There are challenges to deep communion with God in the lives of His people. The demands of our busy lives—work, family needs, and even church activities—seem to fill our waking hours, leaving little time for meditation and fellowship with God. We must make deliberate choices about how we use our time. The psalmist expressed that he had a “zeal” for the word of God, which was more important than other things vying for his attention.
In this stanza's opening words, he describes God's very nature as perfectly righteous. God is righteous, and everything He does with us, through us, and for us is just. The laws of the Lord are just and trustworthy, as are His promises. His truth lasts forever. Not only is He righteous, but His word also is righteous – and that is a good reason to praise the Lord for who He is and for His word given to us to read, meditate on, and learn from. To believe the word of Someone who is righteous in every way makes sense and is wise to act on.
The Bible has been mocked, spurned, despised, and railed against. It has been burned but remains strong and true – unchanged and unchanging. Its promises have been tested and proven to be true. Despite scorn, those who read it, heed it, trust its teachings, and practice its truths are not ashamed to live and die by it and for it. Its truth has not, does not, and will not change. Its virtues are eternal. It comforts and sustains those who read it and meditate upon it. “It stands like a Rock undaunted, ‘mid the raging storms of time. Its pages burn with a truth eternal, and it glows with a light sublime.” The more we read, understand, and live by its testimonies, the greater our ability to enjoy it – and life.
The next stanza, from 145 to 152, is an urgent prayer to be saved from those who seek to harm the psalmist and have no respect or fear for God's law. His faith and confidence in the Lord are clearly affirmed, and he firmly believes that God's teachings are trustworthy. He knows that God is near him. When God saves a person, He gives them a new nature that testifies with the Holy Spirit that we are truly born again. This new nature has new desires, one of which is the desire to know the Lord better. That desire comes through the word of God.
Like many nighttime prayers for help, this prayer for deliverance is answered through the word of God rather than by emotional feelings or perceived miracles. Those things may happen, but they result from God’s answers, not the answer itself. Whether a problem remains or is removed, God does answer. A love for justice and an understanding of God's truth enable us to live in victory rather than defeat and discontent. When a person starts the day with truth from the Bible, many situations and difficulties are faced and dealt with before they even occur. Through that preparation, personal attacks or other events needing answers are based on the solid foundation of the scriptures of truth.
Occasionally, we all feel a strong sense of need. Usually, this happens when we face real and severe hardships. Trusting God to administer just judgments is confirmed when we read God's word. It sustains and renews us. Therefore, in this stanza, we learn that the God who has redeemed us is faithful to revive us when troubles threaten to overwhelm us. The Lord truly understands and knows what we are going through. “We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.” He has experienced what we go through and pleased the Father during those difficult times.
God does not save those who do not desire to be saved. Salvation comes through the Word. He does not force faith on those who only seek to live by sight. His mercy extends to all who call on Him with a pure heart and to those He saves. Those He has saved will remain faithful to God's testimony despite opposition. Believers who know and love the Lord, as they grow in their Christian walk, will feel more grief over insults against God than over wrongs done to Him. Zeal for God demonstrates His faithfulness to them. Every promise of God and every truth in the Bible is true. The Word of God is “settled” in heaven and remains firmly established forever.
This section of the psalm captures the main theme: “Great peace have they which love Thy law.” Because of the perfection of God's word and its revelation, peace comes when we love God's word, His ways, and Himself. The psalmist held greater respect and awe for God's word than for the rulers of the world. “Seven times” a day, he praised the Lord because he knew that what God says and does is always right. The verses from 165 through 168 summarize everything he wrote in this longest chapter of the Bible. They declare that reading God's word reveals treasures of truth that unlock the true meaning of life. In this way, we learn to love what God loves and hate what He hates. We discover what is truly important, and that brings us peace during tough times. We understand what to avoid and what to hold on to. Even amid sorrow, we can find peace. We learn that faith comes first, and then we live by faith. We realize that obeying God’s word leads us to love it. We see that when Jesus Christ was here, He obeyed God’s commandments, loved them, fulfilled them, and consistently pleased His Father. He is our example.
The summary of the psalm is another plea for spiritual help and a renewed commitment to stand firm in faith on God’s foundation. This requires determination from every believer. There is a longing for God when His word resides in the heart. When God's word is honored, God Himself is honored. The word of God grants liberty for our hearts and lives to go beyond what is ordinary. God’s laws, testimonies, ways, precepts, statutes, commandments, judgments, words, and sayings bring about righteousness.
The psalmist makes a vow to praise and then seeks understanding of the word, for deliverance through the promises of the word he has claimed, and for greater knowledge of God's word. The “hand” from heaven reaches down to assist those who obey the Lord's precepts. Full salvation will come when our Lord returns, but for now, God's word, prayers of faith, and confessing and forsaking sin will keep us in communion with Him through all life's circumstances.