis does make a man in that it strengthens his character and builds his resolve. But more than that, crisis also reveals what a man is made up of. The crises that this Psalmist went through drew him closer to the Word of God. It could do so only because he had connected himself with God through the Word. This portion of Psalm 119 shows us how we can build a life by tenaciously holding on to God's Word so that we can weather the storm of adversity effectively.           

Psalm 119:73-80 – We are made by God for His delight

“Yodh” is the ninth letter of the Hebrew Alphabets, and it starts Psalm 119:73-80. The Psalmist began by affirming that God had made and fashioned us to serve Him. It is obvious that we are made for His pleasure. That’s why the Westminster Shorter Catechism said that, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”  Thus we need to come to Him continually and plead for understanding to know and apply His instructions. The Psalmist’s desire was to be an inspiration to those who fear and honor the Lord. He was to be an instrument to gladden the hearts of the people who see the Words come to pass, because He obediently kept them.

Here the Psalmist let us know his confidence in God and His judgments. He knew that every tough situation and affliction could be traced to God’s faithfulness in dealing with him. He knew with assurance that God had his good in mind. The affliction would only reveal God’s faithfulness even more clearly. Undoubtedly, afflictions are often forces allowed by God for his ultimate good. When we go through an affliction, perceive the final outcome, don’t focus on the process. 

God had promised to mercifully see us through any affliction. And according to the promises made in His unfailing Word, He will bring the comfort. We can be sure of His love, grace and kindness in dealing with us. The request of the Psalmist was not for the affliction to be removed but for strength, wisdom and endurance to go through the trial and learn the intended lessons. Verse 77 seems to suggest that the Psalmist was undergoing a great trail. Knowing that God is in control, he requested for mercy so that he might come through the trial unscathed. The basis of his plead was because the Word of God was his delight. He had cultivated a friendship with God, and had delighted himself in God’s Word. He was not pleading on personal merit but on the promise of God made in His Word.

The affliction this Psalmist was going through was being taken advantage of, by people who dealt with Him deceitfully and dishonestly. He asked that they be confounded. But he refused to be overly disturbed by their mischief but would rather meditate on precepts derived from God’s Word. In verse 79, he yearned to be in the company of godly people. His desire was to associate with the godly who fear God. He wanted them as his companion in the journey of life and faith. These people would be excellent model for they had experienced and witnessed God’s working in their lives.  A principle for us to learn from here: make friends with like-minded people who love the Lord. Don’t run with the turkey and the skunks. There’s an American saying that we should take heed: If we run into a skunk, we will smell like a skunk. 

What we need is for a heart like this Psalmist. He yearns to be sincere in His relationship with God. He knows he needs to rightly harness his heart for it’s the source of our action in life. When our hearts are properly developed by sound principles of God’s Word, we will not be led astray and be disgraced. Let’s guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.    

Psalm 119:65-72 – The faithfulness of God and His Word in trials and testing

With “Teth”, the ninth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, the Psalmist starts Psalm 119:65-72.  To set the foundation right, we need to know that God is constantly dealing with us human, because we are undeniably His people. Two facts affirm this: firstly, it is because He has created each one of us. Our breath came from Him. Paul in his sermon on Mars Hill in Acts 17:27 said that, “(God) He Himself gives to all people life and breath.” And in verse 28, he said again that “…in Him (God) we live and move and exist….” He is the source of every life. Secondly, for us believers in Christ, we are His people because He had acquired us for Himself through Christ Jesus. Through Him we are transferred out of the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of His marvelous light. So it should come as no surprise to know that He deals with us all the time. For people who are not conscious that they are His, He will use the circumstances to lead them to Himself. For those of us who already know we belong to Him, He will use circumstances and events that happen to us to horn and shape our character, so that we will reflect Him clearer.     

