There are times when we read our Bibles, and we find it hard to understand what it says and/or means. It is in these moments when understanding Scripture can feel daunting. The task of interpreting the Bible—hermeneutics—is crucial in grasping its intended message. As we step into Psalm 119:9-16, we uncover David’s wisdom on prioritizing God’s Word in his life. David lends his experiences to us. What we find in these verses is a person who has seen the value of God’s Word in his own life. David, in Psalm 119:9, addresses the youth with a profound question, "How can a young man keep his way pure?" His answer resonates powerfully: "By guarding it according to your word" (v. 9). This verse sets the stage for understanding how Scripture shapes our lives in thoughts, actions, and affections.
Prioritizing God’s Word in Thoughts
In Psalm 119:15, 16 David reflects on the role of meditation and delighting in God’s Word. He emphasizes that our thoughts should treasure and delight in the Lord’s statutes, guiding our minds toward purity and wisdom. This echoes Jesus’ command to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37, 38). This is the greatest commandment in the bible—to love God. In this commandment, Jesus tells us that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. We are not only to love God with our hearts and soul but also with our minds. John Piper in Think: The Life of Mind and the Love of God provides an answer to what it means to love the Lord with all our minds. He says:
“I take it to mean that we direct our thinking in a certain way; namely, our thinking should be wholly engaged to do all it can to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things.” [1]
I think I see John Piper to mean that we love God by fully treasuring God above all things in how we think. Therefore, we prioritize the Lord in our thoughts when we treasure what God says in His word. I believe it is much more than just thinking that God’s Word is valuable. When we prioritize the Lord’s Word in our thoughts, our thinking (or thoughts) treasure what is being said because it comes from the Lord. As we prioritize God’s Word in our thoughts, it leads us to fix our eyes on His Ways and to not forget them. But not only does David highlight prioritizing our thoughts to the Lord’s Word, but he also draws our attention to our efforts. How we think turns into our actions.
Prioritizing God’s Word in Efforts
Psalm 119:11-13 illustrates the importance of storing God’s Word in our hearts. David’s words here remind me of how animals store food as the fall season progresses into winter. When we prioritize the Lord’s Word in our efforts, we are storing up God’s Word in our hearts to be used in our lives. This means we are to internalize God’s Word by reading it, memorizing it, applying it to our lives, and being changed by it. David’s commitment to internalizing Scripture leads to a transformation visible in his actions.
When we prioritize God’s Word in our efforts/actions, the overflow of this is the telling/sharing of God’s Word to others. This is the Great Commission from Matthew 28:19, 20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Therefore, when we make disciples by sharing the Gospel, this is accomplished first by prioritizing God’s Word in our thoughts and actions. This makes the fulfillment of the Great Commission an overflow of this priority in our lives.
Prioritizing God’s Word in Affections
David’s affection for God’s Word in verses 10 and 14 is likened to valuing it as one would treasure riches. He seeks God wholeheartedly, finding joy and fulfillment in communion with Him. Charles Spurgeon in The Golden Alphabet says:
“His heart had gone after God Himself. He not only desired to obey His laws, but he also desired to commune with Him...The surest method of cleansing the way of our life is to seek after God Himself and to make every effort to abide in fellowship with Him.”[2]
Prioritizing the Lord’s Word in our affections is more than just agreeing with what he says. Prioritizing our affections involves this but is much more. Psalm 119:14 explains what David means by affections. David says, “In God’s Word, he delights as much as in all riches.” David delights in the Word as much as in all his riches. This makes sense when we understand who David is and was when he was younger. David was the King of Israel. This lends itself to understanding that money was not a problem for David. He was a set. Therefore, for David to delight in God’s Word as in all his riches was saying it was a top priority for him. This challenges us to assess: Do we prioritize God’s Word in our affections as we do worldly treasures?
Conclusion: Seeking the Lord through His Word
Psalm 119 compels us to prioritize God’s Word in all aspects of life, in our thoughts, efforts, and affections. David’s counsel to guard our lives with God’s Word (v. 9) rings true today amidst the challenges and distractions we encounter. It’s a call to seek the Lord by guarding our lives with His word.
As we reflect on David’s words, let us heed his call to prioritize God’s Word. By doing so, it leads us closer to Christ, who offers salvation. May we seek the Lord diligently, knowing that His Word guides us to a life of purity. In the words of Psalm 119:9, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word." This encapsulates the timeless wisdom of prioritizing God’s Word in our lives—a practice that leads us to the ultimate source of hope, joy, and salvation—Christ the Lord!
[1] John Piper, Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2010), 83. Emphasis in original.
[2] Charles Spurgeon, The Golden Alphabet (Abbotsford, WI: Aneko Press, 2018), 27.
Additional Resources
Psalms 119
Spurgeon, Charles. The Golden Alphabet. Abbotsford, WI: Aneko Press, 2018.
Akin, Daniel. Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Psalm 119. Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2017.
Hamilton Jr., James M. Psalms, Volume 2: Psalms 73-150. Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2022.
Hermeneutics
Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible Book by Book: A Guided Tour. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.
Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: Fourth Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014.
Others
Piper, John. Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2010.
Comments