In the first half of this stanza, we saw the psalmist speak of his experiences of God’s love. In the second half, we will see what his response must be. Take a look at it for yourself in Psalm 119:45-48:

The writer of Psalm 119 describes the outpouring of God’s love and the salvation that is linked to it in the first verses of this strophe, and concludes that there must be a response on his part, and ours. Those two responses must be as genuine from our hearts as his love and saving grace are for us. What really stands out about this though is that God’s love and salvation result in practical, tangible responses. These are things we must do in response to his love and salvation. Not because that earns us any point, but because we love in return.

These two practical responses are obedience to God’s Word, and sharing his love with those around us, or evangelism.

The next three strophes of Psalm 119 are centered around finding God in his Word. We will spend several weeks looking at these verse, beginning with the first half of the stanza “waw,” in verses 41-44. You can see it here:

The first of these three stanzas is all about God’s love, and the psalmist starts right off with that thought in verse 41. He will also end with that thought in verses 47 and 48, which we will look at next week.

What may be surprising to some readers is that this is the first time the psalmist has addressed God’s love in Psalm 119. What many consider to be the greatest of all of God’s attributes has been largely ignored to this point. Now, however, he jumps right in and speaks of the unfailing nature of that love.

This is also the first mention of God’s salvation in Psalm 119. To be sure, the author has implied it a few times, but here he specifically speaks of God’s promise to save.

Those two concepts go hand in hand however, so it is not surprising that they appear together here. God’s salvation of mankind, of you and me, is entirely dependent upon his love for mankind, and for you and me. The evidence of his love for us is that he saves us, and perhaps it is best stated in 1 John 3:16: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”

Last week, we looked at the first half of this stanza, and saw how the psalmist was shifting his focus from those who reject God and his Word to his own commitment to learn that Word. In the second half, he continues that idea. You can see if for yourself in Psalm 119:37-40:

In the first half of this strophe, the psalmist identified three ways in which he sought to learn the ways of God according to the Word of God: with his mind, with his feet, and with his heart. As he continues this passage, we will see the fourth way he seeks to learn, and finish with the encouragement needed to persevere.

With His Eyes – Verse 37

This is an interesting perspective on how we view the things around us. Obviously, our eyes are needed in order to study the Word of God, although there are other options for those who do not have their eyesight. Our eyes are an important part of studying the Word. But I wonder if perhaps the psalmist isn’t just speaking of literal eyesight, but has added a layer of figurative thought to this, and means a mental perspective, or even worldview, as much as he does literally looking at the pages of Scripture.

I think this may be the case, because he speaks of what we should turn our eyes from, and not what we should turn our eyes to. This idea has merit because of the preceding verse, because those things that keep us from studying the Word of God are many and varied. Riches can be a distraction, of course, but there are so many other things that can pull our attention away as well. And in light of this passage, all of them are worthless pursuits, or vanities.

The danger lurks in the fact that such worthless things can be very alluring, and only by a solid commitment to the Word of God can we stay strong and avoid them. The Word of God is the only thing that lasts, and it is the only thing that can preserve our lives. Everything else will pass away.

With the start of a new stanza, the psalmist shifts from focusing on those who oppose him and his commitment to the Word of God, and to learning as much as he can about that Word. Take a look for yourself at Psalm 119:33-36:

This stanza is filled with petitions, nine of them to be exact. The psalmist wants to receive God’s assistance and and strength as he strives to learn God’s Word. His first plea is for God to teach him how to follow the Word of God, and he promises to keep and follow that Word as long and as strongly as he can.

In the following verses, the psalmist identifies four ways to do this, with his mind, with his feet, with his heart, and with his eyes. We will look a the first three this week, and the fourth with the latter half of this strophe next week.

The psalmist has laid out a very concise and consistent strategy for staying in tune with God’s will by staying invested in God’s Word. In the last half of the fourth stanza, he summarizes what is necessary to live in such a godly manner. You can take a look at this passage in Psalm 119:29-32:

The writer lays out three powerful commands that we are to follow if we want to live in the center of God’s will in our lives. But he prefaces that with a request for God’s grace in verse 29. He knows that the only way that he can succeed in living God’s way is through God’s help and power. And so his request in verse 29 is “keep me from deceitful ways.” And in the very next stroke of the pen, he writes the answer to this request: God’s graciousness comes through His Word.

That’s an incredible piece of information that I am afraid we miss all too often. In order to live lives that reflect his character, to stay on the straight and narrow, to avoid deceitful ways, we must be invested deeply into the Word of God. There is no other way in which we can gain the strength needed to navigate the waters of everyday life with integrity and character. We must deeply drink from God’s Word, continuously.

In the next three verses, the psalmist gives us three things that we must do in order to live in such a godly way.