In these verses of Psalm 119, the Psalmist saw himself as God’s servant. And these verses also become applicable to us His people, who have given ourselves over to Him to serve His purpose. Thus He is dealing with us all the time. And in fact He deals with us far better than we actually deserve. Without a doubt, His intention towards us is good and His action towards us is love. He deals with us according to His Word. There are many people who have knowledge but few have sound judgment. But when we possess both, we will be safeguarded against the snares of the devil and be equipped to serve Him better. So like the Psalmist, we should ask to be taught judgment and knowledge, and be instructed by His Word. Verse 67 suggests that the Psalmist went astray at one point until he recognized the purpose of his affliction. Wisely, he saw through the affliction and knew the intention of God and return to the right path taught by His Word. He repented from his past and stayed on course with His Word. Be reminded that repentance from our wrong should help us to get on to the right path to walk obediently according to His Word.

  

God is good and His actions toward us are always good.  He acts and deals with us based on His wonderful attributes. In saying that He is good, the Psalmist here acknowledges that God is faithful, compassionate, just and yet merciful. These attributes of God are appealing and creates the desires in us to want to learn how to walk in those instructions. And like the Psalmist, we may have to face untruth spread about us by our proud opponents, but we can refuse to be stumbled by them. We can choose to persist in the teachings of God with our whole heart. To say that the opponents’ hearts are covered with fat is to say that their hearts are so thickly insulated that no truth could penetrate to change them. In contrast to them, we with receptive hearts are able to delight in God’s Word.

Verses 71-72 reveal how we could be helped when we rightly appraise our affliction. Just like the Psalmist, we must learn to see God’s intention through our afflictions. Testing in life can make us better. It should never make us bitter. God has a purpose for us through them. Here we remember the words of Job 23:10: “When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” This tells us that through tough time God purifies us, and works to get us on track with Him and His Word. And we will soon realize how valuable His Word is. His teachings are truly more valuable than gold or silver. We must make them a delight in our life. 

Psalm 119:57-64 – God and His Word must be our prized possession

This portion of Psalm 119 begins with Heth, the eighth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. And the key thought is about sincerely making the Lord the main allotment of one’s personal life and possession. To such a person nothing apart from the Lord will deeply satisfy him or her. Here the Psalmist wholeheartedly prayed to stay focused and in total alignment with God’s Word, will and plans for his life.

 

Nothing can ever be better than the Lord. Like this Psalmist, we too must determine to keep Him as the prize possession in our life. He must always be the strength of our life and to be preferred above all our earthly inheritance. So like him, we must also yearn for the mercy of the Lord as we rely on the promises made in His Word. Cultivate determination, so as not to be side-tracked and go off track. We must chart our path carefully according to His instruction and then faithfully and obediently keep them. We can be sure of God’s graciousness. Hence, we must stay confident that in His mercy, He will keep His promises.  

 

The path one takes in life has consequences. So verse 59 suggests that the Psalmist had made a comparison of his personal preferred directions and the ways of God. He could see clearly the better and more superior direction. Having carefully considered, he chose to turn his feet and walk in God’s prescribed directions. He did not reluctantly follow once he had discovered the better path, he hastened to keep that track in line with God’s commandments. He did not delay but immediately complied with them. We must emulate the Psalmist to be urgent in discovering God’s ways and to hasten to keep them. 

 

Like the Psalmist we must not forget God’s instruction, even when we are surrounded and threatened by people who harbor ill-intention, seeking to derail us. As we stay true to God’s ordinances, we have occasion to give thanks. In saying that he would give thanks at midnight, the Psalmist was portraying that his thanksgiving was a personal one. It was not done to impress others. He sincerely wanted to thank the Lord and would make it a personal affair between him and God. The Psalmist also chose carefully the people he would run with. They are the people who fear the Lord and are morally upright. He chose not to run with the rich and mighty, and neither the wicked nor the ungodly. So must we! Recognizing that the Lord is full of mercy, like the Psalmist, let’s ask to be taught His decrees. Yes, our heart and our flesh may fail us, but God will never, He shall be our portion forever!

