Single-minded Followers of Christ – Psalm 119:113-120

ס SAMEK [1]

“I hate the double-minded, but I love Your Law.” Psalm 119:113

In 1 Kings 18:21, Elijah asked people, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” James 1:7-8 says that let not a double-minded man suppose he will receive anything from the Lord. In James 4:8, the apostle urges us, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

In Jeremiah, God compares idolatry with adultery. Since we are married to God and to His Law, let us resist all temptations to have an affair with laws that are contrary to God and His ways.

In Jeremiah 4:14, the Lord asked the people of Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?” We cannot stop evil thoughts from passing by us but we can deny them lodging.

Strong love for God’s Law and strong hatred for Satan’s ways is God’s blessing. In 2 Chronicles 30:12, it is written, “The hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the Word of the Lord.”

“You are my hiding place and my shield. I hope in Your Word.” Psalm 119:114

When his government wanted to kill him, David often hid in caves and other secure places for safety. In battle, he relied on a shield for protection. In the same way, God was both his hiding place and his shield. God preserved David amidst great danger, guarding both his life from death and his soul from sin. [2]

By faith, we believers take refuge in God. He is our hiding place. He is also our shield who extinguishes fiery arrows that our enemy shoots at us. [3]

David hoped in God’s Word because whatever God says He does. Atheistic leaders tend to make great promises to people, but once that they are in power, they enslave people and torture anyone who dares to speak against them. God is not like that. God is good.

“Depart from me, you evildoers, for I will keep the commandments of my God!” Psalm 119:115

David expressed the courageous resolve to be a faithful soldier for the Lord. It takes courage to stand firmly against sin and faithfully for God, but the truth of the matter is that God is a faithful friend whereas those who do evil are not.

In 2 Timothy 2:3-4, Paul wrote to Timothy saying, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”

David avoided bad company, saying, “Depart from me, you evildoers.” As Israel’s king, it is likely that evildoers tried to persuade David to approve and support their money grabbing ways. He was like, “Get out of here and don’t come back!”

“Uphold me according to Your Word, that I may live. And do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Hold me up, and I shall be safe, and I shall observe Your statutes continually.” Psalm 119:116-117

David leaned on God’s sustaining grace. He asked God, “Hold me up” and “Uphold me according to Your Word.” He knew he could not faithfully obey God in his own strength. Without God’s sustaining grace, he would fall into sin. In Psalms 41:12, David said to the Lord, “As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever.” [4] Thus, David had both God’s Word and a personal relationship with God to keep Him on track to reach heaven’s shore.

David prayed, “Uphold me, that I may live.” With God’s help his spiritual life would be vibrant. He also prayed, “Hold me up, and I shall be safe,” knowing that God could defend him against every attack. In 2 Timothy 4:17-18, Paul testified to Timothy saying, “The Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”

David declared to God, “I shall observe Your statutes continually.” Thanks to the gracious intervention of God in his life, David stayed faithful to obey God’s statutes (His mandates).

“You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, for their deceit is falsehood. You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross. Therefore, I love Your testimonies.” Psalm 119:118-119

God judges those who depart from His statutes to live by their own standards instead of His. Departure from God ends with destruction. These people are called “wicked” and “of the earth” because they live for earthly things. [5] In Philippians 3:18-19, Paul wrote about such people, saying, “They are enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.”

In Ezekiel 18:24, the Lord says, “When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.”

God removes the wicked like dross from precious metal. Though the wicked may live among the righteous, they are worthless in God’s sight compared to His faithful people, just as dross is worthless compared to pure gold. [6] In Matthew 13:49, Jesus said, “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,”

“My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments.” Psalm 119:120

Rather than gloating over the downfall of the wicked, David humbled himself before God.

In 1 Samuel 6:1-19, after the Philistines stole the Ark of Covenant from God’s people, terrible tumors broke out on them. So, they sent it back to Israel. When the people of Beth Shemesh got the Ark, they did not fear God. Instead, they opened it up and looked inside. So, God struck 50,070 of them dead. Then, the men of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?” [7]

Once, when I was in a Christian meeting in a country where the government arrests such people, sudden fear came upon me. I thought to myself, “We are all going to be arrested.” I wanted to flee for safety. But then, the Lord said to me, “You and they may or may not be arrested by an earthly government, but every knee will bow before Me and confess Me.” After that, the Holy Spirit gave me resolve to stay and enjoy the fellowship.

“Heavenly Father, please strengthen our resolve to be single-minded about standing and speaking for You. Please graciously grant to me and to my readers the wisdom we need to fear, love and trust You above all things. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.”

[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 113–120 start with the ס SAMEK, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

סֵעֲפִ֥ים שָׂנֵ֑אתִי וְֽתוֹרָתְךָ֥ אָהָֽבְתִּי׃
סִתְרִ֣י וּמָגִנִּ֣י אָ֑תָּה לִדְבָרְךָ֥ יִחָֽלְתִּי׃
סֽוּרוּ־מִמֶּ֥נִּי מְרֵעִ֑ים וְ֝אֶצְּרָ֗ה מִצְוֺ֥ת אֱלֹהָֽי׃
סָמְכֵ֣נִי כְאִמְרָתְךָ֣ וְאֶֽחְיֶ֑ה וְאַל־תְּ֝בִישֵׁ֗נִי מִשִּׂבְרִֽי׃
סְעָדֵ֥נִי וְאִוָּשֵׁ֑עָה וְאֶשְׁעָ֖ה בְחֻקֶּ֣יךָ תָמִֽיד׃
סָ֭לִיתָ כָּל־שׁוֹגִ֣ים מֵחֻקֶּ֑יךָ כִּי־שֶׁ֝֗קֶר תַּרְמִיתָֽם׃
סִגִ֗ים הִשְׁבַּ֥תָּ כָל־רִשְׁעֵי־אָ֑רֶץ לָ֝כֵ֗ן אָהַ֥בְתִּי עֵדֹתֶֽיךָ׃
סָמַ֣ר מִפַּחְדְּךָ֣ בְשָׂרִ֑י וּֽמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ יָרֵֽאתִי׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, ס SAMEK was originally the symbol for prop.

[2-7] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Speaking of God’s Righteous Judgments – Psalm 119:105-112

נ NUN [1]

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

God gives us His Word to light the path before us. His Word reveals things about God and us that we could not otherwise know. It shows us what is wrong, what is dangerous, and what needs to be corrected. Without it this world would be filled with utter darkness. [2] God’s Word continues to burn brightly among us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In a sense, God’s Word is our Rabbi or teacher. Just as Jesus taught His disciples in the Gospels, so He teaches us now through the words of the Bible. His Spirit enlightens our understanding so that we can comprehend its correct meaning and application.

“I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments.” Psalm 119:106

God’s judgments are always right because they are based on His Word. David bound himself to them and verbally affirmed them. [3] Just as it is good and right for a man and woman to make commitments to one another when they marry, so it is good for every individual to make a solemn commitment to honor God’s judgments.

Blessings flow from God as we faithfully do for Him what we promised to do.

“I am afflicted very much. Revive me, O Lord, according to Your Word.” Psalm 119:107

David describes an experience that is common to God’s servants, namely, a type of dying and resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15:31, Paul wrote, “I die daily.” In Galatians 2:20, he wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” How did David respond to afflictions? He asked God for resurrection power, saying, “Revive me!”

In Proverbs 24:16, David’s son Solomon wrote, “A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.” Solomon had witnessed God bring his dad back from the brink of destruction multiple times.

In Romans 8:11, Paul wrote, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” In Christ we have resurrection power!

“Revive me, O Lord!” meaning, “Resuscitate me, I am on the verge of dying.” “Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation!”

“Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me Your judgments.” Psalm 119:108

David prayed that God would accept the freewill offerings of his mouth—not offerings of money, but his prayers and praises. These are the spiritual sacrifices that believers, as God’s spiritual priests, offer to Him. As Hosea 14:2 says, they are “the calves of our lips,” and as Hebrews 13:15 says, they are “the fruit of our lips.” These offerings must come willingly and gladly from the heart. The more love, sincerity, and willingness we have in serving God, the more pleasing our service is to Him. [4]

David asked God to teach him about divine judgment. A large portion of the Bible has to do with God’s judgment. Prophets and apostles warned people to turn from idols to the living God lest they perish in their sins. All God’s people should learn from Him how speak of His judgments.

In John 16:8-11, Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “When He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” A sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence within us is an inner conviction of our need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ because only He saves us from sin and its consequences.

“My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Your Law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.” Psalm 119:109-110

David’s life was at risk. His enemies hid traps to catch him. He was type of Christ in this way. In Mark 12:13, the Bible says of Jesus, “Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.”

