Psalm 119, Verse 164

Just as it is written elsewhere in Your word Adonai, from the rising of the sun to the setting of the same, Your Name is worthy to be praised. The more we reflect on You and consider all that flows from You towards us, the more we consider ourselves blessed; causing us to overflow with praise and gratitude. For from You flows every good thing. Mercy, overflowing compassion, great kindness, never failing faithfulness, constant righteousness, perfect wisdom, almighty power, unending love, unspeakable holiness—the list can go on Adonai. Each attribute will cause us to fall on our face with awe on one hand and gratitude on the other; for through Yeshua HaMashiach, they are all directed for us to access. We can now understand why Paul says, "God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places." Blessed be Your Name, Adonai. Baruch Hashem!

Lately, I have found myself drawn to Psalm 119. Charles Spurgeon beautifully describes it thus:

There is no title to this Psalm, neither is any author's name mentioned. It is not just long only; but equally excels in breadth of thought, depth of meaning, and height of fervour. It is like the celestial city which lieth four square, and the height and the breadth of it are equal. Many superficial readers have imagined that it harps upon one string, and abounds in pious repetitions and redundancies; but this arises from the shallowness of the reader's own mind: those who have studied this divine hymn, and carefully noted each line of it, are amazed at the variety and profundity of the thought.

It contains no idle word; the grapes of this cluster are almost to bursting full with the new wine of the kingdom. The more you look into this mirror of a gracious heart the more you will see in it. Placid on the surface as the sea of glass before the eternal throne, it yet contains within its depths an ocean of fire, and those who devoutly gaze into it shall not only see the brightness, but feel the glow of the sacred flame. It is loaded with holy sense, and is as weighty as it is bulky.

The Psalm is alphabetical. Eight stanzas commence with one letter, and then another eight with the next letter, and so the whole Psalm proceeds by octonaries quite through the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, from Aleph to Tau.

I thought I should post a verse each day in the hope that we all, including myself, may get an opportunity to reflect on them.

Psalm 119, Verse 163

I know You hate liars, Adonai. In your word they are referred to as deceitful, double-tongued, and a few other terms. At the end, so we read in the book of Revelation, the liars are outside along with the adulterous, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic and the idolaters—outside Your eternal city, outside hope and outside saving grace. Their end is destined for doom. I recognize liars as faithless—for they put their trust in their lying words and deceitful talk instead of putting their trust in You to save and make a way. I am grateful for the way You have laboured in me through all the past years, my Saviour, for if I value and treasure truth, it is only because of You.

Lately, I have found myself drawn to Psalm 119. Charles Spurgeon beautifully describes it thus:

There is no title to this Psalm, neither is any author's name mentioned. It is not just long only; but equally excels in breadth of thought, depth of meaning, and height of fervour. It is like the celestial city which lieth four square, and the height and the breadth of it are equal. Many superficial readers have imagined that it harps upon one string, and abounds in pious repetitions and redundancies; but this arises from the shallowness of the reader's own mind: those who have studied this divine hymn, and carefully noted each line of it, are amazed at the variety and profundity of the thought.

It contains no idle word; the grapes of this cluster are almost to bursting full with the new wine of the kingdom. The more you look into this mirror of a gracious heart the more you will see in it. Placid on the surface as the sea of glass before the eternal throne, it yet contains within its depths an ocean of fire, and those who devoutly gaze into it shall not only see the brightness, but feel the glow of the sacred flame. It is loaded with holy sense, and is as weighty as it is bulky.

The Psalm is alphabetical. Eight stanzas commence with one letter, and then another eight with the next letter, and so the whole Psalm proceeds by octonaries quite through the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, from Aleph to Tau.

I thought I should post a verse each day in the hope that we all, including myself, may get an opportunity to reflect on them.

Psalm 119, Verse 162

Your word is more precious than hidden treasure, Adonai. Nothing on earth can compare with the wealth that is found in it. If only we were to—as You so rightly said when You were on earth, Yeshua—find that treasure, we would be like that woman who upon finding the pearl sold all she had to obtain it; or the man who sold everything in order to possess the land that had the hidden treasure. The problem with many of us is there is a veil that hides this treasure from us. Seeing, we still do not see; and hearing we still do not hear. Only You can touch our hearts O Saviour, so that what we read can excite us more than the excitement one would get when he finds treasure.

Lately, I have found myself drawn to Psalm 119. Charles Spurgeon beautifully describes it thus:

There is no title to this Psalm, neither is any author's name mentioned. It is not just long only; but equally excels in breadth of thought, depth of meaning, and height of fervour. It is like the celestial city which lieth four square, and the height and the breadth of it are equal. Many superficial readers have imagined that it harps upon one string, and abounds in pious repetitions and redundancies; but this arises from the shallowness of the reader's own mind: those who have studied this divine hymn, and carefully noted each line of it, are amazed at the variety and profundity of the thought.

