Reading: Psalms 119
Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of Thy word. I rejoice at Thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. I hate and abhor lying: but Thy law do I love. Seven times a day do I praise Thee because of Thy righteous judgments. Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Lord, I have hoped for Thy salvation, and done Thy commandments. My soul hath kept Thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly. I have kept Thy precepts and Thy testimonies: for all my ways are before Thee (Ps. 119:161-168).
Peace does not exist in the natural heart of man. The moment mankind ushered sin into the world, we forsook our right to it. Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return (Gen. 3:16-19). Having torn ourselves away from perfect communion with God, we entered into a world where basic needs took center stage and meeting them became a full-time job. As we established ourselves, pride, ambition, and greed became the driving force behind all we did. Our hearts hardened, and our nature was set.
Yet even as we fell into corruption, God laid the foundation for our redemption. He established His law, commandments, and precepts. He revealed Himself through His Word and established order amid chaos. The peace we had lost still existed in Him, and He invited us to return to Him so that we might once again share in it.
In this stanza of the 119th Psalm, the psalmist rejoices in the peace God has shared through His holy Word. He reflects on how that peace has overcome the trials and tribulations of the world, lifting the psalmist out of the chaos and providing a firm foundation upon which he can stand. With all his heart, the psalmist trusts in God for salvation, vowing to continue to follow the Lord’s ways.
The psalmist tasted the peace of God through His Word. His hope was born of the promises he found within its verses, and his joyous need for God was brought home to him through the laws, commandments, and precepts therein established. Today, we in the body of Christ continue to draw comfort from His Word. We have exchanged the unquenchable hope of salvation the psalmist sang of for the surety of God’s promise fulfilled (John 3:16). Peace has once again taken root in the new hearts He has given us. Our joy comes from knowing that we will never be without Him again.
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27). And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7).
Thought for Today: Following the path God has laid out is the only way to avoid the pitfalls of sin.
Christ Revealed: By the psalmist who delighted in the Commandments of God (Ps. 119: 47). Christ said: I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me (John 6:38; 15:10).
Word Studies: 119:1 undefiled = blameless; 119:7 uprightness of heart = sincere intentions; 119:25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust = I am very discouraged; quicken thou me = restore my life; 119:28 melteth for heaviness = is weary because of grief; 119:83 am become like a bottle in the smoke = shrivel like a wineskin in the smoke.
Pray for Bible Pathway PrinterPollock Printing, Nashville TN • Government Officials: Rep. David Cicilline (RI), Rep. Chris Stewart (UT) • Country: Syria (17,951,639) Southwestern Asia • Major Languages: Arabic, Kurdish, Armenian, Aramic, Circassian • Limited religious freedom for Christians • 90% Muslim; 10% Other (Christian - various denominations), Jewish • Prayer Suggestion: Ask the Lord to forgive your sins (Ps. 25:11).
Optional Reading: I Timothy 6