As a soldier, David often risked his life in battle. But especially as a faithful servant of God—a man after God’s own heart—he suffered hatred and persecution. [5] As 2 Corinthians 4:11 says, God’s servants may be “always delivered unto death” for His sake.

Though in danger of losing his life, David was not in danger of losing his faith. God, in His mercy, kept David believing. Peter wrote about being kept by the power of God in 1 Peter 1:3-5. He blessed God who births us into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. God gives us an inheritance that does not fade away. He reserves it in heaven for us. He keeps us by His power through faith. Why? For salvation that will be revealed in the last time. [6]

“Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, to the very end.” Psalm 119:111-112

David made a firm decision to live and die by the Word of God. He valued the testimonies of the Lord. He found great joy in them. [7]

In Revelation 2-3, Jesus made promises to those who overcome the various trials which the world sends their way. For example in Revelation 2:25-26, Jesus said to the Church in Thyatira, “Hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.”

In James 1:12, the Lord has promised “the crown of life to those who love Him.”

Do we love the Lord? To love God is the first and great commandment. Do we love every aspect of His nature, including His holiness, His Law, His judgments, His mercy, His grace and His love?

There is so much to know about God! In Romans 11:33, Paul wrote, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” We will never learn all there is to know about God on this side of eternity, but we should be His disciples who constantly seek to understand Him better than the day before.


[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 105–112 start with the נ NUN, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

נֵר־לְרַגְלִ֥י דְבָרֶ֑ךָ וְ֝א֗וֹר לִנְתִיבָתִֽי׃
נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי וָאֲקַיֵּ֑מָה לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ׃
נַעֲנֵ֥יתִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד יְ֝הוָ֗ה חַיֵּ֥נִי כִדְבָרֶֽךָ׃
נִדְב֣וֹת פִּ֭י רְצֵה־נָ֣א יְהוָ֑ה וּֽמִשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ לַמְּדֵֽנִי׃
נַפְשִׁ֣י בְכַפִּ֣י תָמִ֑יד וְ֝תֽוֹרָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃
נָתְנ֬וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים פַּ֣ח לִ֑י וּ֝מִפִּקּוּדֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א תָעִֽיתִי׃
נָחַ֣לְתִּי עֵדְוֺתֶ֣יךָ לְעוֹלָ֑ם כִּֽי־שְׂשׂ֖וֹן לִבִּ֣י הֵֽמָּה׃
נָטִ֣יתִי לִ֭בִּי לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת חֻקֶּ֗יךָ לְעוֹלָ֥ם עֵֽקֶב׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, נ NUN was originally the symbol for fish.

[2-7] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Love For God’s Word – Psalm 119:97-104

מ MEM [1]

“O, how I love Your Law! It is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97

David expresses his deep love for God’s Law! He is amazed that, despite his sinful nature and the temptations around him, God had maintained his love for the Scriptures. [2]

David’s love for God’s Word was demonstrated by how much it occupied his thoughts. We naturally think often about what we love. [3] David reflected on God’s Word because he wanted its truth to maintain his perspective of reality.

“You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients because I keep Your precepts.” Psalm 119:98-100

David started out as a shepherd. Later, he served as a court musician, and after that a military leader. He stuck with God’s commandments and they helped him to succeed where others failed. [4] In Matthew 7:24, Jesus said, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

David kept God’s Word with him always. It was continually on his mind. A godly person carries the Bible wherever he goes—not only in his hands but also in his heart. [5] As a business owner makes every effort to keep his business going in the right direction, so David made every effort to keep his life going in the direction of God’s commandments.

The best way to grow in spiritual understanding is to obey what God has already revealed. As Jesus taught in John 7:17, those who are willing to do God’s will grow in their understanding of His truth. [6] He who loves God’s light will receive more light from God.

By studying and obeying God’s Word, David became wiser than his enemies. God gave him wisdom to discern and overcome their plans. He had peace of mind that hateful people lack.

David gained more understanding than his teachers. This may refer to the priests. Perhaps, the priests were more concerned about opinions of peers than being with God. [7]

David learned the basic commandments from “the ancients,” that is, those older than himself. However, he did not stop learning when they stopped teaching him. He grew beyond them in spiritual understanding due to his continuous obedience to God’s Word. [8]

David’s growth from spiritual infancy to spiritual adulthood is a pattern that God wants us to follow. In Hebrews 5:12-14, we read, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the Word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

God’s written Word is a surer guide to heaven than all the writings of teachers, scholars, and wise people of past generations. Those who study it, obey it, and continue in it become wise. [9]

“I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your Word.” Psalm 119:101

When David was tempted to stray from God, he turned to God’s Word. A sinful path might seem attractive and pleasant, but God’s Word says that it leads to destruction. In Proverbs 14:12, God says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” In Psalms 17:4, David wrote, “By the words of Your lips I have kept myself from the paths of the destroyer.” [10]

David's purpose in avoiding sin was to remain faithful to God: “That I might keep Your Word.” He sincerely desired to live according to God’s Word. How could he approach God with confidence if he were double-minded? In James 1:6-8, it is written, “He who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

“I have not departed from Your judgments, for You Yourself have taught me.” Psalm 119:102

Remaining faithful to God during difficult times is strong evidence of genuine faith in Him. [11]

David believed that God’s judgments were worth preserving. God taught him the meaning of them. His heart probably burned within him as the Lord opened his understanding to comprehend the meaning of the Scriptures. In Luke 24:32, two disciples of Jesus said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

“How sweet are Your Words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding. Therefore, I hate every false way.” Psalm 119:103-104

The sweetness of God’s Word to David far surpassed the sweetness of earthly desserts. He wanted others to experience its taste. In Psalm 34:8, he wrote, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” The people in John 4:42 were happy that they got to hear from Christ personally. [12]

David hated false ways as much as he loved the truth. He did not try to sit on the fence between the two ways. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus taught, “No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” David’s deep distaste for sin kept his desire for truth intact. I like what Dwight L. Moody said about the Bible, “Sin will keep you from this book, or this book will keep you from sin.”


[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 97–104 start with the מ MEM, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

מָֽה־אָהַ֥בְתִּי תוֹרָתֶ֑ךָ כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם הִ֣יא שִׂיחָתִֽי׃
מֵ֭אֹ֣יְבַי תְּחַכְּמֵ֣נִי מִצְוֺתֶ֑ךָ כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם הִיא־לִֽי׃
מִכָּל־מְלַמְּדַ֥י הִשְׂכַּ֑לְתִּי כִּ֥י עֵ֝דְוֺתֶ֗יךָ שִׂ֣יחָה לִֽֿי׃
מִזְּקֵנִ֥ים אֶתְבּוֹנָ֑ן כִּ֖י פִקּוּדֶ֣יךָ נָצָֽרְתִּי׃
מִכָּל־אֹ֣רַח רָ֭ע כָּלִ֣אתִי רַגְלָ֑י לְ֝מַ֗עַן אֶשְׁמֹ֥ר דְּבָרֶֽךָ׃
מִמִּשְׁפָּטֶ֥יךָ לֹא־סָ֑רְתִּי כִּֽי־אַ֝תָּ֗ה הוֹרֵתָֽנִי׃
מַה־נִּמְלְצ֣וּ לְ֭חִכִּי אִמְרָתֶ֗ךָ מִדְּבַ֥שׁ לְפִֽי׃
מִפִּקּוּדֶ֥יךָ אֶתְבּוֹנָ֑ן עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן שָׂנֵ֤אתִי׀ כָּל־אֹ֬רַח שָֽׁקֶר׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, מ MEM was originally the symbol for water.

[2-12] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Aligned With the Word of God – Psalm 119:89-96

ל LAMED [1]

“Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven.” Psalm 119:89

God’s Word is settled. He is not going to change it to suit us. In Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” The Bible ascribes the same characteristics to Jesus Christ as it does to God’s Word. In Revelation 19:13, when Christ returns, He is described as being “clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His Name is called The Word of God.” He will judge the earth and everyone in it according to the Word of God.

One good reason to read our Bibles is to see how our lives are lining up with the Word of God. In James 1:23-24, God describes His Word as a mirror that helps us to see ourselves from God’s perspective. We should be more concerned about how God sees us than how the world sees us.

“Your faithfulness endures to all generations. You established the earth, and it abides.” Psalm 119:90

Colossians 1:16-17 is about Jesus, “By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” The Bible ascribes the mighty works of God to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ with God our Father, and the Holy Spirit are the One triune God.

“They continue this day according to Your ordinances, for all are Your servants.” Psalm 119:91

Heaven and earth serve the purposes that God gives them. They obey His command. In Genesis 8:22, the Lord promised Noah, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.” [2] So, despite what some climate experts predict, God will maintain seasonal weather as long as the earth exists.

