The Glory of the Word: Random Thoughts from Psalm 119

Part 1

The 119^th Psalm offers some wonderful, timely, and practical lessons for daily Christian living, nearly all of which are rooted in the power and glory of God’s word. Let us consider a few.

Psalm 119:1

“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord” (ESV).

Some folks have been known to lament that there is little enjoyment in a life lived under the restrictions of biblical morality and teaching. The most enjoyable life, we’re told, is in a life without moral restraint. It is true that sin and immorality can be pleasurable (Heb. 11:25), and it is true that the Bible contains prohibitions against sin and immorality. But it is not true that pleasure is ONLY found in sin. There is so much more to enjoying life than whatever fleeting fun we may find in doing things that ought to bring us shame (Rom. 6:21). Genuine, lasting, deep joy is only found in following the instructions of our God, who both knows and wants what is best for us.

Psalm 119:18

Psalm 119:18 contains this petition, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” For some of us, reading the Bible has become dull, and consequently, unproductive. There may be any number of reasons why that tragedy has occurred. One may be that we have not saturated our Bible reading with prayer. Before you read the word of God each day, make the prayer of Psalm 119:18 your own.

Psalm 119:23

Sometimes I allow the most insignificant things to get in the way of my study of God’s word. Perhaps you do, too. We play right into one of Satan’s traps when we do. Each day, let us keep in mind the words expressed by the psalmist in 119:23, “Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.” Not even the ire of highly elected officials would keep him from regular times of communion with God. What about you?

Psalm 119:30

Psalm 119:30 reads, “I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.” Life is a series of choices. One will not be faithful to God simply because his parents were, or because he wishes to be, or because he sits in a church building a few times a week. One can only be faithful to God when he chooses to set the law of God before him, walking in “the way of faithfulness.” What choice will you make today?

Psalm 119:37

“Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.” So much of what we choose to look at day after day is worthless when viewed from eternity’s perspective. When all has been said and done and we stand before the judgment bar of Christ, how much of what we watch on TV (just to mention one example) will have been worth the time we will have invested in it? Not all watching of television is wrong, I understand. But might it be possible that all of us could stand to look a little less at the worthless and a little more at the worthy?

More to come.