Psalm 119 and God's Word

We had a guest speaker at my church this past Sunday who spoke on Psalm 119. If you're unfamiliar, this would be the longest Psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. To answer the question you did not ask, no, he didn't preach verse by verse through the whole chapter.

Psalm 119 is primarily about one thing: God's word.

Of course, it uses many different phrases, such as "law," "Ordinance," "Testimony," etc. But they all are referring to the same thing, the word of God.

In it, the author speaks of his need, longing, and love for that word. He sees his need for God's guidance, protection, and wisdom. He understands that it is foundational to life. In other words, he's lost without it.

So much of life really is broken down into listening to one of two voices: man's or God's. The Psalmist knew that man's word was of little use when compared to that of the one true God.

It's interesting to note that Scripture doesn't spend much time defending itself; it merely states that it is true. The Psalmist doesn't sit there, endlessly debating the veracity of the Bible. He knows it is true, and because it is true, what will he do with it?

And that's still true for us today, isn't it? The Bible's own testimony, its consistency, and its historicity all point to its truthfulness. It's not a matter of "Is the Bible real?" It's a matter of what we do with it.

But we're constantly confronted with doubts and questions and our own sin, all telling us to disbelieve God.

Yet, as the Psalmist discovered and wrote, God's word is actually what we need. It offers God's ways for healing, security, help, wisdom, and direction. Most importantly, it tells us who God is, who we are, how we can be right with God, and that He has a purpose.

So if you find yourself tempted to doubt God or not take Him at His word, be as the Psalmist:

"Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways." - Psalm 119:37