 

Psalm 119:49-56 – The Word brings comfort in times of affliction

Remember that Psalm 119 is an Acrostic Psalm with 22 stanzas. Each stanza begins with a Hebrew Alphabet. The seventh stanza, verses 49-56, begins with Zayin, the seventh Hebrew Alphabet. In these verses, the Psalmist had hope in God because he remembered God’s word to him. And thus he was comforted even in his affliction because he was revived by God’s word to him. The Word of God always gives hope and is the one thing we can rely on in life. The life of the patriarch Abraham is a classic example of how the word of promise from God gave him great hope. The Bible tells us that he did not waver in hope but trusted God to fulfil all that he was promised. Thus fortified by God’s word, he was able to endure great affliction.  

Verse 52 indicates that the Psalmist had to endure scoffing from proud people who came against him, yet he was not derailed by them. He remained steadfast to the instruction given by God. Living and working among non-believers, we do come across profane and proud people who would jest about our faith in God. We must not be unsettled by their scoffing. Like the author, we must continue to make a habit of applying God’s word and make them the rule for our life. The Psalmist here also recalled the way God’s past dealings with the wicked, he was comforted. He could endure the time given him by those who jeered at him.  It is a good thing to constantly reminisce the things God had done for us and brought us through. They can fortify our hope in Him and comfort us in times of difficulty.

Again we see that the Word of God continues to comfort him. How quickly some forget the blessings of the past. It is good to look back and see the blessings of the past. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will still bless us, if we will only believe. In verse 53, the Psalmist tells us what horror would happen to God’s people who abandon His Word. It’s a warning not to turn away from God and His Word. For they can insulate us from the horror of sorrow and distress and unassailable storms of life. Those who have the Word of God and lay hold of its promises find themselves protected even though they had to face those storms. The Psalmist made the word of God his songs as he journeyed with God. Like him we can learn to sing scriptures in songs and find our hope in God greatly enhanced as we walk with Him. Not only did the Psalmist make songs out of the Word, he would also constantly ruminate over them and consider how to steadfastly apply them. He found great pleasure and delight just ruminating and recalling the principles of God.

The experience of Jeremiah affirmed these words. When he recalled God’s faithfulness he had hope even in the face of great afflictions. His experience was captured in Lamentation 3:19-23, where he said,

“Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.”

Let’s abandon ourselves to God and trust in His promises. We must constantly ponder God’s Word and promises so that they can be our guide and source of strength in time of great testing.  

Psalm 119:41-48 – Living in the liberating power of the Word

Psalm 119:41-48 begin with the sixth Hebrew Alphabet “vav”. These verses affirm the mercy and salvation of the Lord as declared in His Word. The Psalmist prayed to fully experience them. The mercy of God was fully demonstrated when He sent His only begotten Son to earth, to live and die for us. This is the epitome of mercy, God not giving us what we truly deserve. Remember we are sinners fallen short of God’s prescribed standard. And we deserve to be condemned to destruction. But God chose to shower upon us His grace i.e. He gave us what we don’t deserve. He commended His love towards us, sending Christ Jesus His only Son to die to redeem us from our sins. This is a great demonstration of His mercy. And we dare not presume on them. So the Psalmist, though not living in the dispensation of the New Testament, laud the mercy and salvation of God promised in His Word. Hence he was not afraid to face any reproach for placing His trust in the Word of God. He knew that in trusting the Word of God had placed him on the path of His favor.

Because of his explicit trust in the Word, his desire was to always declare it. In verse 43 he was actually declaring his wish to keep on proclaiming the Word where his hope had rested. It is by way of saying that the Word would never be removed from His declaration. Like him we must not only continuously proclaim the eternal Word of God but also daily, constantly and habitually keep them. The term ‘liberty’ more specifically refers to the wide, spacious life in the Lord. By choosing to walk in that space of liberty in keeping with God’s precepts, the Psalmist was assured a life of freedom, unrestraint by sin.  

