Psalm 119
(Job 23:12 nasb). When we lose our desire for God's Word, then we are vulnerable to the substitutes the world has to offer (Isa. 55:1–2).
people do (vv. 137–139). The psalmist had worn himself out trying to convince people to trust God's Word (see 69:9; John 2:12), but they ignored both him and the Scriptures. He must have felt that his ministry had failed, but he had been faithful even as the Word is faithful. God and His Word are righteous and what He says is right. His Word is fully trustworthy. Though intellectual giants may attack it and even ridicule it, the Word stands and will be here long after they are dead and their books have been forgotten. People may sin and die, but God's righteousness and righteous Word remain (vv. 137, 138, 142, 144).
Desire leads to love for God (v. 132). Just as children long to share the love of their parents, so the child of God experiences God's love through the Word (John 14:21–24). To love God's name is to love God, for His name reveals all that He is. The psalmist is here claiming the covenant promises that the Lord gave to the nation of Israel (69:36). Had Israel loved the Lord and kept the terms of the covenant, God would have blessed them and exhibited to them His power and mercy.
God's Word is trustworthy no matter what people say (vv. 140–141). Over many centuries, the Scriptures have been thoroughly tested in the fires of persecution and criticism, the way a goldsmith tests precious metals (12:6–7; 18:30), and the Word has been found pure. One of the joys of the Christian life is to find new promises in the Word, test them in daily life, and find them trustworthy. The enemy wants to forget the Word (v. 139), but we remember the Word and depend on it. The world may look upon God's people as "small and despised," but when you stand on God's promises, you are a giant.
God's love leads to guidance and freedom (vv. 133–134). When we experience the love of God in our hearts, we keep His commandments (John 14:15), and obedience to His commandments sets us free from the slavery of sin (Rom. 6). The word dominion means "autocratic rule," but sin is not supposed to have dominion over us (Rom. 6:12–16). But there is more: we are also set free from the oppression of people and the enslavement it can bring (v. 134). When you are the servant of Jesus Christ, you are free from slavery to people. "You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men" (1 Cor. 7:23 nasb).
God's Word is trustworthy regardless of how you feel (vv. 142–143). You may experience trouble and distress, as did the psalmist, and still find delight in God's truth. Our feelings change but God's Word never changes. God's Word is not only true, but it is truth (v. 142 nasb; John 17:17). The Word of God is truth, the Son of God is truth (John 14:6), and the Spirit of God is truth (1 John 5:6). The Spirit of truth wrote the Word of truth, and that Word reveals the Son of God. When your feelings deceive you into concluding that it is not worth it to serve the Lord, immediately turn to the Scriptures and delight in your Lord.
Freedom in Christ brings us God's blessing (vv. 135–136). When God hides His face from His people, He is disciplining them (13:1; 80:3–7), but the shining of His face upon them is a sign of His blessing (4:6; 67:1; Num. 6:25). To seek His face is to seek His blessing (v. 58). As we walk with the Lord in freedom, we walk in the light and have nothing to hide. But enjoying His freedom and blessing does not eliminate the burden we carry because of the wickedness in the world (v. 136). A broken heart and a blessed heart can exist in the same person at the same time. Jeremiah wept over the sins of a nation about to be destroyed (Jer. 9:1, 18; 13:17; Lam. 1:16), and Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they had rejected Him (Luke 19:41–44). The apostle Paul wept over lost souls (Rom. 9:1–3) as well as over professed believers in the church who were living for the world and the flesh (Phil. 3:17–21). If our enjoyment of God's Word and God's gracious blessings has truly reached our hearts, then we ought to have a burden for the lost and want to try to reach them for Christ.
God's Word is trustworthy no matter how long you live (v. 144). When we read the Word to ourselves, we see words in ink on paper. When we read the Word aloud, we hear puffs of sound that quickly disappear. Paper and ink and puffs of sound may not seem very lasting, but the Word of God is eternal and fixed forever (vv. 89, 160). To build your life on God's Word means to participate in eternity (Matt. 7:24–29; 1 John 2:17). It is not the length of life but the depth of life that counts, and depth comes from laying hold of God's Word and obeying it. Jesus spent only thirtythree years on this earth, and His public ministry lasted only three years, yet He accomplished a work that is eternal.
Tsadhe (vv. 137–144)—In God We Trust The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to implant faith in our hearts (Rom. 10:17), and the more we live in God's Word, the stronger our faith will become. Some people have no faith (Mark 4:40), others have little faith (Matt. 8:26; 14:31), and a few have great faith (Matt. 8:10; 15:28). Like a mustard seed, faith has life in it, and if the seed is planted and cultivated, it will grow and bear fruit (Matt. 17:20). The message in this section of the psalm is that you can depend on the Word of God, so—have faith!
Qoph (vv. 145–152)—A Primer on Prayer The writer prayed throughout this entire psalm, but in these verses he concentrated on prayer and cried out to God day and night. From his experience, we receive some basic instructions about successful prayer.
Pray wholeheartedly (vv. 145–146). We must seek God with our whole heart (vv. 2, 10, 58) and obey Him with our whole heart (vv. 34, 69). "In
God's Word is trustworthy no matter what