The emphasis in this, the longest psalm, is on the vital ministry of the Word of God in the inner spiritual life of God’s children. It describes how the Word enables us to grow in holiness and handle the persecutions and pressures that always accompany an obedient walk of faith. The psalm is an acrostic with eight lines in each section, and the successive sections follow the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the eight lines of verses 1–8 begins with the Hebrew letter aleph, the lines in verses 9–16 begin with beth, in verses 17–24 with gimel, and so on.

The writer had an intense hunger for holiness and a passionate desire to understand God’s Word in a deeper way. In all but fourteen verses, he addresses his words to the Lord personally, so this psalm is basically a combination of worship, prayer, praise, and admonition. —Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe Study Bible

We will take a section at a time to fully focus on God who directs our path and gives us all we need to know on a “need to know” basis.  Our focus is to have a heart that desires to seek justice, love mercy, as we walk humble with our God as the prophet Micah wrote as what God requires of us.  The Psalmist give us the ways to walk humbly with our God and it begins with worship of the One and Only God, our God who seeks a personal, intimate, growing relationship with us.  There is no one like our God!  Only He is God and we are not.  Trust Him.

Let us begin our A, B, C’s of growing and maturing in our walk with God…taking this long psalm in pieces!

Psalm 119, The Message

Aleph (First letter in the Hebrew alphabet)

^1-8 You’re blessed when you stay on course,
    walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions,
    doing your best to find him.
That’s right—you don’t go off on your own;
    you walk straight along the road he set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
    now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady,
    keeping to the course you set;
Then I’d never have any regrets
    in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
    I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I’m going to do what you tell me to do;
    don’t ever walk off and leave me.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

A—is for adoration of the one true God.  Stay the course with Him in the lead!  Don’t look away or we might stubble into pits of despair and hopelessness place in our path and covered over with branches of evil that look like but are not part of the path where God leads.  You know what I’m taking about, as we have all sinned and fallen for evil who distracts us with what looks good, almost like what Jesus taught, but with a twist of deceit meant to lead us away from Jesus who is the Way, Truth, and Life and eventually to death!  But evil cannot if we STAY THE COURSE!  Keep your eyes on the road of righteousness—all that is right and good for us and gives glory to God!  It begins with surrender to His will and getting self will out of the way.  Here’s how;

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” –inspired by God, written down by Paul, Romans 12:1-2, MSG

Through surrender we will “walk steadily on the road God reveals to us” by His power and with His overcoming strength!

There are no regrets of a life counseled and lived in willing obedience with complete trust in God our Savior and Lord!

Lord,

Thank you for cleansing our hearts, renewing our mind, refreshing our souls with your new tender mercies for today. Thank you for this day that you have made. Thank you for continually restoring the joy and peace daily of your salvation at work within us to mature and lead us to be all you created us to be!  To you be all the glory, honor, and praise forever!  May we be your Light reflect from our being as we trust you.

In Jesus Name, Amen