The Power and Protection of God’s Word (Psalm 119)

What if God’s favorite exclamation point is repetition? We walk through Psalm 119 to show how 187 references to Scripture aren’t filler but a loving insistence: stay close to the Word that guards your steps and renews your heart. From the psalm’s acrostic design to its eight synonyms for Scripture—precepts, statutes, testimonies, and more—we unpack how the Bible does more than inform your mind. It supervises your choices, keeps your path pure, and becomes the steady voice when life’s pressure rises.

We share how the psalmist’s world wasn’t tidy. He faced plots from leaders, the lure of wandering, and real affliction. Yet his resolve was simple: meditate on God’s statutes, choose companions who fear the Lord, and let suffering become a teacher rather than a tyrant. “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word.” That single line reframes loss, illness, and setbacks as classrooms where Scripture turns hurt into wisdom. Along the way, we highlight a modern story of transformation that mirrors the psalm’s claim: every book can inform your life, but only the Bible can transform it.

The closing prayer of the psalm keeps everything honest: “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant.” The life shaped by Scripture is not proud; it’s dependent, steady, and hopeful. If you’re leading under pressure, choosing friends, or wrestling through trials, this journey through Psalm 119 offers clarity, courage, and comfort. Stay in the Word, and let the Good Shepherd keep you on the path.

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Chapters

• 1:57 Loving God By Loving Scripture
• 2:34 Why Psalm 119 Repeats The Message
• 4:47 The Acrostic Design And Synonyms
• 6:23 Precepts As Your Daily Supervisor
• 7:33 Guardrails For A Pure Path
• 9:47 Stories Of Transformation By The Word
• 12:00 Wisdom Under Pressure And Friendship
• 13:47 Affliction As God’s Shepherding

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 1:37

How do you really feel about the word of God? The answer to that question provides insight into the status of your soul. You see, to love God is to love the word he's given you. It's through his word that you grow in your knowledge of him and his work. The Bible is how you grow to love him more. And it's through obedience to his word that you experience his blessing. Stephen's lesson for you today is called the power and protection of God's Word.

