Week 19
Psalm 119:1-2 “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart.”
How often in life do we find ourselves wanting God to bless us, but we don’t know how to get God to bless us? Our text today helps us grasp plainly what we need to do in such cases.
First, note how the passage elevates the Scripture and our need to rightly understand and obediently apply the Word of God to our lives. The blameless way is the way that seeks to honor the Lord through obedience to His Word. There is no blamelessness outside of obedience to Christ. If we want to please the Lord, we must come to understand the clear admonitions and commands of our Lord as given in the Scriptures, that we might implement these teachings in our lives. Remember that the Book of James reminds us that not just “hearing” the Word will suffice; we must also put the Word of God into practice, we must obey the Lord’s Word (See James 1:22-24). If we sit soaking in the uncertainty of what we should do to follow Christ, this is the only sure path: seek to read, understand, and apply the Lord’s Word found in the Scriptures.
Second, God bestows His blessings also on those who “seek Him with all their heart.” It is important to combine this admonition to verses 1-2a of Psalm 119. As we walk in the light of the Law of the Lord, as we observe His testimonies, we are seeking the very God who gave us His Word. We seek the God of truth when we seek to understand and apply the truth of God. These go together.
But there is also a shadowed idea here in verse 2; we must see that obeying God is a matter of the heart. To obey simply for obedience’s sake is not enough; we must love the Lord with all our hearts as we seek to obey His Word. The Lord does not only want our minds and memories (if we memorize God’s Word). This is good, but it is not good enough. The Lord wants our hearts. As we come to rightly understand and embrace the Word of the Lord, the Holy Spirit is speaking to our hearts. He adds His power and enablement to transform us to conform to the truth of God’s Word. This not only changes our choices in life, but it also changes our lives altogether.
Therefore, we see that the blameless life is the life that obeys the Lord’s Word, and it is the life that loves and enjoys God in light of His Word. Obedience and joy go together.
Precious Christian friend, do not be confused as to what the Lord would have you do in your walk with Christ. Study His Bible, seek to understand the main/plain teaching of the Scripture, and find the way that the Lord would have you to go. Then seek to love Him and enjoy Him in view of His truth. There is no greater life than this: to know and apply God’s truth with joy and love.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to study Your Word, and help me to apply the truth of the Word to my life. And also, help me to love you with all my heart; may I rejoice in You exceedingly and continually. Amen.