It contains no idle word; the grapes of this cluster are almost to bursting full with the new wine of the kingdom. The more you look into this mirror of a gracious heart the more you will see in it. Placid on the surface as the sea of glass before the eternal throne, it yet contains within its depths an ocean of fire, and those who devoutly gaze into it shall not only see the brightness, but feel the glow of the sacred flame. It is loaded with holy sense, and is as weighty as it is bulky.

The Psalm is alphabetical. Eight stanzas commence with one letter, and then another eight with the next letter, and so the whole Psalm proceeds by octonaries quite through the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, from Aleph to Tau.

I thought I should post a verse each day in the hope that we all, including myself, may get an opportunity to reflect on them.

Psalm 119, Verse 161

I have come to realize Adonai, that when a man lives in the light and follows all Your instructions carefully, his behaviour is strikingly different from everyone else's. This bothers the "everyone". They get agitated. They begin to label such men who love You as fanatics, fundamentalists, rebels, crazy and a host of other terms. Such men of God are perceived as a threat to society. You are one example, Yeshua. Elijah, Jeremiah, Paul and several others are other cases in point. Even leaders and governing officials get vocal against Your servants so as to appease the crowd.

Yet, just as You stayed focused, my Lord and example, and continued to do the will of the Father, so too do I stand in awe and reverence for Your word constantly ask Thee for grace to remain steadfast and faithful. For there is none greater than Thee; and with You by my side, there is none who can harm me, unless You permit it.

Over the past several weeks, we have seen how the Psalmist has so marvellously weaved His longing for God's word with the eternal, dependable truth that it is; deftly composing eight verses for each Hebrew letter. We looked at 20 of the 22 Hebrew letters. Now, moving to the penultimate alphabet, "Shin", we see how the Psalmist continues with the same thought, persistently expressing his love for God while magnifying the word of His Maker. Here is one of the eight verses that begins with the letter Shin.

Lately, I have found myself drawn to Psalm 119. Charles Spurgeon beautifully describes it thus:

There is no title to this Psalm, neither is any author's name mentioned. It is not just long only; but equally excels in breadth of thought, depth of meaning, and height of fervour. It is like the celestial city which lieth four square, and the height and the breadth of it are equal. Many superficial readers have imagined that it harps upon one string, and abounds in pious repetitions and redundancies; but this arises from the shallowness of the reader's own mind: those who have studied this divine hymn, and carefully noted each line of it, are amazed at the variety and profundity of the thought.

It contains no idle word; the grapes of this cluster are almost to bursting full with the new wine of the kingdom. The more you look into this mirror of a gracious heart the more you will see in it. Placid on the surface as the sea of glass before the eternal throne, it yet contains within its depths an ocean of fire, and those who devoutly gaze into it shall not only see the brightness, but feel the glow of the sacred flame. It is loaded with holy sense, and is as weighty as it is bulky.

The Psalm is alphabetical. Eight stanzas commence with one letter, and then another eight with the next letter, and so the whole Psalm proceeds by octonaries quite through the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, from Aleph to Tau.

I thought I should post a verse each day in the hope that we all, including myself, may get an opportunity to reflect on them.

Psalm 119, Verse 160

We mortal beings need to recognize that whatever You have spoken is true—every word, letter and dot. For just as the rain comes down and does not return without causing the earth to bud, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so is Your word that proceeds from Your mouth. It will not return to You unfulfilled but accomplish what You intend. We often treat Your word like it is a book of stories and fine inspirational teachings; yet ignore the fact that not one part of it will pass away until all is accomplished. On that day, when each one will be judged according to their deeds, it will be Your word that will stand testimony to the truth and witness to our choices.

Help us therefore Adonai to take Your word literally. Let it be our plumbline by which we make all our decisions. May we place our complete trust in the wisdom and instructions that are found in it, convinced that we will not be disappointed or put to shame. For the main thing about Your word is that it is true and all Your righteous ordinances last forever.

Lately, I have found myself drawn to Psalm 119. Charles Spurgeon beautifully describes it thus:

There is no title to this Psalm, neither is any author's name mentioned. It is not just long only; but equally excels in breadth of thought, depth of meaning, and height of fervour. It is like the celestial city which lieth four square, and the height and the breadth of it are equal. Many superficial readers have imagined that it harps upon one string, and abounds in pious repetitions and redundancies; but this arises from the shallowness of the reader's own mind: those who have studied this divine hymn, and carefully noted each line of it, are amazed at the variety and profundity of the thought.

It contains no idle word; the grapes of this cluster are almost to bursting full with the new wine of the kingdom. The more you look into this mirror of a gracious heart the more you will see in it. Placid on the surface as the sea of glass before the eternal throne, it yet contains within its depths an ocean of fire, and those who devoutly gaze into it shall not only see the brightness, but feel the glow of the sacred flame. It is loaded with holy sense, and is as weighty as it is bulky.

The Psalm is alphabetical. Eight stanzas commence with one letter, and then another eight with the next letter, and so the whole Psalm proceeds by octonaries quite through the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, from Aleph to Tau.

I thought I should post a verse each day in the hope that we all, including myself, may get an opportunity to reflect on them.