Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
Psalm 119:1-8 (ESV)
Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet
Aleph
119 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! 4 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! 6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. 8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!
Psalm 119 is all about delighting in God’s law. As you read today’s sections, and anything else in this psalm, keep in mind that “law” and “precepts” and “commands” has a broader and gentler meaning in the Hebrew original. These words also mean “instruction” and “guidance” and “advice.” They are commands in the sense that God’s “advice” isn’t optional! If we don’t follow God’s plan, we will have troubles. When our hearts are captivated by the Gospel, so that we trust God instead of running from God, we begin to look at God’s commands differently. Instead of hating them because they restrict our freedom, we love them because they actually make life easier, more fruitful, and more free!