Psalm 119 begins painting a picture of a blessed life, the life of one who walks according to the Lord’s instructions; someone who keeps His decrees and wholeheartedly seeks Him and follows the path He has established. According to the Psalmist, God’s commands aren’t a blockade to freedom, but a pathway to a properly ordered life; one that knows what freedom is.
 
 So often our culture teaches us that freedom means we have the ability to redefine the truth and decide for ourselves what morality we want to follow. Our own personal desires become our highest authority, and somehow we convince ourselves that obedience to His word is some form of weakness.
 
Thankfully, Psalm 119 presents a different vision for us to train our imaginations. We’ve discussed previously that creation already belongs to God, completely. The “good life” isn’t something we invent or create on our own; we receive it from the one who made us. His commands are not arbitrary restrictions meant to keep us pinned in, but are faithful instructions from the Creator God of the Universe … the One who knows exactly what we are intended to become.
 
This passage has no pretence that obedience is easy. He asks God to keep him from going astray, and he recognizes his own need for instruction, for correction, and grace. Then, in the center of the passage is the decision to treasure God’s word in his heart.
 
Treasured words are words worth remembering, worth protecting, and returned to often. Over time, they gradually shape the inner world of the human heart from which each and every decision of character and action flows.
 
All of us are being formed by words and events of some kind. Fear gives us clues of what to avoid, and pride tells us how we must appear and present ourselves to others. The algorithms vie for our attention, telling us what we need and what we should want. News outlets and social media fuel our anger and inform us who we should blame for the ills of the world.
 
In this passage, we are confronted with a question: “which voice will we allow to carry the greatest weight?” Will we listen to the subtle tones of our own desires or submit ourselves to the peaceful and gracious words of our Father?
 
Life in the Kingdom can’t be sustained by occasional passing exposure to Scripture. The King’s Word must penetrate the heart, shape our desires, mold our assumptions, and temper our reactions.
 
Kingdom citizens learn to see the world, to see reality, through the eyes and words of their King.

Which voices have the most influence on your thinking during any ordinary day? What practice could help you treasure Scripture rather than just reading it? 

Father, Your Word is good because You are good. Forgive me for trusting in unstable voices while treating Your instructions lightly. Keep my paths straight and narrow within the gracious boundaries of Your Word. Mold and shape my understanding of freedom and goodness under the loving authority of Jesus. Amen.

“One truth from God’s word I need to treasure this week is __________________.”