Psalm 119:1-2



'Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.'
This is the beginning of what is by far the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. It is made up of 22 sections, each one of which begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of those sections is made up of eight verses and the whole psalm is beautifully designed like a piece of intricate tapestry. It is nothing like those psalms in which the psalmist pours
out his emotions of anger, sorrow and joy. The whole purpose of this psalm is to declare the blessing of God’s laws, because they are the key to living life to the full. It’s as if the psalmist sees God’s instructions as being so beautiful that, like a diamond, every single angle of them needs to be identified and celebrated.
When we first hear the word ‘law’ we are inclined to think of restrictions, and no one likes the thought of that. We want to be free to do what we want. But God’s laws are given so that we can be protected from the things that can only damage our lives. The psalmist was convinced that God’s law offered the path to the deepest blessings and joys of life. He saw it as being like “a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).
A simple illustration of the importance of God’s law exists in sport. Every sport has its rule book, and those rules are often incredibly extensive and detailed. This is all very restrictive but, as anyone who has played a particular sport will know, without the rules everything would be chaos. It would be misery. The rules are there in order to enable the sport to flow well, and referees and umpires are appointed to ensure that this happens. How much more important that we listen to God’s laws for life, knowing that without them, it would definitely be chaos.







Question: In what particular ways have you found God’s laws to be a blessing?
Prayer: Lord God, I thank you that you love me so much that you have given me rules to enable me to enjoy life to the full. Amen

Released on 16 Nov 2022