Psalm 119
Ivy League Bible Study Fellowship
Week of August 20, 2007
God is good and worthy to be praised. We are blessed with yet another day to lift our voice in praise.
As many of you are aware, over the next several weeks the ILBSF will be studying the 119th Psalm. As we have discussed in a previous devotion this is the longest Psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. The Psalm is 22 stanzas long; one stanza for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
No one is 100% sure who wrote Psalm 119. Some say that it was David; some say that it was Ezra, or Daniel or even King Hezekiah. Who ever the author of the Psalm was, there is one thing for sure; the author wrote it as praise to the glory of the Truth of God’s Word.
I am not sure if you have ever read the entire psalm; but in my readings I found myself amazed at the author’s commitment to be obedient to the Word of God. I will be honest with myself and with all of you. There are many passages in the Bible that challenge me to the point of discomfort, and the 119th Psalm is one of those passages. It made me uncomfortable in the fact that the author is so dedicated to the living of the law and the commandments of God and it seems that we often find ourselves doing just the opposite.
We read the Bible. We study the Bible. We love the Bible, but are we committed to living our lives according to His Word? In our relationships, in our conversations, in our habits, in our jobs, in the things that we pick for entertainment or the way we choose to spend our leisure time. Are we persistent in the pursuit of the statues of God? My answer would unfortunately be “no”. How would you answer this question?
The author of Psalm 119 makes a promise to not only memorize the Word of God, but to live the Word of God. He loves the Word of God and will forsake all others for the precepts of our Lord. The writer recognizes that God’s love is steadfast and that the Lord is constantly blessing His people. The psalmist is able to offer praise to the Lord by passionately seeking after the Lord and his counsel.
Though hardships and trials may come, the writer knows that there is hope in the Word of God! Though evil may come and try to distract us and try to draw us away from God, the author of Psalm 119 assures us that there is freedom and deliverance in God’s Word. Can we, when being tempted by evil or challenged by others for the love of the Word of God, still be faithful to the Word? When facing persecution for love of the law, the psalmist clung more tightly to the Word of God.
God’s way is not easy for us to understand. As a matter of fact, we are not even capable of understanding God’s Word without the Lord’s guidance. The Lord gives us detailed instructions on how to pursue His way and His testimonies. God’s words have been true and good from the beginning of time and they are true and good today. His testimonies are eternal! If we follow the way of the Lord we will be blessed to gain wisdom.
God has given us His Word since the beginning and since the beginning we have been disobedient to His Word. But even in the Lord’s discipline; we are still blessed. As the psalmist states; our discipline is used to draw us nigh unto God.
Our daily lives are full of struggle and sin, but God’s law is a refuge from our daily struggles. Go to the Word and it will offer comfort and strength. I mentioned earlier that I was not doing a very good job in my dedication to the Word of God. Even in our short- comings and our sins, God’s judgment is full of grace and mercy! His judgments are always just.
God’s testimony is true and not capable of lying. Draw nigh unto His Word my Sistas. As the psalmist instructs; meditate on God’s laws day and night. God’s instructions give us peace and comfort and life and joy.
I pray that through this journey of Psalm 119 we all find ourselves making a vow to live by the precepts of our Lord. By being loyal to God’s laws we will gain a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Be blessed and spend your days finding ways to make God smile.
Jesus loves you and so do I!
Michelle
Indianapolis, IN
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