Psalms 119:41-48 — a devotion

Background

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible, and all 176 verses are given to praise and meditation on God's word. It has an intricate structure, divided into sections of eight verses each according to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Verses 41-48 make up the sixth section, "Waw." Opinions about the author vary — David, Ezra, Daniel, and others — but it is generally seen as the confession of a devout believer who longed for God's word in the period after the exile. This section deals especially with the relationship between the word and freedom, singing that a life of meditating on the word is not bondage but liberation. The phrase in verse 46 about not being ashamed even before kings is a meaningful verse portraying a word-centered life that does not waver even before earthly power.

Reflection questions: 1. Have you ever felt that God's word gives you freedom? If so, what was the situation? 2. What could I try in order to experience meditating on the word as joy rather than duty? 3. Like the psalmist of Psalm 119, what small practice could I try today to cultivate a heart that longs for the word?

Today's reflection

Psalm 119:41-48 corresponds to the Hebrew alphabet section "Waw." After asking that God's mercy and salvation would come to him according to the word, the psalmist confesses his own posture toward the word. In verse 43 he pleads that the word of truth not be taken from his mouth, and in verse 45 he declares that he walks in a wide place because he has sought the word's precepts. In verse 46 he says he will not be ashamed even before kings, and in verse 48 the psalmist resolves to lift up his hands to God's commandments, which he loves, and to meditate on God's statutes.

In these verses, meditation is linked with freedom. Many people feel God's word to be a rule or a restriction, but the psalmist says the very opposite. The more deeply he meditates on the word, the more he enjoys the freedom of walking in a wide place. In verse 47 the psalmist says he delights in God's commandments — a confession that the word is not a burden but a source of joy.

This is much like learning to play an instrument. At first, practicing the fundamentals feels frustrating, but once you've mastered them enough you can play freely. In the same way, as the discipline of meditating on the word accumulates, we come to experience our whole life growing freer. The deeper our meditation, the greater the joy we find within the word.

There may be times when meditating on the word feels like an obligation. But as the psalmist confesses, meditation does not confine us; rather, it is a path that leads us into a wide, open place. A heart that longs for the word doesn't appear overnight — it grows through the steady discipline of meditation. What if you took time today to turn a single verse over in your heart with joy?