In Jeremiah 33:20-21, God connected the reliability of the seasons to the reliability of David having on his descendants reigning on his throne. “Thus says the Lord, ‘If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a Son to reign on his throne...” The descendant that this passage refers to is Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ reigns forever. [3]

“Unless Your Law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.” Psalm 119:92

David attributed his victories over afflictions to his delight in God’s Law. God’s Law provided guidance for David to live by so that he was not led astray by the evil one’s temptations. Reading and meditating on God’s Law provided him a daily connection with God.

“I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life.” Psalm 119:93

David was mindful and obedient to God’s Word. Why? He stated, “For by them You have given me life.” God’s Word contains life. In John 6:63, Jesus said, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” In Hebrews 4:12, it is written, “The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

“I am Yours, save me, for I have sought Your precepts.” Psalm 119:94

David declares that he belongs to God. He asks God to save him from sin and from ruin. Why? Because he sincerely seeks to know and follow God’s ways. [4]

“The wicked wait for me to destroy me, but I will consider Your testimonies.” Psalm 119:95

Wicked people look for opportunities to destroy God’s messengers. Their intentions are cruel. Such people sought to destroy David, but he overcame them by remembering the testimonies of the Lord. The testimonies of the Lord include the stories of His miracles in the Bible.

Once, while in China, a team of missionaries that I was leading came into a very ominous situation with authorities. One whispered to me, “What shall we do?” In that moment, the Spirit brought to my mind the story of David and Goliath. I whispered to the group, “Don’t worry, God loves David and Goliath situations.” Everything turned out fine thanks to the Lord’s intervention.

On another occasion, uniformed men bearing machine guns stopped me and told me in Mandarin to open my shoulder bag. It had Chinese Bibles in it and I was near the meeting place where the disciples were waiting for me to teach them. I understood what they said but acted as though I did not to stall for time. I asked the Lord what to do. He brought to my mind the time that Jesus walked through the midst of those who wanted to throw Him over a cliff. Then, the Lord said to me, “Walk.” So, I walked. They said nothing. Later, I circled around and entered the meeting point by a different direction. The meeting went well. Praise the Lord!

“I have seen the consummation of all perfection, but Your commandment is exceedingly broad.” Psalm 119:96

Anything this world has to offer us is imperfect due to the curse of sin. David wrote, “I have seen an end of all perfection.” [5]

Thanks be to God! The devil and his works of darkness have an expiration date. In Revelation 20:10, it is written, “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” In Revelation 20:15, it is written, “Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

God’s commandment is exceedingly broad. God’s Word has applications for every situation and stage of life. Every command contains deep truth about what God requires and what He forbids. [6]


[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 89–96 start with the ל LAMED, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

לְעוֹלָ֥ם יְהוָ֑ה דְּ֝בָרְךָ֗ נִצָּ֥ב בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
לְדֹ֣ר וָ֭דֹר אֱמֽוּנָתֶ֑ךָ כּוֹנַ֥נְתָּ אֶ֝֗רֶץ וַֽתַּעֲמֹֽד׃
לְֽ֭מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ עָמְד֣וּ הַיּ֑וֹם כִּ֖י הַכֹּ֣ל עֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃
לוּלֵ֣י ת֭וֹרָתְךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֑י אָ֝֗ז אָבַ֥דְתִּי בְעָנְיִֽי׃
לְ֭עוֹלָם לֹא־אֶשְׁכַּ֣ח פִּקּוּדֶ֑יךָ כִּ֥י בָ֝֗ם חִיִּיתָֽנִי׃
לְֽךָ־אֲ֭נִי הוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי כִּ֖י פִקּוּדֶ֣יךָ דָרָֽשְׁתִּי׃
לִ֤י קִוּ֣וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים לְאַבְּדֵ֑נִי עֵ֝דֹתֶ֗יךָ אֶתְבּוֹנָֽן׃
לְֽכָל תִּ֭כְלָה רָאִ֣יתִי קֵ֑ץ רְחָבָ֖ה מִצְוָתְךָ֣ מְאֹֽד׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, ל LAMED was originally the symbol for study.

[2-6] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Law and Gospel Proclaimers – Psalm 119:81-88

כ KAPH [1]

“My soul faints for Your salvation, but I hope in Your Word. My eyes fail from searching Your Word, saying, ‘When will You comfort me?’” Psalm 119:81-82

David’s soul was faint. His soul needed God’s saving grace to revive it. How would God’s saving grace come to Him? The answer is in God’s Word.

In Psalm 1:2-3, Scripture does for a soul what water does for a tree. Blessed is the person whose “delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.” Scripture feeds the soul and makes it prosper.

In Romans 15:4, Paul wrote, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

In Romans 5:5, the hope that God gives us “does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” God also assures us of His love for us by His Spirit bearing witness with our spirit.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Paul wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

David’s longing can also point to the hope of the coming Messiah. David was one of the prophets that Peter referred to in 1 Peter 1:10 where he wrote, “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,” The Old Testament prophets saw God’s promise from a distance. Their longing was so great that it seemed as though their eyes failed while waiting for the promise to be fulfilled. [2]

Although his soul was faint and his eyes were weary from watching, David said to God, “I hope in Your Word." Without hope in God, his soul would have been lost.

Faith is about trusting in God’s love for you. When you cannot yet see the answer, you can trust in Him who made the promise. [3]

“For I have become like a wineskin in smoke, yet I do not forget Your statutes.” Psalm 119:83

David compared himself to a wineskin that had been exposed to smoke for a long time. Such a bottle would be darkened, dried, hardened, and shriveled from the heat. David’s circumstances negatively impacted his witness for God. [4] He had not forgot God’s Word, but it was hard for him to shine for God while under the dark clouds of trials and temptations.

Affliction can weaken even the strongest people. David once had a healthy vibrant appearance. He had lost his luster. He did not want to be considered a worthless wineskin by God. [5]

Our feelings during suffering do not always reflect reality. Even when we feel weak and insignificant, God still loves us and sees us as precious in His sight. [6]

Although his affliction was severe, David told God, “I do not forget Your statutes.” His hardships had not quenched his love for God, but he admitted that needed God to keep his fire burning.

“How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?” Psalm 119:84

David brought his persecutors before God in prayer. He knew that vengeance belongs to God. He appealed to God as the righteous Judge to do what was right for everyone involved. [7]

Those who trouble God’s people will one day face the righteous judgment of God. In Jude 1:14, we read, “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints.’” We look forward to the day when Christ will return and bring complete justice: “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.” [8]

David asked, “How many are the days of Your servant?” Some understand this question as a reference to the brevity of life: “Come help before my life is over." Others understand it as referring to the duration of his suffering. “Lord, You know how many days I have suffered. When will it end?” He asked God to shorten the days of his tribulation. [9]

This passage encourages us to bring our pain to God. We can ask Him to shorten the days our suffering. Jesus revealed God to us as a healer who has compassion on those who hurt. [10]

“The proud have dug pits for me, which is not according to Your Law. All Your commandments are faithful. They persecute me wrongfully. Help me! They almost made an end of me on earth, but I did not forsake Your precepts.” Psalm 119:85-87

Proud people dug pits for David. This means that their attacks were not accidental. They were carefully planned. Like hunters who secretly set traps for their prey, they schemed to bring David down. Their hatred reflects the long-standing hostility of the serpent’s seed against those who belong to God. [11]

In Revelation 12:17, the devil is at war with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The commandments refers to the Law. The testimony of Jesus refers to the Gospel. The proud especially oppose the idea that all people are sinners in need of a Savior. There are many ways to witness for Christ, but my experience is that the severest persecution is leveled against those who preach the Law and Gospel by which God converts souls unto Himself.

David’s enemies were enemies of God’s Law. In Exodus 21:33-34, God’s Law requires a person who digs a pit that causes harm to take responsibility for the damage. So, God will certainly condemn a person who digs a pit for a Law-and-Gospel-proclaimer... if he does not repent. [12]

David’s persecutors wanted him to forsake God, but failed. David could say to God, “I forsook not Your precepts.” They could not diminish his devotion to God. David was willing to lose much to gain more of God. The mark of genuine faith is steadfast love for God. [13]

“Revive me according to Your lovingkindness so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.” Psalm 119:88

David resolved to remain faithful to God. He relied on God’s grace to do so. Our ability to serve God stems from our reliance on His Spirit’s anointing and power to do so.

The greatest evidence that God loves us is not merely the blessings He gives around us, but the transforming work He accomplishes within us. When God gives us a desire to obey Him and the strength to follow His ways, it is a clear sign of His grace at work in our hearts. [14]

It is by God’s grace that we are saved, and it is by His grace that He proclaims through us His Law and Gospel which brings salvation to lost souls.


