Psalm 119:1-8 - Walking, Seeking, and Keeping God's Word

1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD!

2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!

3 They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways.

4 You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.

5 Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes!

6 Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments.

For the next several weeks we will be looking at Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible. It is very close to being in the very center of the Bible, which is interesting because the theme of this chapter is the Law, or the Word of God, and the many wonderful ministries in the life of the devoted believer. It keeps us clean (v. 9), gives us joy (vv. 14, 111, 162), guides us (vv. 24, 33-35, 105), and establishes our values (vv. 11, 37, 72, 103, 127, 148, 162). The Word helps us to pray effectively (v. 58) and gives us hope (v. 49) and peace (v. 165) and freedom (vv. 45, 133). Loving the Word will bring the best friends into our life (vv. 63, 74, 79), help us find and fulfill God's purposes (v. 73), and strengthen us to witness (vv. 41-43).

When we think we are "down and out," the Word will revive us and get us back on our feet (vv. 25, 37, 40, 88, 107, 149, 154, 156, 159). If we delight in His Word, learn it, treasure it within, and obey what it says, the Lord will work in us and through us to accomplish great things for His glory! As you read and study Psalm 119, you will see the writer in a variety of experiences, but His devotion to the Lord and His Word will not change. Circumstances may change, but God and His Word remain the same.

The Bible teacher and expositor, John Phillips points out several things you will find in Psalm 119: “God is mentioned in every verse. The psalm contains 70 prayer requests. The psalmist refers to himself 325 times and mentions his suffering in 66 verses. He is resolved to know, keep, and love God's law. The psalmist uses eight synonyms for the Word of God. (Some expositors expand the list to nine, others to ten. All are agreed on the eight.) He uses the word Torah ("law" or "instruction") 24 times; Edoth ("testimonies") 19 times; Piqud ("precepts") 20 times; Chaq ("statutes") 19 times; Mitsoth ("commandments") 22 times; Mishpat ("judgments," "decisions," or "appointments") 22 times; Debar ("Word") 22 times; and Imrath "word," "promise," or "saying") 20 times.”

Psalm 119 opens with the word “blessed", which is repeated in verse 2 but found nowhere else this psalm. How can we receive God's blessing? By being blameless or undefiled before the Lord, obedient to His law, and wholehearted in our relationship to Him. The psalmist points out that we should also walk in the Word, we should seek Him in the Word, and we should keep and obey His Word (vv. 1-5).

When we are daily walking, seeking, and keeping God’s Word we will not have to be ashamed before others now, and more importantly, we will not be ashamed at His coming or at the Judgement Seat of Christ. In 2 Timothy 2:15, the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy encouraging him to: “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

I love reminding believers that we can listen to the Word, we can read the Word, we can study the Word, we can memorize the Word, but most importantly we can meditate on the Word. We should “receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to save our souls” (James 1:21). Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

My friend, the path to a blessed life, a fulfilled life, a happy life, is always through the Word of God. Always take time to “walk” in it, “seek with all your heart” to meet with God in it and determine to “keep” it by being obedient to its commandments and precepts and you will “never be forsaken” (v. 8).

God bless!