Meditations on Psalm 119
Introduction - Along with the two guys I meet with for breakfast, accountability, and encouragement on Thursdays, we are working our way through Psalm 119 together starting this week. While working my way through the first 16 verses in preparation for our meeting, these thoughts came to mind:
I first came upon Psalm 119 during my first year of Summer Bible Camp. The ironic thing about Camp was that I was 25 years old, and one of the volunteer camp couselors from our church singles group. I had never been to camp growing up, and even though I went to Sunday School growing up, I did not come to acknowledge Jesus as my Lord and Savior until I was 24.
At camp, the Junior High kids whom we were responsible for had memory verses to learn, including Psalm 119:9, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word;, and 119:11, "I have stored up ('hidden' in the NIV, which was in vogue at the time) your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
Since then, I've spent a lot of time over the years in Psalm 119, and because my life has changed so much since I was 25 (in 1991), I've come to appreciate how my application and apprectiation for the Psalm has changed over the years.
The Psalm itself
Of course, the meaning does not change, I do. Psalm 119, although not specifically credited to David, does make me think of David. A young man has written about the joys and benefits of walking with God. In poetic form, each section corresponds to a letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and each verse in a particular section begins with the letter of that alphabet: The first 8 verses are section "Aleph", and each verse begins with that letter, the next section is Beth, and so on. But enough about textbook analysis, how has this verse changed me?
In my 20s
Loving God's Word and desiring to do His will is a natural, spontaneous next step after embracing who Christ is and what He has done. That's called Progressive Sanctification, and God was blessing me. I loved going to church, loved my new Bible, and loved to learn. The first 16 verses fit my life well. "How can a young man keep his way pure?" I was a young man, and I've asked that question, how can I keep my purity? Of course the Bible provides answers to our questions! In other places we read, "I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you," and "I will delight in your statutes..." Psalm 119 is a great Psalm for a new believer who is excited about the things of God.
In my 30s
It doesn't happen overnight, even when the big 3 - 0 hits, but it happens. I don't feel like such a young man anymore. Friends come and go, but responsibilities accumulate: Being a husband, being a father, managing a career (if nothing else, to keep food, clothing, and shelter coming), church, extended family, etc., etc., and life gets hard. But, it is not all bad, a lot of it is good: a good marriage, great kids, and stability. God talks about stability in Psalm 119: verse 4 says, "You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently." The word diligent can mean "to work long and hard to finish a task." Verse 5 says, "Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes." Steadfast can mean "firmly established." Could it be that consistenly being under the things of God with a happy heart, as suggested in Psalm 119, can help bring about stability and contentedness in the daily grind of life? Of course it can.
In my 40s (today)
As I write this, I feel a renaissance in my life for many reasons. Our church has a new lead pastor, my wife and I are encouraging each other as we are well-ensconsed into exercise and healthy eating, our kids are mid-elementary age and it is an exciting time (especially in our homeschool lifestyle), our church small group is fantastic, we have leadership positions because we are responsible for 1st grade Sunday School, we've persevered through business and financial trials, all adding up to a season of blessing. Today I feel better physically, spiritually, and mentally than I have in a long, time. Psalm 119 has a lot to say. The tone of the psalm is upbeat. "The joy of obedience," as John MacArthur says. My children are young children, so now add teaching them about how a young man (and young woman) can keep their ways pure in addition to teaching myself. My life is busy, so I have to remind myself about they excitement of being in the word and doing as it says - otherwise, I can be tempted to take shortcuts and call it time savings. We have a reading space set up in the corner of our sunroom, good for Bible study (as long as it is not wintertime, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there). Amy Grant once sang, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path..." Again, not in a drudgery, lamenting song, but a hymn of worship. Oh, the joy of the Psalmist as he wrote out Psalm 119!
In my 50s
I've got 7 1/2 years before I get there. Let's not rush anything. May the Lord find me faithful. Amen. |