[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 81–88 start with the כ KAPH, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

כָּלְתָ֣ה לִתְשׁוּעָתְךָ֣ נַפְשִׁ֑י לִדְבָרְךָ֥ יִחָֽלְתִּי׃
כָּל֣וּ עֵ֭ינַי לְאִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ לֵ֝אמֹ֗ר מָתַ֥י תְּֽנַחֲמֵֽנִי׃
כִּֽי־הָ֭יִיתִי כְּנֹ֣אד בְּקִיט֑וֹר חֻ֝קֶּ֗יךָ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃
כַּמָּ֥ה יְמֵֽי־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ מָתַ֬י תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה בְרֹדְפַ֣י מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
כָּֽרוּ־לִ֣י זֵדִ֣ים שִׁיח֑וֹת אֲ֝שֶׁ֗ר לֹ֣א כְתוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃
כָּל־מִצְוֺתֶ֥יךָ אֱמוּנָ֑ה שֶׁ֖קֶר רְדָפ֣וּנִי עָזְרֵֽנִי׃
כִּ֭מְעַט כִּלּ֣וּנִי בָאָ֑רֶץ וַ֝אֲנִ֗י לֹא־עָזַ֥בְתִּי פִקֻּודֶֽיךָ׃
כְּחַסְדְּךָ֥ חַיֵּ֑נִי וְ֝אֶשְׁמְרָ֗ה עֵד֥וּת פִּֽיךָ׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, כ KAPH is symbolic of hand.

[2-14] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

After God’s Heart – Psalm 119:73-80

י YOD [1]

“Your hands have made me and fashioned me. Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.” Psalm 119:73

David acknowledged God as his creator. When he declared, “Your hands have made me and fashioned me,” he quoted from Job 10:8 word for word. [2]

In Genesis 2:7, it is written, “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

In Psalms 139:15-16, David wrote, “My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

David understood that his existence was not the result of chance but the intentional work of God. The same Creator who formed his body also gave him his mind, abilities, and purpose. [3]

God carefully formed each of us with the unique abilities, thoughts, and qualities that make us who we are. [4]

After acknowledging that God created him, David asked the Lord to help him understand God’s commandments. He needed God’s Spirit to help him comprehend them. In 1 Corinthians 2:14, Paul wrote, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

“Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in Your Word.” Psalm 119:74

What did David’s hope in God’s Word do for him? It provided immediate acceptance for him with others who highly respected the Lord.

In Acts 9:26-28, at first those who feared the Lord were afraid to welcome Saul of Tarsus into their gatherings, but after Barnabas vouched for Saul’s faith in Christ, they gladly welcomed him.

Those who love God rejoice when they see His grace working in the life of another. The new convert’s joy in God becomes a reason for encouragement and praise among all God’s children. [5] In 2 Corinthians 4:14, Paul wrote that God’s grace, having spread to many, causes “thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.”

Believers are especially encouraged when they see someone standing for truth. In 3 John 1:3-4, John the apostle wrote, “I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

“I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.” Psalm 119:75

By allowing David to experience persecution for his faith in God, God allowed him to become more like Himself. In Acts 13:22, God described David as “a man after My own heart.”

The Apostle Paul had scars from the severe beatings, lashings, and stoning he endured while preaching. In Galatians 6:17, he stated, ‘I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.’ His scars were visual proofs of his devotion to God. [6]

In Job 1:13-19, the devil viciously attacked Job. He robbed Job of his children and his wealth. What did Job do? In Job 1:20-22, “Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.”

In Job 2:9-10, when Job’s wife said to him, “’Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ He said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

David, Job, Paul, the prophets, and Jesus Himself suffered afflictions for the sake of the truth. Their steadfast faith in God amidst suffering demonstrated to those around them that God was real and present in their lives. For example, if Jesus did not really resurrect from the dead, how is it that the Apostle James was willing to be beheaded for his faith in Messiah? And we read in Acts 5:40-41, that after Peter and John were beaten for professing faith in Christ, “they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name.” O, that all of us “Christians” would love God with all our hearts, souls and strength! If such were the case, we would be powerful witnesses for Him.

In Romans 8:28, it is written, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” When we understand our life’s purpose is to glorify God, things that we once deemed evil, we will re-deem as good.

“Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your Word to Your servant. Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; for Your Law is my delight.” Psalm 119:76-77

David humbly asked God to be merciful to him during his affliction. He wanted to demonstrate both God’s justice and His compassion to others. He knew that he needed God’s help to be a good witness for God.

God has promised to show kindness to those who belong to Him, and we His servants can confidently remind Him of this. David also appealed to God based on the fact that he delighted in God’s Law. Because he loved God’s Word, he believed that God would show him favor. [7]

“Let the proud be ashamed, for they treated me wrongfully with falsehood; but I will meditate on Your precepts. Let those who fear You turn to me, those who know Your testimonies.” Psalm 119:78-79

David minimized in his mind what proud people did wrongfully against him. He maximized in his mind what those who feared the Lord said and did for him. He did not allow hate to define him.

Hatred hurts people. What did Jesus teach us to do with hatred? In Matthew 5:11-12, He taught us, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Jesus taught us to regard mistreatment from hateful people as proof that we are in His family. He will greatly reward us!

David prayed, “Let them be ashamed”—meaning that God would either bring them to repentance or expose the wrong they had done. David did not need to defend himself through anger or revenge. He could leave the matter in God’s hands. [8]

David remained focused on his relationship with God. Regardless of how others treated him, he resolved: “I will meditate on Your precepts.” He experienced joy in God’s Word. [9]

David prayed. “Let those who fear You turn to me.” It is good to also have people in our lives who love us because we love God. We need their love, prayers, and fellowship.

“Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes that I may not be ashamed.” Psalm 119:80

David longed to experience not just the appearance of godliness but the transforming power of it. His desired to be wholehearted and consistent in his devotion to God. In this way, his inner life would be spiritually healthy and pleasing to the Lord. [10]

David feared the shame that comes from hypocrisy. He prayed, “That I be not ashamed.” He understood that hypocrisy eventually leads to disgrace. Those who only pretend to follow God will either be exposed in this life if they do not repent or face judgment in the life to come. [11]

David's prayer was essentially, “Lord, make my heart genuine so that I will not fall into serious sin, bring dishonor upon Your Name, or turn away from Your ways. Keep me faithful so that I may approach You with confidence and stand before You without shame.” [12]

A sincere heart gives a believer confidence before God. When our hearts are made true by His grace, we can look forward to the day when we will stand before Him with joy and thanksgiving.


[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 73–80 start with the י YOD, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

יָדֶ֣יךָ עָ֭שׂוּנִי וַֽיְכוֹנְנ֑וּנִי הֲ֝בִינֵ֗נִי וְאֶלְמְדָ֥ה מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃
יְ֭רֵאֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּנִי וְיִשְׂמָ֑חוּ כִּ֖י לִדְבָרְךָ֣ יִחָֽלְתִּי׃
יָדַ֣עְתִּי יְ֭הוָה כִּי־צֶ֣דֶק מִשְׁפָּטֶ֑יךָ וֶ֝אֱמוּנָ֗ה עִנִּיתָֽנִי׃
יְהִי־נָ֣א חַסְדְּךָ֣ לְנַחֲמֵ֑נִי כְּאִמְרָתְךָ֥ לְעַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
יְבֹא֣וּנִי רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ וְאֶֽחְיֶ֑ה כִּי־תֽ֝וֹרָתְךָ֗ שַֽׁעֲשֻׁעָֽי׃
יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ זֵ֭דִים כִּי־שֶׁ֣קֶר עִוְּת֑וּנִי אֲ֝נִ֗י אָשִׂ֥יחַ בְּפִקּוּדֶֽיךָ׃
יָשׁ֣וּבוּ לִ֣י יְרֵאֶ֑יךָ ׳וְיָדְעוּ׳ ״וְ֝יֹדְעֵ֗י״ עֵדֹתֶֽיךָ׃
יְהִֽי־לִבִּ֣י תָמִ֣ים בְּחֻקֶּ֑יךָ לְ֝מַ֗עַן לֹ֣א אֵבֽוֹשׁ׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, י YOD was the symbol for arm.

[2-5] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[6] www.gotquestions.org/I-bear-in-my-body-the-marks-of-the-Lord-Jesus.html
[7-12] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Teach Me Your Ways Lord – Psalm 119:65-72

ט TETH [1]

“You have dealt well with Your servant, O Lord, according to Your Word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe Your commandments.” Psalm 119:65-66

If you know the Scriptures and their meaning, then, the Lord has dealt well with you. He has given to you as Peter says in 2 Peter 1:4, “exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature.”

