Psalm 119 is a wealth of treasure for the sincere believer for it reveals to us what the heart of God is, the importance of His Word and how our hearts and minds should respond. What we see in this Psalm is the very foundation of covenant relationship.

Only God can call and draw us into covenant relationship! He invites, appoints, selects, us no one else has the authority as we can see in the following examples:

·        John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

o   The word “draw” is defined as to drag off, to draw by inward power, lead, impel (push, drive, propel)

·        1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

·        1Peter 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

·        1Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

·        2Peter 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Everyone that hears the call is placed in a position to choose how we they will respond.

·        The call qualifies us to respond

·        The call demands that we respond

·        Only two options available

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:  Hebrews 8:10

·        Who puts them there? God does!

·        God has done and continues to do His part

·        We must do our part

·        We must acknowledge who called us

·        We must acknowledge His work in us

·        We must realize that this call is a privilege

·        We must walk in the call

Who are the covenant people of God? Who are the true converted? They are not necessarily those who heal the sick, cast out devils, work signs and wonders, quote the bible or even speak in tongues. Though the covenant people do experience all of this and more, what qualifies them as God’s covenant people, is that they have God’s laws in impressed in their minds and written in their hearts!

Jesus confirmed this in Matthew 7:21 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” And to bring it into a more clearer light He speaks the following in Luke 6:46, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

·        The word “Lord” come from the word  kurios koo’-ree-os  which means, he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, the possessor and disposer of a thing,  the owner; one who has control of the person.

·        So how does the Lord purpose to gain possession, control and ownership? By investing Himself in our lives.

·        How does He that? “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts”.

With these things in mind let us continue to seek out the wealth in Psalm 119 and not become bored with it’s repetition or hard against what it reveals. For in this Psalm we see the heart and mind of a loving God as well as the heart and mind of a submitted and loving servant.

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Proverbs4:20-22

Psalm 119:17-24

(17) GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word. (18) Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. (19) I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me. (20) My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times. (21) Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.(22) Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.(23) Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes (24) Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.

Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

·        If one would consider the definition of a “fanatic” which is “extreme” “uncompromising” “militant” they would probably see Psalm 119 as a Psalm for fanatics.

·        Here the Psalmist request of the Lord to “deal bountifully”, to reward him with a life that is set on keeping His word.

·        It is as if he feels that the only reason, the true reward for living “true life” is to know and keep God’s word. He doesn’t ask for anything else. He didn’t need to. Someone that desires to live this way, need not ask God for anything else.

·        … seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33), may be a New Testament verse, but the Psalmist had it’s principle in mind.

Steve Gallagher wrote this, “David does not desire to simply live in subjection to God’s will. There are multitudes of people who live without any real concern for keeping the word of God. My experience is that life without the Lord is utter hell; even life with little of the Lord’s presence is misery. Living with a great sense of God’s presence is the abundant life we have been promised. Eternity is simply the endless continuation of the life we led on earth-only without the carnal charms that kept people temporarily entertained. People who go to hell received exactly what they desired: life without God’s rule and without His presence.

Where are the God seekers of years gone by? Where are the hungering souls that sought to be satisfied by the word and presence of the Lord? Where are the Spirit filled church goers who could never get enough time in the house of the Lord? Those who echoed the words of David, “I was glad when they said let us go up to the house of the Lord? Where are those who sang with all their hearts faithfully, “I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see”?

Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

·        It would be expected for a blind man to ask of the Lord to open his eyes to see the many wondrous works of God, even if he did not actually acknowledge God.

·        But here the request is one of having the spiritual eyes of the understanding to not only behold the law God, but to see all the wonders found within in it.

·        For him the word was not boring dead letter, it was a treasurer house full of wondrous wealth.

·        Consider some of the words used to define “wondrous” to be marvelous, surpassing, extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action.

·        There needs to be similar cry rising up to the heavens today.

I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

·        David declares himself to be a stranger, a sojourner, a temporary inhabitant, a newcomer lacking inherited rights. He had come to a place where he did not look at this earth or its pleasure and wealth as permanent things.

·        He set his eyes as did Abraham who …”looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God”.

·        So his request was not only wise but needful if he truly desired to inherit the Kingdom of God. Only God can direct us to those things which are of His eternal Kingdom