Charles Spurgeon

I just want to say that I love Psalm 119. For about the last month I’ve been committing a section of it to memory, verses 33-40 (and am tempted to do the whole thing!). This is mainly because I saw my own heart confronted and turned to God by the middle line, “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things, and give me life in your ways!” I liked the whole section which gives me hope for growth in holiness, so I hunkered down in the section to memorize it. A part of this has been making the whole psalm itself my evening devotion, one little verse at a time, right before I go to bed. Charles Spurgeon has a “devotional commentary” on this that I got for free once that I have been reading little by little along with this time (available for purchase here, and for free online reading here).

There have been two main reasons why I have grown in my love for this psalm.

The first is that in seeking to memorize verses 33 through 40, I have had a lot of time to reflect on the structure of the psalm. A quick glance at the psalm shows a lot of activity being done in the section: Teach, Give, Lead, Incline, Turn, Confirm, Turn, and Behold. But the key to the section is seeing the active agent in these verbs: God. David prays for great things (not only to keep the path of God’s law with a pure and whole heart to the end of his life, but also to delight in it, enjoy it, and to feel the weight of God’s glory and holiness), but we should note that it is the Lord that he demands to be the source of its affectation. “Teach me, O Lord… and I will thus, and only by your divine, gracious teaching, keep your holy way to the end.” This isn’t a legalism of giving thanks to God for producing the fruit and taking credit for it (like the Pharisee of Luke 18:9-14). It is an acknowledgment that apart from God, he sucks and will continue to in depravity if God does not teach him in his school of grace that changes people for life, continually, all to the glory of God. This is all from the explicit and implicit things being said in the structure of the section. Another is verse 36: “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!” My selfish gain is being contrasted with God’s testimonies – his redemptive history. What does this say about what I am trying to do in celebrating my own achievements and fame? That’s what the structure of God’s holy Word here is asking us to ponder.

The second reason is that I’ve seen God’s power working in my through this time I’ve committed to memorization and meditation. Subtly, and unintentionally, I’ve noticed that the “furniture” of my mind has been shifted. I have noticed in retrospect how the language of 119 has come out in my prayers. I find that the psalm comes to mind in not only fighting temptations (i.e. “turn my eyes from looking at worthless things” is a pretty good measuring rod to evaluate my internet activity by…ahem, Facebook?). It’s also subtly changed my inherent, gut desires for holiness. I find my mind going more towards spiritual affections for Christ as expressed in this section of Scripture (i.e. the “promise” of verse 38 refers to God’s covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7, which is realized in Jesus Christ – talk about giving me hope!).

The Word of God has been more deeply lovely to me. It has been, as Jesus prayed, been my sanctification because it is the very truth of God (John 17:17). God’s word is living and active, and meditating on it has been a banquet of grace for the stirring of my soul for a deeper love for Jesus Christ that is filled with the glory of God.