The Lord “dealt well” with David in giving him His Word and its meaning. Thus, David assured the Lord that he believed His commandments.

Jesus “dealt well” with the spiritual needs of His disciples. In Luke 10:23-24, Jesus said to them, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see. I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.” In Matthew 16:17, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

Jesus “dwelt well” with the physical needs of His disciples. In Luke 22:35, Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” They replied, “Nothing.” God provided for them as they went. God moved people to invest in their ministries. When people failed them, God filled the gaps miraculously.

David prayed, “Teach me good judgment and knowledge.” The phrase “good judgment” can also be understood as good discernment—the ability to recognize what is true and false, right and wrong, and wise and foolish. Just as the tongue distinguishes different flavors, a spiritually mature believer learns to distinguish truth from error. [2]

In Hebrews 5:14, it is written, “Solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

Knowledge by itself is not enough. Many people possess knowledge but lack good judgment to apply it correctly. Both are necessary to properly obey God’s commandments. [3]

David confessed faith in God’s Word with his mouth. He said, “I have believed Your commandments.” God and His Word are inseparable. So, a confession of faith in His Word is a confession of faith in Him.

In Romans 10:9-10, it is written, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

“Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Your Word.” Psalm 119:67

During times of peace, comfort, and abundance, David became distant from God. [4] Perhaps, he became self-confident, indulged his sinful nature, prayed shallow prayers, and neglected to meditate on the Scriptures. Through affliction, God graciously restored David to praying fervent prayers, reading the Scriptures, and conforming his ways to God’s ways.

In Revelation 3:19, Jesus told the lukewarm Laodiceans, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” In Romans 2:4, Paul wrote, “The goodness of God leads you to repentance.” If Jesus did not love us, He would let us wander away, and be happy that He no longer had to deal with us.

In Luke 15:4-7, Jesus spoke of a good shepherd as one who leaves 99 sheep (safely kept), to go after 1 sheep that has went astray. Jesus said, “There is more joy in heaven over 1 sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance.”

In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus told the tale of a rebellious son who insisted on departing from his father. The father allowed him to depart, but obviously never stopped loving him. After the rebellious son wasted his life and was completely broke, he returned to his father and asked him to forgive him. The father forgave him, hugged him, kissed him, gave him new clothes and jewelry to wear and he threw a party to celebrate his return.

“You are good and do good. Teach me Your statutes.” Psalm 119:68

God is good, and His works are always good. We cannot fully comprehend how much good God does each day. Therefore, we should express love, gratitude, and praise to Him. [5]

Meditating on God’s goodness led David to pray, “Teach me Your statutes.” David asked God to do the greatest good for his soul, namely, teach him so he could become more like Him. [6]

In Psalms 25:8, David wrote, “Good and upright is the Lord. Therefore will He teach sinners in the way.” Repentant sinners who humbly come to God can be assured that He will teach them, transform them, and lead them in the path of righteousness. [7]

“The proud have forged a lie against me, but I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart. Their heart is as fat as grease, but I delight in Your Law.” Psalm 119:69-70

David describes how he responded to the proud and wicked people who surrounded him. He was not intimidated by their lies or their hatred. They tried to sabotage his reputation by spreading false accusations about him. [8]

David understood that his reputation—and his life—was at risk due to their hatred of him. Yet, he patiently endured their attacks and followed God’s command not to repay evil with evil. He remained committed to obedience, saying in effect, “Let them say whatever they wish. I will continue to keep Your commandments and will not be shaped by their slander.” [9]

David was not envious of their prosperity or attracted by their way of life. He observed that “their heart is as fat as grease.” Like those described in Isaiah 6:10, they were unwilling to recognize their need for God. They were bankrupt of the joy that comes from knowing God. David said to God, “I delight in Your Law.” The happiness found in God is deeper, lasting, and far more valuable than anything earthly wealth can offer. [10]

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.” Psalm 119:71

God turned what David’s enemies meant for evil into something good for him. Affliction taught him truths he might not have learned otherwise. He learned valuable lessons, gained deeper understanding, and became closer to God. [11]

“The Law of Your mouth is better to me than 1,000’s of coins of gold and silver.” Psalm 119:72

The spiritual benefits that David gained from walking with God far outweighed anything he had lost. He valued God’s Word more than gold and silver. And think about this! David had less of the Bible than we do. How much more should we value the Bible now that it is compete! [12]

David’s son, Solomon, observed and chronicled some of the meaningless things people do with their lives. In Ecclesiastes 2:1, they live for laughter and physical pleasure. In Ecclesiastes 2:21, they labor with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, yet leave their wealth to someone who did not work for it. In Ecclesiastes 2:26, sinners work to gather and collect to “give to him who is good before God.” In Ecclesiastes 4:4, they envy their skillful neighbors. In Ecclesiastes 4:8, a lonely person works day and night to make much money, but his eyes are not satisfied with riches. In Ecclesiastes 5:7, they pursue many dreams and words but its meaningless. In Ecclesiastes 5:10, they love silver but are not satisfied with it. In Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, Solomon finished his notes, saying, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” Meditating on God’s Word and obeying it is meaningful and satisfying.

David loved God’s Law because it was not merely human instruction—it was “the Law of the Lord’s mouth.” It came from God. It revealed His identity and carried His authority. The more we understand that Scripture comes from God’s heart, the more precious it becomes to us. [13]


[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 65–72 start with the ט TETH, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

ט֭וֹב עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִֽם־עַבְדְּךָ֑ יְ֝הוָ֗ה כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃
ט֤וּב טַ֣עַם וָדַ֣עַת לַמְּדֵ֑נִי כִּ֖י בְמִצְוֺתֶ֣יךָ הֶאֱמָֽנְתִּי׃
טֶ֣רֶם אֶ֭עֱנֶה אֲנִ֣י שֹׁגֵ֑ג וְ֝עַתָּ֗ה אִמְרָתְךָ֥ שָׁמָֽרְתִּי׃
טוֹב־אַתָּ֥ה וּמֵטִ֗יב לַמְּדֵ֥נִי חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃
טָפְל֬וּ עָלַ֣י שֶׁ֣קֶר זֵדִ֑ים אֲ֝נִ֗י בְּכָל־לֵ֤ב׀ אֱצֹּ֬ר פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ׃
טָפַ֣שׁ כַּחֵ֣לֶב לִבָּ֑ם אֲ֝נִ֗י תּוֹרָתְךָ֥ שִֽׁעֲשָֽׁעְתִּי׃
טֽוֹב־לִ֥י כִֽי־עֻנֵּ֑יתִי לְ֝מַ֗עַן אֶלְמַ֥ד חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃
טֽוֹב־לִ֥י תֽוֹרַת־פִּ֑יךָ מֵ֝אַלְפֵ֗י זָהָ֥ב וָכָֽסֶף׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, ט TETH was the symbol for snake.

[2-13] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

God is My Portion – Psalm 119:57-64

ח HETH [1]

“You are my portion, O Lord. I have said that I would keep Your Words.” Psalm 119:57

David found his happiness in the Lord. Nothing less could satisfy his soul. Thus, he committed himself to remain faithful to God’s Word to the very end. [2]

In John 6:66-68, when Jesus asked His twelve disciples if they were going to depart from Him as others had, Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

In Exodus 33:25-28, when Moses saw a rebellion afoot among his people, he said to them, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” Praise God! “All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.” About 3,000 rebels persisted in their sin and died that day.

“I entreated Your favor with my whole heart. Be merciful to me according to Your Word.” Psalm 119:58

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus “spoke this parable to some who trusted that they were righteous and despised others: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Truly, all people have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Some portions of the Bible convict us of our sin while other portions magnify God’s mercy. David wanted the Lord to be merciful to him in accordance with the Bible passages that speak of His mercy.

David approached God humbly. For what did David pray? He sought God’s favor. How did David pray? He prayed with his whole heart as in Genesis 32:26, where Jacob prayed, “I will not let You go, unless You bless me.” [3] On what basis did David pray? He believed God would answer his prayer based on the fact that God reveals Himself to us in His Word as being merciful.

In Exodus 33:18-19, when Moses asked to see God’s glory, the Lord told him, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” In Exodus 33:20-23, the Lord said to Moses, “You cannot see My face. No man shall see Me, and live. Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” God was merciful to let Moses see as much of Him as he could without hurting him.

When we reach heaven, we will see God face to face as Job said in Job 19:25-27, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth. And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

“I thought about my ways and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I made haste and did not delay to keep Your commandments.” Psalm 119:59-60

David turned his feet and ran without delay toward the Lord’s testimonies. Are there any other examples of people running toward the testimonies of the Lord? Yes there are.