For one who had experienced the liberating power of God’s Word, it would not be a surprise for him to have boldness to declare them, even before people of great authority.  The Psalmist would unabashedly declare the Word. Like him, we who have tasted of God’s goodness in His word, should never be afraid to witness for Him before royalties or commoners. The Psalmist would continue to delight in God’s commandments and demonstrate his love for it. In saying that he shall lift up his hand is virtually saying that he would praise God and His commands. He would love them and also muse about them and the precepts and teachings. He was sure that in them he would find God’s liberating life. What a way to live! In living the Word of God, we will find freedom to honor God. Yes, His truth will set us free. And we, whom the Son has set free by His liberating truth, shall be free indeed!  

Psalm 119:33-40 – Overcoming covetousness with God’s Word

This portion of Psalm 119 starts with “He” the fifth of the Hebrew Alphabets. The Psalmist realizes that the way to clearly understand the Word of God is to depend on God Himself, the real author of the Word. We know that it’s the Holy Spirit who illumines the Word of God, and give us insight and understanding. Here the term ‘statutes’ has to do with personal application of the Word. In other words, the Psalmist wants divine assistance to enable him to see clearly the intention of God through His revelation, so that he can apply them to his life.

In reading these verses, we can sense the Psalmist’s deep desire to walk and live according to the Word of God. Notice all the action words: teach me, give me, make me, incline my heart, turn my eyes, revive me, establish me and, etc. One of the things we believers need to constantly battle with in our pilgrimage is covetousness. The world has much attraction and we can sense the lure to gravitate towards worldliness. The Psalmist here shows us the best remedy to this pull.    

It is the Spirit who will give us understanding of the Word of God, and also enables us to keep them. But there must be the desire to want to observe them. It is one thing to read the Word as a duty and another to truly desire it. Without desire, our coming to the Word will become a chore and passionless, and we will be lethargic when it comes to applying the precepts. Reading and understanding the Word is a divine-human collaboration. It requires active participation and also a deep reliance on God Himself to reveal His heart through the Word. The Psalmist knows the need to depend on the Lord and hence in verse 35, he asked the Lord to make him go in the direction of His commandments.

Realizing that the natural inclination of his heart was toward covetousness, the Psalmist asked the Lord to bend His heart and inclination toward the witness of His Word. A heart that is not bent toward God will be easily lured away by covetousness and materialism. Hence it’s needful to ask God to give us a divine inclination to desire His Word.  We can understand why the Lord taught us to pray that we be not led into temptation but to be delivered from evil.  

One avenue the devil often exploits and causes us to stumble is our sight. When he is able to keep us focused on the vain things of this world we will soon be enticed. Wasn’t this what happened to Eve? When she was over engrossed on the forbidden fruit, she soon forgot God’s instruction not to partake of it. Our eyes are the windows to our soul.  It’s imperative that we have them focused on God’s Word and not the vain experiences that the world seems to provide. Let’s turn our focus on God and His Word.     

We detect the Psalmist’s yearning for spiritual depth in verse 38. Anyone who wants, and is devoted to walk in reverential fear and awe of the Lord, need to grow deep root in God. It is the experiential knowledge and application of the Word of God that will give us the depth and latitude to ensure spiritual stability. It keeps us from stumbling by the less valuable things of this world. If we want to serve God with reverence and fear, we need to grow deep in the Word. If we have no depth in His Word, we may end up polarizing toward the reproach of this world. This is something the Psalmist wants to avoid. And so must we. In verse 39, the Psalmist asserted that the judgments or the things prescribed in the Scripture are good. They are good because one of God’s attributes is goodness. God’s Word like Him is good, true, faithful, unchanging, pure, eternal and totally trustworthy. No wonder the Psalmist, in verse 40, yearns deeply for His precepts and asked to be made sensitive to walk righteously before God.

