Psalm 119 reminds me of my own testimony.
This is the longest chapter in the Bible. We don’t know the
writer, but I believe, like me, he found God’s Word as an adult
because of the passionate way he describes the transforming power of
God’s truth. He begins, “Blessed
are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of
the Lord… seek Him with all their heart“.
Perhaps thinking back on his youth, when he sighs, “Oh,
that my
ways
were steadfast“. “How
can a young man keep his way pure?”
Please listen to his solution, “I
have hidden Your word in my heart… I rejoice in following Your
statutes as one rejoices in great riches… Open my eyes that I may
see“. I think he is
talking about himself when he adds, “You
rebuke the arrogant”
because he now can say, “Your
statutes are my delight; they are my counselors… I have chosen the
way of truth“. Highly
educated people can be very arrogant, but in contrast the more we
study God’s Word, the more we see our need for God’s mercy. 1
Corinthians 8:1 reminds us that “Knowledge
puffs up, but love builds up“.
Do you build up others, or tear them down? His prayer is focused on
God’s faithfulness, “May
Your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to
Your promise“. What
promise do you hold onto?
“I have put my
hope in Your laws… I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought
out Your precepts“.
Many people are in bondage. Financial, psychological, spiritual, and
mental bondage can leave us hopeless. He writes, “Remember
Your word to Your servant, for You have given me hope… Your promise
preserves my life… be gracious to me according to Your promise“.
What Promise? I cling to the promise of God’s forgiveness through
the faith in my Savior. “For
Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous,
to bring you to God” (1
Peter 3:18). I am the unrighteous, yet He paid the penalty of my
sin. Does
anyone not need this information? He says, “I
will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to
shame“.
He is not hesitant to ask God, “Teach
me knowledge and good judgment… Your word, O Lord, is eternal…
Your commands make me wiser than my enemies… for You Yourself have
taught me“.
Jesus exhorted His followers, “Ask
and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the
door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who
seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened”
(Matthew 7:7).
To those of us just
beginning our journey of discovery, he holds his lamp high, speaking
his prayers for us to hear too. “Your
word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path… Accept, O Lord,
the willing praise of my mouth… I have put my hope in Your word“.
I identify with this prayer, “I
am Your servant; give me discernment that I may understand Your
statutes… The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives
understanding to the simple… Turn to me and have mercy on me“.
God not only gives us His Word, but will also give us understanding.
When I think of the love God has given me, “Streams
of tears flow from my eyes“.
The more he experiences God’s mercy, the more he wants to draw
even closer, “I
rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your Word“.
Listen to the results in his life, “May
my lips overflow with praise… May my tongue sing of your Word…
May Your hand be ready to help me“.
He closes with the prayer of one that understands that all of his
hope is in God’s faithfulness, “I
have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not
forgotten Your commands“.
I am that simple man that he refers to. I am not perfect, but I am
forgiven because of God’s mercy. Don’t take my word for it, read
it for yourself.