God is merciful. That is the truth that psalmist shared in the first half of this stanza. In the second half, we find the next truth that he has learned about God. You can see this passage for yourself in Psalm 119:157-160:

In the first half of this stanza, the psalmist discussed the characteristic of mercy that he has found in God. God is merciful, and that is all the more evident to us as we become more and more obedient to him.

But this isn’t the only characteristic that the psalmist has learned about God; in fact, there are at least three more truths that he has learned that he reveals in this stanza and in the next.

The second thing that he has learned about God is found in this passage. He states it quite clearly in verse 160, but it has been seen already in Psalm 119, and more than once.

God’s Word is True

This is a reality that the psalmist has already shared. We have seen it in verse 142, and again in verse 151. It seems as if the further this psalm progresses, the more this concept appears. The reason for this is simple: the truth of God’s Word is a vital lesson that we must learn. The psalmist has come to understand it, and so must we.

With only three stanzas left in Psalm 119, the psalmist seems to be increasing his pleas for God’s salvation and provision against his enemies. His conclusions should help us understand God’s desires for our own lives better. Take a look at Psalm 119:153-156:

The author of Psalm 119 has described more than once his enemies and the persecution that they bring to him as he strives to follow God’s Word. As the psalm progresses, there seems to be an increasing urgency in his cries for help.

And yet, at the same time, the psalmist’s pleas are focusing less and less upon himself and have become more of a prayer as the stanzas have gone by. As Psalm 119 progresses, the author has grown to the point where he is now calmly waiting in obedience.

As this section of the psalm begins, he calls out once again for protection and deliverance. The psalmist reminds God that he has kept his laws, and that he hasn’t forgotten them. He knows that obedience to God’s Word isn’t an option for him, and it’s not an option for us either.

Our culture dislikes the notion of obedience. We want to do whatever we want, whenever we want, and to do it on our own. We have become overly independent, refusing to submit to any authority whatsoever.

This isn’t a new problem, and has been around for centuries. Jesus spoke very forthrightly about obedience, and about the need to submit to his Lordship. Paul writes in several places of the need to submit to Christ, to submit to others, to submit to authorities, and more.

The first half of this stanza contained a couple of instructions on prayer that the psalmist has learned while facing opposition in his life. This passage gives two more. You can see them in Psalm 119:149-152:

As mentioned when we looked at the first half of this strophe, the author of Psalm 119 has learned to rely upon God mainly due to a single factor: his prayer life. He has come to rely upon God for protection and provision, and knows that it is only through his ongoing conversations with God that this relationship can stay vibrant and healthy.

In the first half of the passage, the psalmist gave two ways that using God’s Word in his prayer life gave him the strength he needed to continue following God fully. First, he stated that we must pray earnestly. And second, that we must pray continually.

In the final verses of this stanza, we can see two more characteristics of our prayer life, and the need to use God’s Word within it.

As Psalm 119 has progressed, we have seen the author take his needs concerning his enemies to God again and again. In this stanza he does this once more, although his focus is less on his enemies and more on his reliance on God. Take a look at this passage in Psalm 119:145-148:

Frankly, the author of Psalm 119 has learned to rely upon God due to one major factor: his prayer life and his ability to use God’s Word within it.

In the author’s circumstances, he had enemies who were against him, and against his faith in God. So his prayers throughout this entire psalm have been for deliverance from them, and from the dangers and threats they pose.

For us, we probably don’t face physical enemies, in the form of other people, although it is increasingly possible in our culture. But we do face opposition to our faith. It can come in the form of physical persecution and ridicule, but more often in the form of spiritual attack, at least in my experience.

So what do we do in such circumstances? In this stanza of Psalm 119, the writer turns to his prayer life and how using God’s Word within it can help.

For the past two stanzas, the author of Psalm 119 has given six different reasons for why God’s Word is so powerful and wonderful. In the final half of this stanza, we find the seventh and final reason given. Take a look at Psalm 119:141-144:

Let’s run through a quick review of the first six reasons given by the psalmist in these two stanzas of Psalm 119. The first pair were found in verses 129-132. They were, first of all, that God’s Word gives understanding; and second, it displays mercy.

The second pair were found in the second half of that stanza: God’s Word gives us direction, and it contains God himself within the very words of Scripture.

In the next stanza, in Psalm 119:137-140, we saw reasons five and six: God’s Word is righteous, and God’s Word is reliable.

Now, we will look at the seventh reason the author gives us why God’s Word is so wonderfully impacting and so critical for our day to day lives.

Over the past few verses, the psalmist has identified several ways by which God’s Word impacted his life. In this weeks passage, he gives us two more to add to the list. Take a look at this passage for yourself in Psalm 119:137-140:

A couple of weeks ago, we saw the first two reasons in Psalm 119:129-132. These were the first two of seven reasons for why God’s Word is so impactful. First, God’s Word gives understanding; and second, it displays mercy. All together, in this stanza and in the next, there are seven different reasons.

The second half of that stanza identified reasons three and four: That God’s Word gives us direction, and that it contains God himself within the very words of Scripture.

In this new stanza, we see three more reasons, two in the first half, and one final reason in the second half, which we will look at next week.