In Mark 6:54-55, when Jesus and His disciples stepped out from a boat, the Scripture says, “Immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.” People were running others to Jesus.

In Luke 19:1-6, when a very wealthy tax collector heard that Jesus was coming his way, “he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” “When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’ So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.” When Zacchaeus had the opportunity to meet the Word of God embodied in the human flesh of Jesus, he ran.

David took time to think about his ways. He pondered the path for his feet as Proverbs 4:26 says to do. His self-examination led to action. Once, he knew God’s will, he made haste to obey it. [4]

David chose to run on the path of God’s commandments. What path are we running on?

“The cords of the wicked have bound me, but I have not forgotten Your Law.” Psalm 119:61

Wicked men hated David due to his devotion to God. They wanted to keep David tied up with troubles so he could not propagate God’s Word. King Saul kept David on the run. Absalom confiscated his palace. The Amalekites plundered Ziklag when David’s family lived there. [5]

We learn from David’s example to place a higher value on God’s Word than on earthly treasures. In Matthew 6:19, Jesus advised us, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.”

In 2 Timothy 2:9, Paul testified, “I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains, but the Word of God is not chained.” I have found this verse to be true in my own experience. At times, I have been physically hindered from going places, but the Lord still managed to propagate His Word through me to those places by other means. Glory to God!

Though David lost many material things, he did not lose what mattered most. He could honestly say, “I have not forgotten thy Law.” [6] Like Job, David never stopped believing in God.

In Romans 8:35-39, Paul asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Paul was “persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Faithful followers of Christ do suffer, but in 2 Corinthians 4:17, Paul says, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

“At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments.” Psalm 119:62

Midnight symbolizes a round-the-clock commitment to thanking the Lord for making righteous judgments. If God did not intervene in our world, the devil and his minions would do to every righteous person on the earth as he did to Job. In Job 1:10, the devil complained because God had a hedge around Job and all he owned. He wanted God to remove it. Thus, we should thank God for every day that He maintains a hedge of protection around us.

Whenever David’s heart was stirred by God’s righteous works, he responded immediately with praise instead of delaying until those feelings faded. Rather than remaining in bed, David rose up to give God thanks. [7]

“I am a companion of all who fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts.” Psalm 119:63

David chose his friends wisely. A strong believer in God named Jonathan was David’s best friend. In 1 Samuel 19:1-2, we learn that Jonathan delighted greatly in David. He also warned David about his father’s intent to kill him. Jonathan was a loyal and reliable friend to David.

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul warned them against forming friendships with certain kinds of people. In 1 Corinthians 5:11, he wrote, “Do not keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—do not even eat with such a person.” In 1 Corinthians 15:33, he wrote, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’”

In Amos 3:3, the Lord asks us, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”

David gladly identified himself with anyone who feared the Lord, and so can we.

“The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy. Teach me Your statutes.” Psalm 119:64

God’s mercy is not limited to the land of Canaan, where He was known and worshiped, but extends throughout the entire world—even to places where He is ignored or rejected. [8] “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

David wanted God to feed his soul with His statutes. He understood that his greatest need was divine instruction. Therefore, he asked God to teach him His Word. [9]

“Dear Heavenly Father, please graciously grant to each of us a heart that hungers and thirst for Your righteousness, and then, in Your mercy, please fill and leads us with Your Holy Spirit so that we walk with You. In Jesus’ Name, we pray, amen.”


[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 57–64 start with the ח HETH, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

חֶלְקִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אָמַ֗רְתִּי לִשְׁמֹ֥ר דְּבָרֶֽיךָ׃
חִלִּ֣יתִי פָנֶ֣יךָ בְכָל־לֵ֑ב חָ֝נֵּ֗נִי כְּאִמְרָתֶֽךָ׃
חִשַּׁ֥בְתִּי דְרָכָ֑י וָאָשִׁ֥יבָה רַ֝גְלַ֗י אֶל־עֵדֹתֶֽיךָ׃
חַ֭שְׁתִּי וְלֹ֣א הִתְמַהְמָ֑הְתִּי לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר מִצְוֺתֶֽיךָ׃
חֶבְלֵ֣י רְשָׁעִ֣ים עִוְּדֻ֑נִי תּֽ֝וֹרָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃
חֲצֽוֹת־לַ֗יְלָה אָ֭קוּם לְהוֹד֣וֹת לָ֑ךְ עַ֝֗ל מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ׃
חָבֵ֣ר אָ֭נִי לְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְרֵא֑וּךָ וּ֝לְשֹׁמְרֵ֗י פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ׃
חַסְדְּךָ֣ יְ֭הוָה מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֗רֶץ חֻקֶּ֥יךָ לַמְּדֵֽנִי׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, ח HETH was the symbol for enclosure.

[2-9] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Hope Overflows From God’s Word – Psalm 119:49-56

ז ZAYIN [1]

“Remember the Word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope.” Psalm 119:49

In 1 Chronicles 17:23, David prayed, “And now, O Lord, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have said.” Similarly, in Psalm 119:49, David asks God to remember what He had promised to do because his hope was in God keeping His promise to him. [2]

God wants us to bring His Word to His remembrance when we pray, not that He has forgot it but He wants us to build our prayers upon it. In Isaiah 43:26, God says, “Put Me in remembrance...” When God threatened to destroy Israel due to their wickedness, Moses reminded God of His promises. In Exodus 32:13, Moses said to God, “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by Your own self...” [3]

God supplies us with promises in the Bible, and by His Spirit He gives us power to believe them. The Holy Spirit leads me to quote Bibe verses to God during my prayers for myself and others.

There are Bible verses that speak of God healing us. For example, Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24, Exodus 15:26, Psalm 147:3, Psalm 103:2-3, Proverbs 4:20-22, 1 Corinthians 12:9, James 5:14-15 and all the verses in which Jesus or His apostles healed people.

There are Bible verses that speak of God supplying our needs. For example, Philippians 4:19, Matthew 6:31-33, Psalm 23:1, and 2 Corinthians 9:8.

There are Bible verses that speak of God winning our battles. For example, Deuteronomy 20:4, Philippians 4:13, John 16:33, 1 Corinthians 15:57, James 1:12-14, Psalm 108:13, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Romans 8:37, Proverbs 24:16, Revelation 21:6-7, 1 John 5:4, Luke 10:19, 2 Peter 3:9, 2 Corinthians 2:14, and Proverbs 21:31.

“This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your Word has given me life.” Psalm 119:50

When David was dead to God, God breathed life into him by His Spirit. When David was weak due to affliction, faith in God’s Word healed him.

In Isaiah 53:4-6, Christ revealed to us the depths to which He was willing to go to heal us: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned, every one, to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Christ took the wrath of God on sin for us, so we need not bear it. The Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit replaces afflictions with comfort.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Paul wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.”

“The proud have me in great derision, yet I do not turn aside from Your Law.” Psalm 119:51

David described how he was treated and how he responded to that mistreatment to help us. [5]

Unbelievers mocked David’s faith in God. They likely laughed at his prayers thinking that his “God” was a figment of his imagination. They likely criticized his adherence to God’s commands thinking he deprived himself of sinful pleasures unnecessarily. How could “everybody” be wrong except David? They were proud of their contempt for God and for His followers. [6]

Even though they did everything they could to make him abandon his devotion to God, David remained faithful. He could say to God with a clear conscious, “I do not turn aside from Your Law.”

What path does God advise us to follow? The Lord says to us in Deuteronomy 5:32, “You shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.”

In Job 1:1, the Bible says of Job, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.”

So, even if you are from a town with a funny name and you are called by a funny name, God will take note of you as you obey Him. Imagine the jokes people made about the names “Uz” and “Job!”

In Job chapters 4-31, Job’s three friends questioned his integrity. In Job chapters 32-37, a bystander named Elihu also criticized him. Job was attacked from every side, but did not stop believing in God.

Finally, in Job 42:7-8, the Lord said to one of Job’s three friends, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” In Job 42:9, Job’s three “friends” did as the Lord commanded them, “for the Lord had accepted Job.”

Like David and Job, we should not cease doing what is right because we fear the foolish insults of others. [7] In 2 Samuel 6:22, when Michal mocked David for dancing before the Lord, he said to her, “I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”

Those who cannot endure a harsh word for Christ show that they are not yet prepared to endure greater hardships for Him. [8]

“I remembered Your judgments of old, O Lord, and have comforted myself.” Psalm 119:52

God’s judgments of old for David include events in Genesis-Judges. For example, the flood in Noah’s day, the tower of Babel, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the ten plagues on Egypt, Joshua and his armies acquiring the Promised Land, Gideon’s defeat of Midian, Samson’s defeat of the Philistines, and his own victories over a lion, bear, Goliath and over evil king Saul.

