Psalm 119: The Supremacy of God's Word
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Day 1
Admit it
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.
You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments.
I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments.
I will keep Your statutes; oh, do not forsake me utterly!
Psalm 119:1 - 8
What kind of person do you admire and look up to? The celebrity, professional athlete, business person or politician who performs their vocation with excellence yet whose personal life is far from pure? Are you willing to overlook their flaws while admiring the results of their professional vocations?
The writer of Psalm 119 admired those people who remained undefiled, or pure, because they walked in the law of the LORD, kept His testimonies and sought Him with the whole heart (vv 1, 2). These are the kind of people who seem to radiate genuine goodness, kindness and encouragement whenever you’re around them. Why is this? Because these people do no iniquity and choose to walk in God’s ways (v. 3). In other words, their lives are not marked by sinful living and behavior. They are the real deal.
A transition takes place in v. 4 as the psalmist addressed the LORD personally as “You“. It is a life changing transition when we go from talking about the LORD conceptually in the theoretical and begin applying His principles to our lives in the practical. Are you ready and willing to make that transition?
The heart of this section is found in vv. 5, 6. It is here that the psalmist admitted his longing to keep God’s perfect ways while being utterly incapable of doing so. Humility is a rapidly fading characteristic in all people today, believers and unbelievers alike. It’s time to admit that we don’t know it all. Furthermore, it’s time to admit that the God of the Bible does know it all and prove it by letting Him take control of our hearts and lives.
Once we admit our complete inadequacy in following God’s perfect law, the ability to freely express praise comes quite naturally. The burden is lifted and replaced by a hunger to know God better (v. 7). Praise is the natural result of learning more about the LORD and His ways.
Finally, the commitment is made to keep the LORD’s statutes (v. 8). The psalmist is more concerned with receiving God’s favor than anything else. Are we? When was the last time we truly compared ourselves against God’s perfect character and equally perfect Word? And cared about it? Let’s admit our sin (falling short of God’s perfect standard) and fall at His feet in humble surrender and brokenness. He’s more than willing to shower you with His mercy and grace.
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About the Book
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in God's Word and is filled with encouragement to rejoice in the good times and persevere during difficult times. For twenty-two days, you can take a journey with the psalmist and learn how to live life in God's strength. The transformation in your life will make the journey worth it.
Psalm 119 is broken out into twenty-two sections with eight verses each. This book uses these sections as daily devotions/meditations/thoughts to highlight one specific theme. The intent is for the reader to use this as a daily quiet time while staying within the context of the entire psalm for one month of working days. This will help ignite the discipline of reading and studying God’s Word daily and meditating upon its meaning.
Regardless of who the original author of this psalm was, it is quite apparent that he was very passionate about God’s Word. He was not interested in robotic religion or mechanical obedience. Rather, he surrendered his whole heart and soul to God, the one who made heaven and earth and gave humanity the perfect law to follow.
May this book be used as a tool for you to attain a delight in knowing, loving and serving the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
About the Author
Born in Long Island, New York, Ron Hirschhorn graduated from Long Island University ('85 B.S. marketing) and Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois ('95 M.A. biblical studies). A Jewish believer in Jesus, he currently leads a Bible study at his church and workplace, a top five defense contractor. He is married to Lisa and has two daughters, Deborah and Rebekah. Ron and "his girls" reside in Arlington Heights, Illinois. This is his debut work.