Psalm 119: Shall I Talk of Thy Wondrous Works

JOSHUA ALEXANDER

God has been so good to us. When we take a step back and contemplate the wonderful blessings with which God has blessed us, we cannot help but be in awe of His wondrous work. Through trials and heartache and troubles unimaginable, God has been with us through it all. When we think about God’s wondrous work, what should be our response? Habakkuk, in his song, said the world should be full of His praises (Hab. 3:3). The Psalmist said that his mouth was going to bring forth praise unto God (Psa. 34:1, 40:3, 51:15, 63:5, 71:8, 109:30, 138:4, 145:21). 

In Psalm 119, the Psalmist expresses time and time again his gratitude for God and His word. In this section of Psalm 119, the Psalmist says that he will “talk” of God’s wondrous works. The word “talk” in this passage is a Hebrew word that means “to talk to ones self” or “meditate”. Upon what is the Psalmist meditating? The wonderful benefits that one receives from God’s word. There are a number of different blessings mentioned in this Psalm, for which we also can be eternally grateful!

The word of God gives us Life (25)

“Quicken thou me according to thy word.” The word “quicked” means “To give life.” God’s word has always been said to give life. Even in the creation of man, God breathed life into the nostrils of Adam (Gen. 2:7). The breath of God is what inspired the word of God “All scripture is given by inspiration of God ” (2 Tim. 3:16). That word “inspiration” is a greek word which means “God-breathed.” There are nine references to God’s word giving us life in Psalm 119 alone, (Psalm 119:25, 37, 40, 88, 107, 149, 154, 156, 159). The Hebrews writer had the same description of God’s word, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword” (Heb. 4:12). That word “quick” is the word meaning “life.” How does God’s word give us life? This life is the abundant life about which Jesus spoke (John 10:10). By striving to live by the teachings contained in God’s word, we can have a more abundant life. The Christian life is the best life.

The word of God gives us Strength (28)

“My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.” Life is hard. There are times when our hearts are full of heaviness and sorrow. The Christian life is the best life, but that does not mean it is without heartache and tears. Thankfully, God’s word can give us strength. It is in the context of facing persecution when the Apostle Paul penned the infamous declaration, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phi. 4:13). God has not left us in this world without a source of strength. Will I take advantage of this wonderful gift from above? Also, in the context of persecution, James reminds us of the patriarch Job. He suffered immensely at the hand of Satan yet withstood the trial. Job can be used as a picture of patience (James 5:11).

The word of God gives us Direction (29-32)

We need some sort of guide and standard in our lives. Without any direction, man is left to be his own standard, and that has never worked in the history of humanity. Jeremiah recognized that “it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23). With this being the case, we need some sense of direction with which to match our steps. Thankfully, God had provided us his word to be a “lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). This is a constant motif throughout the 119th Psalm. God guides us through His word. Through His word, we can have a standard of morality, and through His word, we can have a path to follow.

With all the confusion, heartache, sorrow, and despair in the world, aren’t you thankful that God has provided us with His word? As we live our lives in this lost and dying world, let's take a moment this week to meditate on the blessing that our great God has provided and always remember to be thankful to God for his inspired word.