David strengthened himself by remembering the ways God had worked in the past—His acts of mercy toward His people and His justice against those who opposed them. [9]

We should remember God’s judgments of old because they encourage us to keep trusting God. God does not change. The same God who helped His people in the past will remain faithful to His people today. [10]

“Indignation has taken hold of me because of the wicked, who forsake Your Law.” Psalm 119:53

When people abandoned God it upset David. The wicked wanted sinful attitudes and deeds to have government approval, and faith in God and obedience to God’s commands to be a crime. They wanted to move the goal posts so that evil was considered good, and good was considered evil. No one is safe when such people prevail.

“Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.” Psalm 119:54

Generally speaking, people like music. David took God’s statutes and composed them into songs that people could sing. It is likely that some of his songs about God’s commandments played over and over again in people’s minds and inspired them to do what was right in God’s sight.

David’s “house” was a “pilgrimage.” Many of Christianity’s popular hymns were composed during trials. David’s “house of pilgrimage” may refer to the period in his life when he fled from one place to another due to persecution. It may refer to this world because it is our temporary home until we reach heaven.

In Hebrews 11:13, the people of faith are described as pilgrims on the earth. In Hebrews 11:16, the author wrote that they desired a heavenly country so God prepared a city for them.

David said, “Your statutes have been my songs.” Just as travelers sing to make their journey more enjoyable and to take their minds off their weariness, David found encouragement and comfort by singing and meditating on God’s commands. [11]

In 2 Samuel 23:1, David is called the sweet psalmist of Israel. His songs sprang forth from the Word of God. He sang away his sorrow by remembering God’s promises. [12]

“I remember Your Name in the night, O Lord, and I keep Your Law. This has become mine because I kept Your precepts.” Psalm 119:55-56

While others slept, David thought about God’s Law. David said, “This I had because I keep Your precepts.” Whatever we sow, we reap. As pieces of a puzzles complete a picture when they all come together, so meditating on God’s Law brings God into high definition focus.


[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 49–56 start with the ז ZAYIN, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

זְכֹר־דָּבָ֥ר לְעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ עַ֝֗ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִֽחַלְתָּֽנִי׃
זֹ֣את נֶחָמָתִ֣י בְעָנְיִ֑י כִּ֖י אִמְרָתְךָ֣ חִיָּֽתְנִי׃
זֵ֭דִים הֱלִיצֻ֣נִי עַד־מְאֹ֑ד מִ֝תּֽוֹרָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א נָטִֽיתִי׃
זָ֘כַ֤רְתִּי מִשְׁפָּטֶ֖יךָ מֵעוֹלָ֥ם׀ יְהוָ֗ה וָֽאֶתְנֶחָֽם׃
זַלְעָפָ֣ה אֲ֭חָזַתְנִי מֵרְשָׁעִ֑ים עֹ֝זְבֵ֗י תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃
זְ֭מִרוֹת הָֽיוּ־לִ֥י חֻקֶּ֗יךָ בְּבֵ֣ית מְגוּרָֽי׃
זָ֘כַ֤רְתִּי בַלַּ֣יְלָה שִׁמְךָ֣ יְהוָ֑ה וָֽ֝אֶשְׁמְרָ֗ה תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃
זֹ֥את הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֑י כִּ֖י פִקֻּדֶ֣יךָ נָצָֽרְתִּי׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, ז ZAYIN was originally the symbol for manacle.

[2-12] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Love For God’s Word – Psalm 119:41-48

 ו WAW [1]

“Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord—Your salvation according to Your Word. So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your Word.” Psalm 119:41-42

David’s faith was anchored to the promises of God. David prayed that salvation would come to him, “according to Your Word.” He fully expected God to fulfill His promises.

In Romans 10:14, Paul asked, “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” God reveals Himself to us in the Bible. His Word enlightens us. In Psalm 119:130, it is written, “The entrance of Your Word gives light, it gives understanding to the simple.” God’s Word reveals God to us. God saves us through His Word.

David’s faith was anchored to the mercy of God. David prayed, “Let Your mercies come...” God’s salvation comes to us entirely because He is merciful, not because of anything we have earned. In Luke 18:13, “The tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’” In Luke 18:14, Jesus said of him, “I tell you this man went down to his house justified.”

What kind of mercy did David want from God? He wanted the mercy that strengthens faith for salvation. When writing about faith for salvation, Paul wrote in Romans 10:17, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” God’s Word boosts our faith in God’s ability to save us. In Galatians 1:15-16, Paul described his salvation as an act of God’s grace in which God revealed His Son to him.

“Let Your mercies come to me... so shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me.” God’s Word provides answers for us to give to people who criticize our faith in God. In the Gospels, highly educated people tested Jesus with difficult questions to answer about God. In each case, Jesus had an appropriate answer. Then, throughout the remainder of the New Testament, God’s Spirit gave answers to hard questions about Himself to His apostles.

“And take not the Word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in Your ordinances. So shall I keep Your Law continually, forever, and ever.” Psalm 119:43-44

David wanted the Word of truth to always be in his mouth. In Romans 10:8-9, Paul wrote, “The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the Word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” We need to believe God’s Word in our hearts and confess it with our mouths. May the Lord graciously grant us the wisdom and courage to do so.

“And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts.” Psalm 119:45

In John 8:32, Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Walking, speaking and delighting in God’s precepts (פִּקּוּד – mandates), testimonies and commandments is the key to freedom. Sin enslaves people to envy, strive, hate and think evil. God’s truth frees people to love, be gracious, forgiving and generous.

“I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings and will not be ashamed.” Psalm 119:46

Speaking the Word of God before kings is the work of prophets and apostles. David spoke to the king of Israel, Gath, Tyre, Hamath, and Amon. Abraham spoke to four different kings. Jacob, Joseph and Moses spoke to Pharoah. Elijah and Elisha spoke to kings. Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel spoke to multiple kings. In Act 12, Peter spoke to King Herod Agrippa I. In Acts 26, Paul spoke to King Herod Agrippa II. In Revelation 10:11, an angel told John, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

In Matthew 10:18, Jesus told His disciples, “You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.” As followers of Jesus, we should remain ready to speak to kings and world leaders.

A Chinese pastor named Hong Sit advised me to prepare my sermon as though I were to speak it before a king. That way, I would prepare it well. I haven’t testified before a king yet, but the Lord did have me testify before government officials in China.

“And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love. My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on Your statutes.” Psalm 119:47-48

David loved God’s Word. He believed meditating on it was the best investment of his time. Some use “free time” to watch TV, others to play games, and still others to enjoy indoor or outdoor hobbies. David used his hands to open and read the Bible.

Our love for God’s commandments is made known by what we do with them. Do we leave them behind after we close our Bible or do we take them with us everywhere we go? When we love someone deeply, we want to walk with him or her as much as possible.

“Dear Heavenly Father, please fill us with a deep love for You and for Your commandments. As David prayed in Psalm 19:14, so we pray, ‘Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.’ In Jesus’ Name, we pray, amen.”


[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 41–48 start with the ו WAW, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

וִֽיבֹאֻ֣נִי חֲסָדֶ֣ךָ יְהוָ֑ה תְּ֝שֽׁוּעָתְךָ֗ כְּאִמְרָתֶֽךָ׃
וְאֶֽעֱנֶ֣ה חֹרְפִ֣י דָבָ֑ר כִּֽי־בָ֝טַחְתִּי בִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃
וְֽאַל־תַּצֵּ֬ל מִפִּ֣י דְבַר־אֱמֶ֣ת עַד־מְאֹ֑ד כִּ֖י לְמִשְׁפָּטֶ֣ךָ יִחָֽלְתִּי׃
וְאֶשְׁמְרָ֖ה תוֹרָתְךָ֥ תָמִ֗יד לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃
וְאֶתְהַלְּכָ֥ה בָרְחָבָ֑ה כִּ֖י פִקֻּדֶ֣יךָ דָרָֽשְׁתִּי׃
וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה בְ֭עֵדֹתֶיךָ נֶ֥גֶד מְלָכִ֗ים וְלֹ֣א אֵבֽוֹשׁ׃
וְאֶשְׁתַּֽעֲשַׁ֥ע בְּמִצְוֺתֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָהָֽבְתִּי׃
וְאֶשָּֽׂא־כַפַּ֗י אֶֽל־מִ֭צְוֺתֶיךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָהָ֗בְתִּי וְאָשִׂ֥יחָה בְחֻקֶּֽיךָ׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, ו WAW was originally the symbol for cane.