What about us? Remember what 1 John 2:15-17 say? “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

Psalm 119:25-32 – Concerning the carnal desire of life

This section starts with the fourth Hebrew Alphabet letter “Daleth.” Here the Psalmist recognized that in himself there were still carnal desires and affections, and was burdened. Isn’t this true to many of us who desire to lead a life that wholly pleases the Lord too? Like the Psalmist, we do find our natural inclination seeking to overtake some of our activities in life. What’s wonderful for the Psalmist and for us is: we have the Lord, His Word and His power to quicken and revive us. So while our natural desire may want to exert its influence, we can trust in God and the transforming power of His Word.

The Psalmist honestly told the Lord of his inclination and was heard. He knew his inclination but he also knew that God’s help was available through His Word. So he made known his intention and desire to please God, and his prayer was heard. He asked to be taught God’s decrees. He asked to be guided to walk in the right path. Not only did he want to walk in the path of God but he also wanted to understand God’s mandate for his life. It’s so true that we can never effectively minister and impart the wonderful workings of God in our life until we can see clearly what He had accomplished in us.    

Wearied of his struggles, the Psalmist cried out to God for strength. He was referring to the struggle he had, bearing with the weight of his sin. He came to the end of himself and sought the strength that God promised through His Word. The Apostle Paul had a similar experience. We are told in his second letter to the Corinthians that he sought the Lord to remove a certain weakness, which he said was “a thorn in his flesh.” But the word of the Lord to him in 2 Corinthians 12:9 was “…my grace is sufficient for them. And My strength is made perfect in your weakness….” Isn’t it wonderful to know that when we realize that we have no power of our own and at our wits end, God takes over as we trust Him?

In life, we have two choices. We can either trust the lying, scheming ways of the devil or the truth and liberating way of the Lord. This was what the Psalmist was saying in verses 29-30. But like him we must desire and choose the right way. We should seek God to help us to walk discerningly; to be able to identify the devil’s lying way and be able to discern God’s gracious ways, and make a choice to walk in them. To be able to do this we need to lay before us the Word of God, and then choose to walk according to what God has prescribed in them.

We are shown how important it is to have the Word of God as the foundation in one’s life. When that foundation is laid, then only will we be able to build a fitting life of great fabric and character. He showed us that this only happened when he stuck to God’s testimonies. What’s great also is this: when we stick to the witness of God’s Word, we will never be put to shame. Hence in verse 32, we see that the Psalmist would run with God’s commandments. He was showing us the kind of enthusiasm and energy that we too must have in our response to God and His Word. And this we can only do so effectively with a heart that’s open to Him. When our hearts are opened to God we will be more receptive and more enthusiastic in our walk with Him. This portion of Psalm 119 teaches us to be honest with God and through His Word find strength to overcome the weak resolves of our life!    

Psalm 119:17-24 - The Word of God is our best guide to successful living

Beginning with the third Hebrew Alphabet “Gimel,” Psalm 119:17-24 begin with the Psalmist asking God to deal bountifully with him. He knew that God would show favor to His people and be gracious to them in His dealing. He knew that had God dealt with him according to what he had done, he would have perished. And like the Psalmist, how often have we discovered that God deals with us according to His overflowing grace! We can’t even count the opportunity after opportunity He granted us to get our acts right. Remember He is merciful and when we sincerely seek to live life with an attitude to honor Him, He will correct our sincere mistake and help us get on track again.  

Knowing that God’s instructions play a key role in keeping him on track, the Psalmist desired to live and keep what God had instructed. So he prayed that God would open His eye to identify and discern truth from His Word. He did not just want to know the Word of God cursorily but to know the lessons God had intended; to have the specific instruction for any given moment and situation. Verse 18 should be one prayer that we should daily utter when we come to the Word of God. We need the illumination of God through His Holy Spirit. Only when He illuminates our spiritual eye would we be able to get to that specific word for the moment. Know that God wants to assist us in finding His truth from the Word. Like the Psalmist we are all earthlings but we need to know that in reality we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. Hence in a sense, we are stranger on earth. Since we are citizens of heaven, our rule for living should be the rule that heaven had decreed i.e. God’s commandments given through His Word. And if we are to make our journey successfully, we must live life according to His commandments.  

