Psalm 119:2 "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart."
As we begin our study of the 119th Psalm, I do not believe it to be
coincidental that the longest Psalm, the longest chapter in the Bible, has the
written Word of God as its central theme. This Psalm is divided into
segments and titled by the Hebrew alphabet. Each segment consists of
about eight verses. We will not attempt to look at the Psalm verse by verse;
rather, we will look at each segment and attempt to look at the thought
contained in each one.
This first segment speaks of the blessedness that we can derive by reading the
Word of God in our hearts. It makes for good discipline in our lives when we
make a habit of reading from the Bible each day. It is amazing to see just how
much the Lord speaks to our hearts and minds as we are reading. And may I say
that there is no greater blessing than to know the Lord is speaking to you
through His Word by His Holy Spirit.
There is a blessedness in keeping "his testimonies" (the written Word
of God). Notice, I keep specifying the written Word. As a side note, the
written Word of God speaks to us of the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ. It is
in Christ that the written Word empowers us to keep, or follow, the Word of
God. Looking back at Psalm 56 we read, "In God will I praise his
word: in the LORD will I praise his word. (11) In God have I put my
trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me." (Psalm 56:10-11)
We will be greatly disappointed if we attempt to keep the Word through
our own power. We can only be successful in doing the work of His Word by
depending upon the power of the Almighty to direct us and support us in our
efforts to follow Him.
Which brings us to the third point of this first segment. We are to read the
Word. We are to keep (obey) the Word. But in order to derive the full benefit,
we are to "seek Him with the whole heart." I mentioned
previously that we must depend upon His power in order to fully be able to obey
His Word. How do we do that? I don't want to oversimplify this
process and yet it comes about simply by asking the Lord from our hearts to
help us understand what we are reading and to help us apply the Word into our lives.
"Lord, I want to understand what I am reading. I know you are speaking to
me. Would you please break it down into pieces that I can spiritually digest
and bring strength to my walk with you?"
When we do these things, the Lord has promised a blessedness to our lives that
comes in no other way. I highly encourage each of us to spend time daily
reading and meditating upon the Word of God.