Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. / Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. / I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. / I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. / I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. / I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. / How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! / Through your precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way.
Recently I’ve taken a couple of months to walk through Psalm 119 slowly, asking myself along the way what its contents tell us about the Word of God, his character, and how we should live. It’s been a fruitful exercise for me, one which I would commend everyone to do at some point. This afternoon I condensed some of my conclusions into a list… I hope this proves helpful for you, too, challenging you as it did me… Grace, Bert
God’s Word:
- is righteous — 119:7, 62, 75, 106, 123, 144, 160, 164
- is right — 119:128, 137, 172
- is good — 119:39, (68)
- is wonderful — 119:18, 27, 129
- gives life from God — 119:25, 37, 40, 50, 107, 154, 156
- is exceedingly broad — 119:96
- strengthens — 119:28
- is a blessing to keep — 119:56
- shows me the way — 119:105
- is my heritage forever — 119:111
- is well-tried — 119:140
- is true — 119:142, 151, 159
God’s Word Should Be:
- my delight — 119:14, 16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 143, 174
- my longing — 119:20, 40, 82, 131
- my counselor — 119:24
- my hope — 119:43, 49, 74, 81, 116, 147
- my love — 119:47, 48, 97, 113, 127, 140, 159, 165, 167 (exceedingly!)
- my most treasured possession — 119:72, 103, 127, (167)
- what I stand in awe of — 119:161
- my joy — 119:111
- that at which I rejoice — 119:162
- that which I cling to — 119:31
- that which I am inclined to (and not selfish gain!) — 119:36
The one who has this attitude about the Word:
- lives it out (is “a doer of the Word”, as James writes) — 119:5, 9-11, 30, 44, 56, 59-60, 67, 69, 100-102, 106, 112, 121, 160, 166
- relies on the gracious God to continually teach him the word — 119:12, 18, 26, 29, 33, 34, 64, 66, 68, 73, 108, 125, 144, 171
- relies on the gracious God to empower his obedience — 119:10, 17, 18, 27, 28, 32, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41-42, 43, 56, 77, 88, 107, 130, 132, 133, 134, 135, 144, 173
And all this points us to the Word made flesh, Christ Himself.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14)
May we all seek the grace of God to empower us to treasure Him and obey in the same manner…