In verse 20, the Psalmist knew the importance of keeping God’s Word, yet in the flesh he often had to struggle to live it. Aren’t we like him? Every time we fail to make the mark of living according to His Word, our failure will crush us. Be aware that our flesh is often the battle ground between willingness and obedience to His Word. We must be careful not to be wise in our own ways. This attitude is pride demonstrating itself. And we know that God resists the proud but would give grace to the humble.  The reason why the proud would be cured is because of their unwillingness to yield to God’s ways. They want to be in control.

How should we see verse 22? How many times people view us with contempt because we choose to live by God’s Word. Moses shows us by example. According to Hebrews 11: 24-25, he would rather endure the reproach for walking with Christ than lavish in the treasures of Egypt.  Let’s emulate Moses and the Psalmist. Let us seek God to help deal with the reproach we may have to endure in keeping God’s Word. Even should people of prominence malign us for taking God’s side, we must refuse to let them make us stray from God’s path. We should remain faithful and keep on meditating on God’s Word. Like the blessed man of Psalm 1, we do so day and night. Like the Psalmist, we must also choose to take counsel and be instructed by the Word of God, especially those testimonies that affirmed the truth of His Word. The Bible is God’s prescription for life. Our answer to life’s problems can be found in the Word of God. Let us diligently read, study, meditate, memorize, apply the Word and find our soul being counselled and richly fed and nourished.    

Psalm 119:9-16 – God’s Word and an unblemished life

Psalm 119:9-16 begin with the Hebrew Alphabet “Beth.” Here the Psalmist started by asking a rhetorical question on how to live one’s life without blemish. Although the question is asked of a young man in particular, we can safely say that it’s applicable to any young person regardless of gender. The fact remains that young people tend to be more driven by their impulses, and would be less thoughtful concerning the weightier issues of life. They are also more impressionable and susceptible to influence, both positive and negative, because of the lack of experience. Taking the position that life cannot be at its zenith when God’s Word is left out, the Psalmist said categorically that it must be a primary consideration to life. This is a must if a young person desires a pure and unblemished life. The Psalmist argues that the Word of God is an imperative to a life of purity.

The call is for young people to be watchful over how they do life. The Psalmist here suggests that being diligent to ensure that one live according to the inerrant Word of God is needful. They must make what God says as the rule of life. In the earlier verses, we have already established the importance of cultivating one’s life according to God’s Word. Here the author is making a case for not just reading the Word of God, but also on ensuring that the principles gleaned from studying the Word be hidden in our heart. It will help us to avoid sin and live a God pleasing life.

Notice the various words the Psalmist used to refer to God’s Word. He calls them statutes, ordinances, testimonies, and precepts. They all refer to the Word of God. So the issue here is: what must we do with God’s Word? We must receive what God has said with deep affections. Of course we need to ensure that they are received with faith. It is absolutely important that we store them in our memory and cherish them like treasures. In Paul’s words to the Colossians, “Let the Word of God dwell richly in our hearts.” Know it or not, the Psalmist here wants us to know that the knowledge and application of God’s Word is the most potent antidote against sin. Hence like him we must sought it with all our heart, and plead with God to help us not to stray from His commandment.

Like the Psalmist we must also maintained an attitude of receptivity to affirm the goodness of God and to invite Him to teach us His statutes. Not only did the Psalmist receive the Word but he also set out to declare them. And so must we. In the word ‘ordinance’, the author was referring to the revelation of God’s will that was made known to him. Not only did he impart them but he made it his cherished treasure and took great delight in those testimonies of the Lord. He referred to them as testimonies because he had witnessed and saw them come to pass in life. He did not just meditate on them but also took great delight in them. The reason he meditated on the Word was so that he would consider how to apply it. And he took delight in them so that he would never forget God’s word.   

Let us emulate this Psalmist! We need to hide God’s Word in our heart and cherish them like treasure. We not only delight in them but also seek to impart them. We must constantly meditate on His Word and make it our top delight. Remembering His Word and taking them to heart are important steps necessary to ensure that we are walking in His will. Let us make applying the Word of God our priority in living!