Taught By God – Psalm 119:33-40

ה HE [1]

“Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your Law. Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.” Psalm 119:33-34

David earnestly prayed that God would teach him. Although he had prophets, wise men, and priests around him, and was well instructed in God’s Law, he wanted a personal relationship with God. He wanted God, by His Spirit, to speak to him because as Elihu exclaimed in Job 36:22, “Who teaches like Him?” [2]

In John 3:2, a highly educated leader of Israel acknowledged that Jesus was a good teacher. He said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God...”

In Matthew 7:28-29, when Jesus concluded His “Sermon on the Mount,” people were astonished at His teaching because He taught as one having authority and not as the scribes. While other teachers had the Scriptures, they lacked a relationship with the God of the Scriptures. When Bible teachers have a high estimation of themselves without a personal relationship with God, they usually misinterpret His Word. Jesus modeled for us what a close relationship with God the Father looks like. Jesus derived His interpretation of God’s Word directly from God. Thus, Jesus was indeed a good shepherd. He did not lead His followers astray.

1 John 5:20 declares, “We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we may know Him who is true.”

In John 1:38, when Jesus noticed two men following Him, He said to them, “What do you seek?” They replied, “Rabbi” (Teacher), “where are You staying?” Those who loved to learn, loved to be with Jesus. Jesus taught by day and by night. He was always ready to teach.

David wanted to learn the way of God’s statutes. He wanted to know how to apply God’s Word to his life and how to live by it. He wanted to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice as Isaiah 30:21 says, “This is the way, walk in it.” [3]

David prayed for understanding to keep God’s Law. God has given us minds that are capable of understanding many things, but when it comes to understanding spiritual things, we need the Holy Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 2:14, we read, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

How did David prophesy so accurately about Messiah? In 2 Samuel 23:2, he declared, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me. His word was upon my tongue.” God’s Spirit helped David to know things about God that he could otherwise not have known.

In 1 Corinthians 2:12, we read, “We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

The Holy Spirit helps us to understand and act on the Law of God. In Acts 5:32, Peter told a group of religious leaders that the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God. The Holy Spirit helps people who want to align their words and deeds with God’s to do so.

“Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness.” Psalm 119:35-36

In Philippians 2:13, Paul wrote, “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” David asked God to “make” him walk in path of His commandments. He had the will to do so. He delighted in God’s commandments, but without the good shepherd’s guidance, his heart would go astray. Therefore, he asked the Lord to incline his heart to the testimonies of the Lord rather than to covetous thoughts.

In Romas 7:15, Paul shared with us, “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” In Romans 7:22, he testified, “I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man.” His dilemma was that he delighted in God’s Word but his sin nature wanted to rule his life. Only God’s Spirit could give Paul the edge over his sinful nature.

In Ezekiel 36:27, the Lord promised us, “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” And in Romans 8:14, Paul wrote, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” How do we walk in the path of God’s commandments? We do so by the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.

David prayed, “Incline my heart to Your testimonies.” He asked God to curb him in the right direction. God’s commandments are like guardrails that keep us from falling off a cliff to our death. God gave us His commandments to guide and protect us not to withhold something good from us. In Genesis 3:4, the devil suggested to Eve that God’s commandment kept her from being like God. No, God’s commandments are like warning labels on poisonous substances. In Deuteronomy 6:24, Moses wrote, “The Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day.

“Incline my heart... not to covetousness.” This sounds like a line out of the Lord’s Prayer. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” In 1 Timothy 6:10, Paul wrote the following words to his disciple Timothy, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Keeping God’s commandments keeps us from running with the devil, and from reaping sin’s evil consequences.

“Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in Your way.” Psalm 119:37

Many years ago, Adria Star taught me that Psalm 119:37 in the King James Version of the Bible has the letters TV in it. “Turn” begins with the letter “T” and “vanity” begins with the letter “V.” The New King James Version of this text is, “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.” So much of what is on TV is vain and worthless. Those who walk wisely will not let a TV spew blasphemy and vulgarity into their homes.

David prayed for God’s restraining grace to keep him from worthless pursuits and hasten him to walk in God’s way. [4] Who is the way to God? In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the WAY... no one comes to the Father except through Me.” We avoid sin and bear good fruit when we abide in Jesus.

“The honors, pleasures, and riches of this world are all passing vanities.” [5] The more frequently that we feast our eyes upon worldly pleasures, the more apt we are to become enslaved to them. They draw our affections away from God and away from the spiritual food that our soul needs to stay healthy.

In Job 31:1, Job made a covenant with his eyes to not look lustfully upon a young woman. In Jude 1:18, the Lord warned us that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. Godly people do not like to be looked at as an object of someone else’s selfish sinful desire. Jesus sets sin’s captives free, but whosoever is enslaved by it, must hate it, and bring it to Jesus. Ask Him to forgive it and rebuke. It is evil.

David wanted to be kept from anything that would keep him from God. He prayed, “Quicken me in Your way.” In other words, “Inspire me to make good use of my time, talents and treasure. In Hebrews 12:1-2, it is written, “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”

“Establish Your Word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You.” Psalm 119:38

In Isaiah 57:15, it is written, “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose Name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’” In Matthew 5:3, Jesus said, ““Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Those who realize their desperate need of God, and pursue Him, receive His help.

Sometimes we suffer setbacks due to persecution, but in 1 Peter 5:10, we read, “The God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

In 1 Peter 4:19, the Lord encourages us who suffer according to the will of God to commit our souls to Him in doing good. He is a faithful Creator. And in 1 Peter 5:6-7, the Spirit of the Lord says, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

God’s Word establishes us His servants, and helps us to remain faithful to bringing to Him glory.

“Turn away my reproach which I dread, for Your judgments are good.” Psalm 119:39

David did not want the mockings of his enemies to occupy his mind. Evil words are like poison. When they enter us, they hurt, and they poison our perspective of God, ourselves and others. In Acts 2:4, 4:8, 4:31, 13:9, 13:52, the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and their words conveyed life to their listeners.

Others in Book of Acts were filled with evil. In Acts 5:3, Satan filled the heart of Ananias and he died soon thereafter. In Acts 5:17, the Sadducees were filled with indignation. In Acts 13:45, certain Jews were filled with envy, and as a result they blasphemed, contradicted and opposed the work of the Gospel. In Acts 19:29, an entire city was filled with confusion due to their devotion to the false goddess Diana.

In John 6:63, Jesus said: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

In Psalm 1:1-2, David wrote, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

In Colossians 3:2, Paul advised us to set our mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

“Behold, I long for Your precepts. Revive me in Your righteousness.” Psalm 119:40

David declared his love for the Word of God. He knew who God was and what God is like because He read and dialogued with other believers about God’s Word. Like Paul in Philippians 3:14, he pressed toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God.

David prayed for revival. “Revive me in Your righteousness.” When God’s Spirit placed in Him a desire to rightly know God, he cried out to God, “I long for Your precepts.” He verbalized to God his heart’s desire. Have you ever done that when nobody else was around? You said to God aloud, “I long for You!” “Revive me in Your righteousness!” “The God who creates a holy longing in our hearts is faithful to satisfy that longing.” [6] Praise the Lord!


[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 33–40 start with the ה HE, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

הוֹרֵ֣נִי יְ֭הוָה דֶּ֥רֶךְ חֻקֶּ֗יךָ וְאֶצְּרֶ֥נָּה עֵֽקֶב׃
הֲ֭בִינֵנִי וְאֶצְּרָ֥ה תֽוֹרָתֶ֗ךָ וְאֶשְׁמְרֶ֥נָּה בְכָל־לֵֽב׃
הַ֭דְרִיכֵנִי בִּנְתִ֣יב מִצְוֺתֶ֑יךָ כִּי־ב֥וֹ חָפָֽצְתִּי׃
הַט־לִ֭בִּי אֶל־עֵדְוֺתֶ֗יךָ וְאַ֣ל אֶל־בָּֽצַע׃
הַעֲבֵ֣ר עֵ֭ינַי מֵרְא֣וֹת שָׁ֑וְא בִּדְרָכֶ֥ךָ חַיֵּֽנִי׃
הָקֵ֣ם לְ֭עַבְדְּךָ אִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ אֲ֝שֶׁ֗ר לְיִרְאָתֶֽךָ׃
הַעֲבֵ֣ר חֶ֭רְפָּתִי אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָגֹ֑רְתִּי כִּ֖י מִשְׁפָּטֶ֣יךָ טוֹבִֽים׃
הִ֭נֵּה תָּאַ֣בְתִּי לְפִקֻּדֶ֑יךָ בְּצִדְקָתְךָ֥ חַיֵּֽנִי׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, ה HE was originally the symbol for jubilation.

[2-6] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary