Psalm 119.41-48 (6)

Pray Psalm 119.47, 48.
And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love.
My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love,
And I will meditate on Your statutes.

Sing Psalm 119.46-48.
(Dix: For the Beauty of the Earth)
I will speak Your Word to kings, and I will not be ashamed.
In Your Word my glad heart sings, as Your truth I have proclaimed.
In Your Law will I delight, which I love with all my might.

To Your Law I lift my hands to embrace and hold it dear.
In Your truth my glad heart stands, knowing You are ever near.
I will meditate, O Lord, on Your statutes and Your Word.

Read Psalm 119.41-48; meditate on verses 47, 48.

Preparation
1. So, how does the psalmist feel about God’s Law?

2. And what does this lead him to do?

Meditation
Here is a clear indicator of the degree of your love for God’s Law: “I will meditate on Your statutes.” The psalmist has already told us that true and complete happiness is found in delighting in and obeying the Law of God (Ps. 119.1-3). Anything that brings us true and complete happiness is something we will love, something we will reach out and grab hold of as often as we can, no?

The psalmist delights in and loves, loves the commandments of God. He lifts up his hands to receive them, eagerly and gladly. He meditates on them deeply.

Do we?

Can you feel the overflowing sense of joy and pleasure that flows from these two verses? This is how they who have known the mercy of God and live in His salvation (v. 41) feel about the love letter He has written them in His Law. They live it as their explanation to the world for why they believe (v. 42). They talk about it, hope in it, keep it faithfully, and seek to learn more of it (vv. 43-45). They are bold in declaring it to others (v. 46), and the more they do, the more their delight in and love for God and His Law increase.

Life in the Law of God – the psalmist was lovin’ it. We can, too. And as we do, we’ll find that we meditate on it, yea verily, throughout the day and night (Ps. 1), lifting up our hands in praise and thanks to God Who shows us the unfailing and delightful pathway of His Law.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“…delight…love…lift up…love…meditate” (Ps. 119.47, 48).

Imagine your baby, standing in their crib, hungry, messy, most assuredly wet, and eager to see you walk through the door. What do they do? They raise their dear little arms up to you so you will pick them up; and then tend to all their needs.

In some respects that is exactly how needy we are for God and His Word. Hopefully minus the wet? Therefore, we call out to Him because we love Him, and we know He loves us. And we lift our hands to Him, to His commandments, His Words, and His care. You picked up your eager child; He picks us up, as well. To meet our needs through His Word.

All this is possible as we meditate on His statutes.

Joshua, the mighty leader and soldier, knew his power and success were all wrapped up in God’s Law.
He told the children of Israel, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth (cf. Ps. 119.43), but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Josh. 1.8). Meditate. Prosper. Be successful. To do according to God’s Law.

David, the mighty warrior and king, knew his power was only from God and His way and Law. Here is his suggestion for success: “Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD” (Ps. 4.4, 5). Meditate. Be still. Be righteous. Trust in God.

One might expect that the pep talk from these warriors would be more about physical prowess and tactical issues. But it is not what they stressed. Meditation on God’s Law and trust in Him is the winning way.
As Paul said, “…if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Phil. 4.8).

If we love God and His Word;
if we are eagerly reaching up our hands to Him for guidance through His Word;
if we are meditating day and night on Him and His Laws,
then, according to the psalmist, Joshua, and David, we will find delight, success, and good Kingdom work.

For reflection
1. What does it mean for you to reach out your hands to the Lord?

2. What is it about Jesus that you especially delight to meditate on?  

3. Will you see any fellow believers today? How can you encourage them to set their minds on Jesus and to reach out their hands to Him?

The more delight we take in the service of God, the nearer we come to perfection. Not only consent to his law as good, but take pleasure in it as good for us. Let me put forth all the strength I have, to do it. Something of this mind of Christ is in every true disciple. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Psalm 119.41-48

Pray Psalm 119.43-45.
Pray that God will keep His Word in your mind and heart throughout the day, that you will walk His path and grow in love for Him and His Word.

Sing Psalm 119.43-45.
(Dix: For the Beauty of the Earth)
Lord, take not Your Word from me, for I trust it day by day.
I will walk in liberty as Your precepts I obey.
I shall keep Your truth, O Lord, for I hope in all Your Word.

T. M. and Susie Moore

You can listen to a summary of last week’s Scriptorium study by going to our website, www.ailbe.org, and clicking the Scriptorium tab for last Sunday. You can download any or all the studies in this series on Psalm 119 by clicking here.

What is the Law of God and how should we learn and obey it? Two books can help. The Law of God arranges the statutes and precepts of God’s Law under their appropriate number of the Ten Commandments. This book is an excellent tool for meditating on God’s Law and thinking about its application in our time. The Ground for Christian Ethics, on the other hand, explains why the Law matters and how we are to use it. You can order free copies of each of these here and here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.