Psalm 119:17-24

 We have taken a look at the first two stanzas of Psalm 119, and seen that we are to always obey God and be delighted in His Word. This week, in stanza 3, we see the importance of being guided by God’s Word. The third stanza of Psalm 119 begins by telling us that God’s Word contains wonderful things (119:18). Perhaps you already know that. I hope you do! But it is also important to know that the wonderful things in His Word are not to be used (or misused) according to one’s own discretion. Growing spiritually and finding delight (and, in fact, life itself) in God’s law, commandments, statutes, and testimonies is found in keeping them (119:17)!

Wandering away from God’s commandments is arrogance and brings a curse (119:21). The psalmist asks God to open his eyes to the wonderful things of God’s law. He longs for God’s ordinances (119:20), observes God’s testimonies (119:22), meditates on His statutes (119:23), and is counseled by His testimonies (119:24). He feeds on all of God’s Word, and his prayer is that he may keep it (119:17). To him, obedience means choosing life. He asks God to deal bountifully with him so he may live and keep Thy word (119:17). To him, living means keeping God’s Word.

Psalm 119:17-24
Gimel

17. Deal bountifully with Your servant,

That I may live and keep Your word.
18. Open my eyes, that I may behold

Wonderful things from Your law.
19. I am a stranger in the earth;

Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20. My soul is crushed with longing

After Your ordinances at all times.
21. You rebuke the arrogant, the cursed,

Who wander from Your commandments.
22. Take away reproach and contempt from me,

For I observe Your testimonies.
23. Even though princes sit and talk against me,

Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
24. Your testimonies also are my delight;

They are my counselors.

Our prayer should follow along the lines of the psalmist. God has graciously given us His Word and, if we ask, He will give us a longing for it (119:20) and open our eyes to behold its wonders (119:18). He will make His Word clear to us (119:19), and through it, give us the guidance we need each day (119:24). Christians are strangers and sojourners on this earth (Psalm 119:19; 1 Peter 2:11) and we need guidance, love, and comfort from above. Those who do not know the Lord will not understand our love of the Bible. They may regard us with contempt and openly insult us. We are to leave those people to God. He will rebuke them (119:21). We are to keep our hearts and minds open to God and rely on His Word to lead us every step, every day. That is the real substance and delight of life.

Moses spoke the following words to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land, “I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you….But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish.…I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live....” (Deuteronomy 30:15-19).

God’s Word is unlike any other book you will ever read. It is not just a book of narrative, prophecy, poetry, history, or human wisdom. It is the book of truth. It is the revelation of the One who is the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6). It is the book that offers eternal and abundant life to those who believe and obey. Every day, from the moment we wake up, our lives are full of choices, but the first and foremost choice should be to obey God and His Word in all things. Let us be guided by God's Word. That is the choice of life. Let us choose life!

with love,
Suzie

---