Psalms 119:9-32

Psalms 119:9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

«Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?» A vital and solemn question. His way is full of temptations, and he himself has strong passions. How shall he make his way clean, and keep it so? «By taking heed thereto according to thy word.» Without heed he will soon be in the mire, but carefully walking with God's word as his rule, by the blessing of God's grace it will keep him out of sin.

Psalms 119:10. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandment.

There might be thought in this confession to be some commendation of himself, and therefore he salts it with this prayer: «I have sought thee, Lord, sincerely, but still, notwithstanding that, I am very apt to stray away, and I shall sadly wander unless thou keep me. O let me not wander from thy commandments.»

Psalms 119:11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

The best thing put into the best place for the best of all purposes. There is no antidote against sin like the possession of the Word of God in the soul.

Psalms 119:12. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.

Thou art blessed, make me blessed. Thou art the happy God, instruct me in the way of happiness.

Psalms 119:13. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

I am a learner, but I have tried to be a teacher too. I have not kept the Word of God to myself as though it were only a personal treasure for me, but what I have heard in the secret-chamber of fellowship, that have I spoken on the housetops. Have you published abroad what you know? Then you are the person to learn more. When men drop their money into a money box, they have to break it to get it out again, and if they have not need of it they will not do so. God doth not care to drop his treasure into a heart that never useth it and imparteth it. Let your lips speak what your heart learns.

Psalms 119:14. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

If all sorts of riches were put together, I have found them all, and more than them all, in thy testimonies. I am rich in all respects when I have thee.

Psalms 119:15. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy way.

Meditation treads the wine press and gets the juice out of the grapes. A man may read too much if he reads without meditation. «I will meditate.» It is the harvesting by reaping of what we have sown by reading.

Psalms 119:16. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

I will take a deep pleasure in them, and I will find an intense joy in every pondering of them. «I will not forget thy word.» I will never let it go out of the precincts of my memory: I will recall again and again. I will always have a text of thy precious Book ready to my tongue.

Psalms 119:17. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

Give me much of thy comfort, royally of thyself: deal bountifully with me: I have great necessities, am a mass of wants, therefore, « Deal bountifully with me that I may live.» And I have great tendencies to wander. Great risks and perils. Give me abundance of grace that I may keep thy word.

Psalms 119:18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

The wonders are there: cause me to behold them. A man may have a fair landscape before him, rich in all beauties of form and colour, but if his eyes be closed, what is he better for it?

Psalms 119:19. I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.

«I am a stranger in the earth.» I do not belong now to it: I am born and bound for heaven: I am a pilgrim here: men do not understand me, neither have I any settled business here. «I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.» Oh, remember that I am thy alien,thy banished one: send me love-messages from the old home and loved country.

Psalms 119:20. My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.

Broken souls are many: but not on this account! Oh, how few are in danger of breaking, through such a longing as this! Would God there were many more that did sigh and cry after the Word of God; for longings such as these are sure to lead to an earnest search, and the earnest search will increase knowledge and increase grace.

Psalms 119:21. Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.

A proud man is surely a sinful man. He may think himself a righteous man, but he cannot be so. He has gone far astray from the very essence of God's law, which is that he should walk humbly with his God.

Psalms 119:22. Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.

A man that does that is pretty sure to be reproached and to be contemned by man; for they think that one who follows God faithfully «is very old-fashioned, he has not much spirit, he has not drunk in the philosophy of the age, he is a fossilized Christian,» and so on. Well, we can bear all such reproach: still are we truly glad when we escape it.

Psalms 119:23. Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.

And a great man's word goes a long way with some people. They think a prince a great authority. «But thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.» He did not burst out in angry reply, he did not give fierce railing for railing, but he sat himself down as quietly as he could, the more abundantly to meditate in God's statutes. What calmness there is here, and what wisdom! for if princes should speak against us, and the great ones of the earth should rail, what matters it? If they drive us away from our faith, it would matter, but if they drive us to our Bibles, it is a benefit.

Psalms 119:24. Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

Here he prays for quickening. He felt the spiritual death that was so natural to him, the heaviness of his heart, the tendency to sink, the attractions of the world.

Psalms 119:26. I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.

Open confession is good for the soul, and I have made this confession: thou hast heard me: now «teach me thy statutes.»

Psalms 119:27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

Lord ground me and found me in thy knowledge: give me to know fully, firmly, what I do know. I would not be as a man that eats, but thinks not, whence the bread came, but I would wish to understand the way of thy precepts: «so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.»

Psalms 119:28. My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

Will not this prayer suit some that are in this house this morning who are very dull and depressed? Oh, if your soul sinks, still pray and say: «Strengthen thou me.» You want strength, dear friends. If you had more strength, your trouble would not crush you; your soul would not melt if you had more strength and confidence.

Psalms 119:29. Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.

As a captain lays out his chart so as to keep his course correctly and safely, so I try to sail by it. I have chosen thy law, and precept, and command as my course, and I would fain keep to them.

Psalms 119:31. I have stuck unto thy testimonies: 0 LORD, put me not to shame.

I am glued to them: there is no separating me, no tearing me apart, from them. «O Lord, put me not to shame.»

Psalms 119:32. I will run the way of thy commandment, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

I will go quicker and faster, I will have more energy, more flaming zeal, in thy service «When thou shalt enlarge my heart.» O Lord, it is very narrow and very contracted, I cannot think great thoughts, nor do great things, nor believe great promises, unless thou shalt enlarge my heart. Lord, give me a larger heart, stronger to obey, tenderer to love, for thy name's sake!