Psalm 119:1-8 – Cultivate a desire to be true to God’s way

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm with 178 verses. It is a 22-stanza Acrostic Psalm of eight verses in each stanza. Every stanza begins with a Hebrew Alphabet. Hence at the beginning of each stanza we will see a Hebrew Alphabet. Except for verses 84, 90 and 132, every verse would have a word relating to the Law of the Lord such as: Commandment, Judgement, Word, Precepts, Law, Saying, Statutes, Way, Testimonies and Faithfulness.

In a real sense, Psalm 119 expends on Psalm 19:7-14. The whole Psalm tells us the importance of the Law or the Word of God, and call on us to meditate and heed its instructions. One very interesting fact is that in one way or another, God is mentioned in every verse. Interspersed throughout the Psalm we see the author praying or expressing his wish to God. It is difficult to bring a systematic outline of Psalm 119 because of the wide variety of thoughts the Psalmist had, concerning the Word of God. Let us meditate on this Psalm stanza by stanza.   

The first 8 verses state the blessedness of those who choose to live their lives walking in the Word of God. We must take note of the verbs used, in verses 1-3, to describe how we believers should live the word of God. Not only must we walk according to the Law of the Lord, but also to observe His testimonies, meaning divine attestation or witness. We must also diligently seek Him with our heart. This suggests that we must not come flippantly and careless in life, but to seek to know God and have an experiential knowledge of Him. Verse 3 calls on us to depart from unrighteous ways and to stay on course in God’s ways.    

Verses 4-8 tell us that in His Word, the Lord had appointed His precepts or divine principles and we are to keep them diligently. Like the Psalmist, let us determine to be true to God’s ways and be established in what He had stipulated in the Word. In fact, obedience to His commandments will ensure that we develop a stable life. And the right response to God, for His guidance when we rightly discern His ways, is to be grateful to Him. The Psalmist then made a prayer of dedication to keep all that God had stipulated in HIs Word and ended with a call for God not to desert Him. It’s a desire for God to stay close and near to him, and so must this be our desire, so that we can stay on course in the journey of life.     

Psalm 118 – Praise is always due to our saving God

Again the author of Psalm 118 is not known. Many believe that this is a post-exilic Psalm that was sung in the temple service to celebrate the completion of the building of the Second Temple. This is the last six of the Hellel Psalms and this one was sung after the Passover meal. The song was a praise to God for His mercy.

Israel, the house of Aaron meaning the priests, and all God fearing people were exhorted to praise the Lord and to thank Him for His goodness and lovingkindness.  God heard them when they called upon Him in their distress, and came to their help and delivered them. Hence in verses 6-13, their confidence was expressed. They were sure that God would protect them from the evil schemes of men. Hence, they were sure that no man could do anything damaging to them. Rather, they were confident that God would destroy their enemies. The truth is that in their most trying circumstances, God broke through and came to their rescue.

Hence verses 14-21, praises were raised to extol God. He became their strength, song and salvation. The righteous had reason to rejoice, for the exalted right hand of God had done valiant things. Praise was not offered only then, but it would be offered in the future and forever. The Psalmist was sure he would live to declare the works of the Lord and he would enter the temple to do so. The hard times were God’s allowed experiences to bring out their best. Like them, we need to know that everything we had to endure is God’s moment to toughen our character. Gold becomes purer when tested by fire. Bear in mind that God hears us in our most difficult moments. Yes, we can trust Him to come to our rescue.

This Psalm has prophetic elements. Verse 22, referring to Christ, had been quoted in Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:4. This is an act of the Lord. Christ was the stone the people rejected, but He became the chief corner stone of God’s building, the church. This is solely the work of God and His people shall rejoice and be glad. As the people of God prayed, so we must also pray. God not only wants to save us, He also wants to prosper us. In verses 27-28, the Psalmist reveals that God is the Lord and He is the source of our light. So he asked to be bound to the altar for His service to worship and serve Him. Like the people who feared God, let us constantly offer our thanksgiving for His goodness, faithfulness and ever abiding mercy. 