SPEAKER_00: 2:14

In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, there's no such thing as an exclamation point. There's no way to emphasize certain words or sentences like we do in the English language. Instead, what God does in this inspired text is he will often repeat something, and he'll repeat it in a variety of ways. And repetition seems to be his way of saying, now, I want you to pay attention to this exclamation point. Well, that's what's happening here in Psalm 119. This divinely inspired psalmist is going to repeat himself over and over again throughout all 176 verses. He's going to use one synonym after another to refer to the Word of God. He's going to refer to the Word of God a total of 187 times in this one psalm. That's like the Holy Spirit saying 187 times, pay attention. God's word is critically important. Exclamation point. I want you to read it. I want you to study it. I want you to memorize it. I want you to apply it to your life. Now, before we dive into what happens to be the longest chapter in all the Bible, I want us to note that the psalmist isn't just rambling on and on here. In fact, he's carefully organizing this psalm into 22 stanzas. Each stanza has eight verses. Now, this rather clever poet has also composed it according to an acrostic which follows the Hebrew alphabet. Each stanza begins with a successive Hebrew letter. In fact, the eight verses in each stanza all begin with that same Hebrew letter. This took a lot of thought, a lot of creativity on the part of God's Spirit as he inspired this poet. Now, more than likely, these 22 stanzas were composed using each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet as a way to help people memorize this psalm. Now, as you read this psalm, you're going to notice early on that several different words are used to describe the Bible. You're going to have words like precepts and statutes and testimonies. In fact, there are eight different words. They're synonyms, but they all carry a little different flavor of meaning. Now, the study guide for this lesson, which is available to all of our crew members, it lists those eight synonyms and it gives simple definitions for you to keep handy as you read Psalm 119. For instance, verse 4 says, You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Well, the word translated precept refers to the details of God's word that need to be followed. It's related to the authority of an overseer or a supervisor. So when you read the word precept, it's highlighting the idea that God's word is your supervisor. It's directing you to follow the details of God's instruction. Now let me mention that we don't know who wrote this psalm, or frankly, exactly when it was composed. There are some clues here to tell us that the poet was someone who'd faced the hard realities of sin and temptation as a younger man. For instance, here in verse 9, the psalmist writes, How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. So the Bible essentially provides the guardrails, so to speak, as we travel through life. As I was working on my notes for this particular program, I received a copy of an email, this note. It arrived at our international headquarters, and it came from a young woman, and she wrote this. And it has shown me that I I've needed a savior. Well now I'm a child of the King, and I'm living for Jesus Christ. And I listen to you every day, and I never miss a wisdom journey. Sounds like the power of the Word of God at work in this young woman's life. There there are times, beloved, here in Psalm 119, that it it sounds like it was written by someone who'd wandered away in life, but then something happened. They turned around, and that turning around was related to following the wisdom of God's word. Someone like this young woman whose life has been put back together. I've heard it said that a Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone whose life is not. Listen, beloved, every other book out there today, uh they can inform your life, but this book alone can transform your life. So the question isn't whether you should study the Bible. The question is how can you afford not to? Well now down here in verse twenty-three, it almost sounds to me like the author might have been a political leader, uh someone in some high position, maybe even an old testament prophet. He writes this Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. Almost appears to me like this author is embroiled in some kind of intrigue or drama. But if he is indeed serving in some high-level role, God is God has not only called him to this occupation, but God's word is providing for him the wisdom he needs to follow the Lord in that high pressure situation he's involved in. By the way, the author here gives us another insight on how to walk with God through the drama of trials or maybe even temptations in life. He writes over here in verse 63, I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts. In other words, his close friends are equally interested in God's word. And let me tell you, choosing the wrong friends that's ruined many lives. And I'm talking about close friends. You need to choose your close friends carefully. In fact, do what this psalmist did here. He chose his friends according to their view of God's word. Well, that's the way to get the best friends who will influence you in life. I want to point out another clue that seems to make it obvious that the psalmist actually suffered in life, although we're not giving the details. Maybe you can relate to verse sixty-seven, where he writes, Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word. God evidently used some sort of suffering to draw this author close to himself. And I I've seen that happen over and over again. Some some affliction, some trial. Well, they were nothing more than the shepherd's crook that pulled that sheep out of danger or or pulled that sheep into closer fellowship with the shepherd. In fact, the poet writes here in verse 71, it is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. That's a that's a pretty interesting perspective on trouble, isn't it? It brings us closer to our our Lord. Well, this affliction here, we don't know what it was. It could have been the result of a disability or an injury, it could have been financial loss, could have been persecution or trouble or some form of hardship. We don't know. And frankly, I'm glad we don't know so that we can sort of insert our experience into this text. We can say, well, it was good that I experienced that bankruptcy, or it was good that I experienced that illness or that loss, so that I might learn deeper truths about God and His Word. Now, by the time you get over to the last verse here, verse 176, and by the way, we're not finished with this psalm. We're going to come back to it in our next session. But if you go to the very end and you read this last verse, you might you might come away with the impression that this psalmist needs to be on a pedestal. I mean, this guy has it all together, every aspect of his life is perfect. Well, let me tell you, this psalmist isn't about to climb up on any pedestal. In fact, listen to how he ends this great psalm. He writes here, Lord, let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments. Well, doesn't sound like a guy on a pedestal, does it? He's actually praying here like you and me, Lord, help me to praise you, keep me on track. I I so easily go astray, Lord, so I want you to keep after me like a good shepherd. What that means is this if you're a believer today, here's a model for living. Stay in the word and be encouraged. Your shepherd will always lead you along the right path. Just don't leave this word to the side. If you're listening to me today as an unbeliever, I want you to know that Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, he's come to seek people just like you, just like he sought me when I was lost. He's calling out to you right now to trust him. Ask him to forgive you, ask him to save you and make you a child of God. Listen, there's no reason to wait. You can ask him today. Well, until our next wisdom journey, beloved, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

SPEAKER_01: 12:47

Thanks for listening to The Wisdom Journey with Stephen Davey. To learn more about us and access all of our Bible teaching resources, visit wisdomonline.org. Our phone number is 866-482-4253. And you can email us at info at wisdomonline.org. Stephen developed this daily program to help you know what the Bible says, understand what it means, and apply it to your life. So please join us next time to continue the wisdom journey.