Those who love Your law have great peace,
And nothing causes them to stumble, (119:165).

Throughout the 176 verses of Psalm 119, we have repeatedly seen a correlation between a love for God’s Word and God’s abundant blessings. And the truth is, we really can’t have one without the other; without a hunger and love for His Word, we won’t truly know and understand all the treasures of His Word, for His Word is to be our life.

“He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord,” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

Again, I find myself wishing we had so much more time to dig into this treasure trove, to cultivate an even deeper love for His Precious Word, His Commandments, His Decrees, His Law, His Ordinances, His Precepts, and His Statutes; the kind of love the psalmist had. Twelve times, he wrote of his love for God’s Word, nine times of his delight, and six times he speaks of meditating on God’s Word. Five times he asks for understanding and seven times avows he does not forget God’s Word. And then, nineteen times he makes his appeal to God to deal with him according to His Word (12), His Ordinances (4), and His Lovingkindness (3). In his quest for Peace, the writer looked in loving dependence to the Word of God.

In reflecting on the opening of this psalm, the writer speaks of the blessing of those whose way is blameless because of their loyal dedication and adherence to the Way of His Word.

How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
Who walk in the law of the Lord.
² How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,
Who seek Him with all their heart, (119:1-2).

And in twenty-two stanzas, we read over and over again of the struggles the psalmist faced in life, his desperation for deliverance, and his longing for the Hope and Comfort offered through the Eternal Security of His Word.

Time and time again, the writer appeals to God, not on the basis of his own merit; he comes to God fully aware of his propensity to wander, his propensity to doubt God’s precious promises, and his utter inability to rescue himself. The final words penned to close out his lengthy prayer, are a humble confession of his waywardness, his admission of his need, and his commitment to not forget God’s Commandments.

 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments, (119:176).

Repeatedly the writer thrusts Himself upon the nature and character of God in humility and faith, asking God to hear him, revive him, give him understanding and deliverance according to God’s lovingkindness, so that in spite of his circumstances his faith would be strengthened to experience the Great Peace of His Word.

Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your ordinances…
¹⁵⁴ Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Your word…
¹⁵⁶ Great are Your mercies, O Lord;
Revive me according to Your ordinances…
¹⁵⁹ Consider how I love Your precepts;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness.
¹⁶⁹ Let my cry come before You, O Lord;
Give me understanding according to Your word.
¹⁷⁰ Let my supplication come before You;
Deliver me according to Your word, (119:149, 154, 156, 169-170).

And therein is his only hope, that the God of the Word would send the Great Peace of His Word.

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (Ephesians 2:14).

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

Consider the Great Peace of His Word

• He Sends the Great Peace of His Word as He gives us His Light
  • The unfolding of Your words gives light;
    It gives understanding to the simple, (119:130).
    • In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men, (John 1:4).
    • Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life,” (John 8:12).

• He Sends the Great Peace of His Word in His Righteousness and Faithfulness
  • You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness
    And exceeding faithfulness, (119:138).
    • He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him, (2 Corinthians 5:21).
    • If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, (1 John 1:9).

• He Sends the Great Peace of His Word in His Perfect Purity
  • Your word is very pure,
    Therefore Your servant loves it, (119:140).
    • And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, (Hebrews 5:9).
    • For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens, (Hebrews 7:26).

• He Sends the Great Peace of His Word through His Truth that brings us to His Presence
  • You are near, O Lord,
    And all Your commandments are truth, (119:151).
    • Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (John 14:6).
    • But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, (Ephesians 2:13).

• He Sends the Great Peace of His Word, for His Truth is Everlasting and will never pass away.
  • The sum of Your word is truth,
    And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting, (119:160).
    • “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away,” (Matthew 24:35).
    • Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever, (Hebrews 13:8).

How do we respond to the Great Peace of His Word?

I pray that after four brief days of considering this God-breathed devotion to His Word, we are absolutely enthralled and desirous to search His Word for the treasures He has waiting for us.

 I rejoice at Your word,
As one who finds great treasure, (119:162 NKJV).

that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, (Colossians 2:2-3).

And perhaps the most valuable and desirous of all His treasures in Christ is His Great Peace. When we have His Great Peace, we are free from anxiety and worry, and firmly established in every one of the Promise of His Words so that nothing causes us to stumble. But, how are we ever to arrive at such a place? By faith, as we seek His Great Peace in the promises of His Word.

Let’s close out with a few passages from this beautiful psalm devoted to His Word; and if we will receive and believe them in faith, we will find the limitless treasures of the Great Peace of His Word.

Let us boldly take hold of His Word in faith so that we may find…

• …the Great Peace of His blessing
  • How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,
    Who seek Him with all their heart, (119:2).
• …the Great Peace of victory over sin
  • How can a young man keep his way pure?
    By keeping it according to Your word, (119:9).
• …the Great Peace of His counsel
  • Your testimonies also are my delight;
    They are my counselors, (119:24).
• …the Great Peace of His hope
  • Remember the word to Your servant,
    In which You have made me hope, (119:49).
• …the Great Peace of His comfort in our affliction
  • This is my comfort in my affliction,
    That Your word has revived me, (119:50).
• …the Great Peace of His favor
  • You have dealt well with Your servant,
    O Lord, according to Your word, (119:65).
• …the Great Peace of His sustaining power in our afflictions
  • If Your law had not been my delight,
    Then I would have perished in my affliction, (119:92).
• ...the Great Peace of His Light
  • Your word is a lamp to my feet
    And a light to my path, (119:105).
• …the Great Peace of His Protection
  • You are my hiding place and my shield;
    I wait for Your word, (119:114).
• …the Great Peace of His Redeeming Life
  • Plead my cause and redeem me;
    Revive me according to Your word, (119:154).

And perhaps the greatest treasure of all is that it’s really not up to us! It’s difficult to comprehend, but even as we seek Him, it is His work in us; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure, (Philippians 2:13).

So let’s pray every day; because every day in some way, we miss the mark and go astray from a heart totally devoted to God. Let us confess our need and ask Him to seek us as we seek Him and the Great Peace of His Word.

I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments, (119:176).

Let’s Grow Together!