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!