Truth Brings Hope

Psalm 119:41-48

May your unfailing love come to me, O Lord,
    your salvation according to your promise;
then I will answer the one who taunts me,  Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth,
    for I have put my hope in your laws.
I will always obey your law,     forever and ever.
I will walk about in freedom,
    for I have sought out your precepts.
I will speak of your statutes before kings     and will not be put to shame,
for I delight in your commands
    because I love them.
I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love,
    and I meditate on your decrees.

The primary emphasis of Psalm 119 is the delight which is brought through reading and obeying the Word of God. The Psalmist asks that the word of truth never be taken away from him, because of the hope he has in the laws and ways of God. 

This particular segment of the psalm makes plain the emphasis on knowing and obeying God, and in this reading it is made manifest in a couple of ways. 

1. The person who reads and obeys the Word of God experiences joy and happiness. It is through such an association and reverence for God's decrees that the Holy Spirit leads us into experiencing God's love and grace in deeper ways. We have greater comprehension of God's truths and receive greater joy in obedience. 

2.  Those people who develop such a relationship with God in the determination of reading and obeying his word, will likewise continue to grow in love for God's plans for their lives. God's character and purposes take on fullness and excitement. Then the beauty of brethren working in unity becomes an example to those around us. 

Some read the scriptures just so they can learn more. The psalmist encourages us to make God's word so vital to our existence, that we actually are motivated to grow into a deeper relationship with God and with others. 

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