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Psalm 119:105-112   –   Nun^[1]Nun is a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and the first word of each verse of this section of the Psalm begin with that letter ?

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
106 I have sworn and confirmed That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
107 I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.
108 Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me Your judgments.
109 My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law.
110  The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.
111 Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112  I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, to the very end.

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Psalm 119 – The wonder of God’s Word

Psalm 119 is the Bible’s longest chapter. To try to summarise this ‘Everest’ of the psalms is like trying to itemise the contents of a huge treasure chest on a postcard! I simply share some key thoughts from each of its 22 sections of 8 verses. Each section starts with letters from the Hebrew alphabet. The major themes are the wonder and the effect of God’s written word, also called laws, statutes, precepts, decrees, ways commands, truth, lamp, and light. Reading about Psalm 119 is fine, but best to read, or hear read, all of it slowly yourself). It is like a bunch of important keys. Perhaps the main ‘key’ and the first in the quoted Nun section, is verse 105: ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’. God guides you step by step and long term, as you read, learn, trust and obey His precious word. Is darkness in you or around you? The light of His word reveals Jesus, the Light of the world, who bore your sins and judgment and rose again.

Verses 1–8: Aleph: UNDEFILED AND UNASHAMED   See the blessings and results of keeping God’s law.

Verses 9–16: Beth: SEEKING AND SINNING If you wholeheartedly seek for God through His word it keeps you from sin.

Verses 17–24: Gimel: DESIRE AND DELIGHT If you thirst for God’s enlightening word, He will delight and counsel you.

Verses 25–32: Daleth: SORROW AND STRENGTH God’s word brings you personal help, revival, teaching and strength, in your ‘down times’.

Verses 33–40: He: TEACHING AND TURNING Avoid coveting selfish gain and looking at worthless things by obeying and longing for God’s reviving word.

Verses 41–48: Waw: TRUST AND TESTIMONY Use God’s word to answer sceptics and to witness, even to kings! Meditate on His word.

Verses 49–56: Zayin: COMFORT AND COMMITMENT As you keep and obey God’s law, God comforts you if you suffer and are opposed.

Verses 57–64: Heth: COMMANDS AND COMPANIONS Despite opposition, keeping God’s word produces peace for you and oneness with other uncompromising believers.

Verses 65–72: Teth: ASTRAY AND AFFLICTED Affliction can deepen your belief in, obedience to, and delighting in God’s word. It can help you not to stray from Him.

Verses 73–80: Yodh: LEARNING AND LOVE The comfort of God’s unfailing love is yours if you seek to understand and learn God’s commands and meditate on His precepts.

Verses 81–88: Kaph: PERSECUTION AND PRECEPTS If times of intense persecution tempt you to despair, hope in and help from God will come to you through His word.

Verses 89–96: Lamed: EVERLASTING AND ENDURING Everything about God is everlasting and enduring, including His faithfulness and His word, which keeps those who delight in God and in His law.

Verses 97–104: Mem: WISDOM AND WALK Living for God’s law gives supernatural wisdom, amazing understanding, a holy walk with Him and brings you honey-like sweetness to your soul.

Verses 105–112: Nun: LAMP AND LIGHT By the light of God’s word, you are guided in both the short and long term. Your joy and determination to keep on come as you commit yourself to the Bible.

Verses 113–120: Samek: SEPARATION AND SAFETY As you reject ungodly standards and lovingly keep God’s holy statutes you will be upheld and sustained spiritually by God.

Verses 121–128: Ayin: DECREES AND DISCERN In testing and tiring times ask God to teach you His decrees and ask God for His discernment. His commands will seem as pure gold to you.

Verses 129–136: Pe: LONGING AND LAW A real thirst and longing for God’s wonderfully enlightening words, commands, mercy and blessing are in sharp contrast to the sorrow over those who disobey His law.

Verses 137–144: Tsadhe: RIGHTEOUS AND RIGHT God is everlastingly righteous and right. His statutes, promises, words, precepts, law, and commands reflect this.

Verses 145–152: Qoph: CALLING AND CLOSE Calling out to God (mentioned twice) and a third request to ‘Hear my voice’ underline that your personal prayer is fed and helped if you obey, keep, hope in, and meditate on God’s word. You keep close to the Lord like this.

Verses 153–160: Resh: REVIVAL AND REVELATION Spiritual personal revival comes through God’s revealed word, His judgements, and His lovingkindness.

Verses161–168: Sin and Shin: AWE AND ABHOR A heartfelt awe and rejoicing in God’s word will make you hate and abhor any kind of falseness, and cause you to praise God continually, obey His word, enjoy great personal peace, and know that comforting sense of God’s omniscience.

Verses 169–176: Tau: SUPPLICATION AND SEEKING Ask to understand God’s word. Ask Him to deliver you and seek you as a shepherd seeks a straying sheep.

Have you asked Jesus to become your ‘Good Shepherd’? He gave his life for lost sheep like us to bear our sins and their punishment on the cross. Have you turned from your sin and asked Him, the Living Word into your life? Is your prayer, ‘I long for your salvation, O LORD’? If so, He will answer it.