Psalm 117 – Everyone ought to praise the Almighty God

The author of Psalm 117 is not known, hence this is yet another anonymously written Psalm. This is one of the four “Hallel” Psalms that was sung after the Passover meal. Located at the center of the Bible with only two verses, it is certainly the shortest Psalm. It is an exhortation for all nations and people to praise God.     

Every nation and every person is urged to praise and laud the Almighty God. Nothing in life can be more delightful than praising this wonderful Sovereign Lord of the universe. Everyone, who has an encounter with Him and experienced His wonderful presence and works, has this desire to call for His praise. He alone deserves to be lauded and extolled. Immediately in verse 2, we see the reason why He ought to be praised by everyone and every nation. And it’s because He is a merciful God so full of truth. He had shown tremendous mercy by not giving us what is due to us for our rebellion and sin. Instead, He had shown great lovingkindness by granting and fulfilling His promises made to us, and everyone that would turn to Him. Truly, He deserves to be praised. Hallelujah!

Besides pledging our total allegiance to Him, we must seek to praise and thank Him for His ever enduring mercy and grace shown to us. Let us encourage others to believe in Him and to offer Him their praises as well.  What a tremendous privilege to have Him as our God Who is full of mercy, truth and integrity!

Psalm 116 – Death cannot separate us from God’s love

Anonymously written, Psalm 116 is the author’s expression of gratitude to God for delivering him from death. The number of times the pronoun “I” is used, show how personally grateful this Psalmist is to the Lord. Being a “Hellel” Psalm, this is sung during the Passover Feats. This is one of the four that was sung after the meal. Full of gratitude for God’s deliverance from death, the Psalmist generously thanked God. One thing that stood out in this Psalm that we must emulate is the Psalmist’s attitude of gratitude. He began by giving the one reason why he loved the Lord so much. It’s because God answered his prayer and delivered him from death. That solidified his resolve and made him wanted to call upon the Lord all his life. This he will do because he knows that the Lord He serves is a prayer answering God. The appropriate response to such a loving God is to deeply love Him in return and to trust and rely on Him for our entire existence, now and forever.

It is obvious that the Psalmist encountered some troublesome circumstances where he came close to death and the grave. In his desperate, lonely moments, he looked to God for deliverance. It is good to note that no long, elaborate prayers to God are needed before God will intervene on our behalf. All we need to do is simple but sincere prayers, even if they are short. And this was what the Psalmist did. All he said was, “O Lord, I beseech You, save my life!”  And immediately God came to his rescue. The Lord being gracious and compassionate did not take long to reach down to where the Psalmist was and delivered him. So in verses 7-9, he acknowledged the bountiful grace showered upon him and so encouraged himself to walk with the Lord. Like him, we must learn to rest in the Lord, and determine to live for Him and walk closely with Him daily.  

In verses 10-11, the Psalmist came to some conclusion during his predicament. He saw through the deception of the people who had lied to him and realized how deceptive all men could be. We can certainly trust the Lord, but with human beings, learn to discern intention. Wisdom dictates that we should cultivate an inquiring mind that will help us to discern and not be taken in by deception too easily. However, we must respond positively to God for all His benefits in life. We must develop trust in God and be grateful for His salvation. And we must ensure that we fulfill all vows made to Him in our distress. And it is good to fulfill them openly, so that God will be honored before all people.

The Psalmist had a healthy outlook concerning himself and so must we. Like him we must realize that those who love God need not be threatened when death beckons. Precious in the Lord’s eye is the death of any of his beloved children. However, when God delivers us we must recognize that we owe Him everything and must spend the rest of our life honoring and serving Him. This we must do gratefully with great praise. But remember, we must not only look to the Lord in the days of trouble, we must learn to trust Him even when we are trouble free. We should live a life of praise, gratitude and service. Know it or not, we are saved to serve His purpose.