Psalm 119:169-176

Psalm 119:169-176

Rely on the Word

I.                    Living a satisfied life means relying continually on God’s Word; so we must be moved by His Word to understand our need, cry out to Him for help, and praise Him for it (Vv. 169-172)

a.       Throughout Psalm 119, the Psalmist has proclaimed his love for God’s Word, his desire to study God’s Word, to know God’s Word, and to live by God’s Word. Now as the Psalmist closes out his psalm, he shares a prayer with us which reveals the results of his desire for and dedication to God’s Word. He’s learned that even as he’s grown to know God more fully in His Word, God’s infinite nature and character can’t be fully known in this life, and thus understanding of Him must be continually pursued in His Word. He’s also learned that no matter how much we grow in understanding of God, none of us escape the challenges and difficulties of this life, and none of us can deliver ourselves in our own strength. Ultimately, our ability to properly perceive life’s challenges, and to be properly equipped to manage life’s circumstances, only comes through continually relying on God’s Word. Thus the Psalmist lifts up a prayer to God that He might continually increase in his understanding of who God is according to His Word. Then the Psalmist also lifts up a prayer that God might deliver him from life’s difficulties and challenges according to His Word or His promises. The deliverance he seeks isn’t limited to the oppression of the people he’s spoken about in this psalm, but God faithfully uses His Word to deliver us from physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual difficulties from which we can’t deliver ourselves. God’s Word is truth, and only the truth sets us free. What obstacles, distractions, difficulties, and circumstances are distracting us from truly seeking God, and thus truly experiencing freedom in Him? When we rely continually on God’s Word, He helps us to identify these obstacles in our lives, understand them more clearly, and trust in Him to deliver us from them. The perspective we obtain through God’s Word frees us from the frustration, dissatisfaction, and bitterness which are brought on when we’re overwhelmed by the inevitable circumstances of life, and frees us to truly praise God for the efficacy of His Word and our growing understanding of His never ending grace, mercy, and provision. We praise Him for the certain promises of His Word and His faithfulness to guide and direct us in righteousness through them. The praise of God can only flow from genuine satisfaction in life as the result of growing in understanding and experience of His grace. When we rely continually on God’s Word for understanding and deliverance we’re reminded continually that the greatest problems and the largest obstacles we’ll ever encounter in life have already been defeated through the cross. (Vv. 169-172; Ps. 23:1; Prov. 3:1-8; John 4:24; 8:30-36; 16:33; Rom. 11:33-36; 1 Cor. 1:18-31; 13:12; 10:11-14; Phil. 3: 7-16; 1 John 2:7-8)

II.                 Living a satisfied life means relying continually on God’s Word; so we must be moved by His Word to see our sin, our continual need for His great grace, and receive His help (Vv. 173-176)

a.   Continually relying on God’s Word will not only move us to realize our great need in the moment, but also to see and acknowledge our continual need for His action in our lives. The Psalmist acknowledges the reality of the nature of his heart, and the remaining sin nature with which we all struggle, even on this side of the cross. Thus the Psalmist prays for God’s Hand to be ready to help him, and for Him to faithfully seek His servant. All our attitudes and actions stray from God’s will, rendering us helpless in life because we can do nothing apart from Him. Our greatest strengths and efforts are not sufficient to live sinless and perfect lives. So the Psalmist’s prayer here at the end of his psalm reminds us that even when we’re saved by grace through faith in Christ, and delivered from the penalty of sin, we’re never free from sin’s temptation or effects while we live in the flesh. Our proud human hearts grow cold to this truth if we’re not continually convicted of its reality through God’s Word. However, continually relying on God’s Word also reminds, strengthens, encourages, and comforts us with the reality that God has won the final victory over sin and death through Christ, and that walking in His Word is continually relying on His victory. God will never leave us, forsake us, or fail us, no matter how we struggle or how we drift, when we rely faithfully on His Word. Satisfaction in life is found in the presence of God, and He uses His Word to continually draw us close to Him, restore us, equip us, and delight us to praise and true joy in Him. (Vv. 173-176; Deut. 30:6-20; Ps. 1:1-4; 16:5-11; 23:2-6; 28:7; 95:1-7; 115:1-15; 119:11; Isa. 53:5-6; Jer. 17:5-10; Luke 18:9-14; John 10:10-18, 27-29; 15:1-11; Rom. 6:12-14; 7:12-25; 8:1-9, 28-39; 12:1-2; Gal. 5:16-23; Eph. 6:10-18; Phil. 4:6-13; Col. 3:16; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12-16; Rev. 3:14-22)