Psalm 119 Devotional
22 Days: Knowing is Loving
Day 12 (Lamedh – verses 89-96)
Forever, O’ Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances, for all things are Your servants. If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have revived me. I am Yours, save me; for I have sought Your precepts. The wicked wait for me to destroy me; I shall diligently consider Your testimonies. I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad.
God’s word is forever settled in heaven, should it not then be settled in our hearts? Since believers in Christ will spend eternity with Him in heaven, then we ought to seek that His word is always settled in our hearts. The settled word of God grows us always to see more of His faithfulness. Do we see here what the psalmist presents to us. God’s word is settled in heaven; thus, His word is eternal, God’s faithfulness is from generation to generation, is that eternal in nature as well? His creation of the earth stands, yet only we will be with Him in eternity. God and His word, they are eternal, and we have that in our possession. How can we know that? By seeking God in His word which is His revelation of Himself to us. We have all that we need in the perfect precepts of God.
Is God’s word important? What about when the affliction comes along? For the last few stanzas, the psalmist has been writing of the affliction, the trials, and the tribulations surrounding him. Think about what we cling to at times in those moments of trial. We will cling to absolutely anything that we can find. Without the knowledge of God’s word in our heart, or as the psalmists writes, “if the law had not been my delight,” then we may well perish. When we consider the storing of God’s word, we can find the greatest place to store it is in our hearts. Remember in day four of our time together (Psalm 119:32) we saw the psalmist asking God to enlarge his heart so more of His word could be present in his life? How about in 2 Timothy 1:14, Paul calls on Timothy to guard the treasure in himself. Let us fill our hearts with God’s word!
We do not like to dwell on the fact that trials and tribulations are before us and will come, but we can endure them. We must be diligent to consider all that God has testified to us. If we do it simply because He tells us that is a great start, but then we find as we dwell on God’s word that we need it, and then we need more of it. God’s commandment, His word, is “broad” in meaning, it is wide, it is deep, and it will cover and fill us completely. That can also be a great part of our prayer life, asking the Holy Spirit to fill us to overflowing. Overflowing with love for Him, with love for others, and with a love and deep desire for His word. We need all of Him today and every day.
My Lord and my God, Your word is a treasure to me. I desire to seek more of it always. Yes, Lord enlarge my heart, strengthen my soul through the power of Your Holy Spirit, and lead me in the way of disciplining myself to seek more of your word every day. Lord Jesus, I see Your heart for me, You gave everything for me. Thank you, my Lord and my God. I love You with all my heart, my soul, and my mind. Lord Jesus, You are my everything.