Erling Thu

Category: Biblical teaching

  • Teach me the life-changing powers of your precepts!

    Psalm 119:12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes!

    Blessed are you, Lord! The psalmist is personal when he says, "you, O Lord," and he is full of admiration and worship. You are marvelous, Lord, who has given us such good and glorious law. That law testifies about how loving and caring you are. This law shows us your glorious and holy character. Your law is good, holy and spiritual, so we worship and praise you who have given us your life-giving words.

    Blessed are you, O Lord! This is some of the best we can say both about God and to God. When we use this term, we say that he is perfect, that he is worthy of worship and praise.

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  • I consider your prophecies to be my greatest treasure 

    Psalm 119.11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

    This is also a word that has followed me from my youth. I have experienced what the psalmist is talking about. Therefore, I have written this truth in one of the first pages of my Bible: This book will keep you away from sin, or sin will keep you away from this book. There is a deep truth to this.

    When we store God's Word deeply in our hearts, we will be led and motivated by the Word to do what is right and good and to avoid that which is sin. With the Word of God in our hearts, we will be aware of what God wants to do for us and through us. When the word of God dwells in our hearts, we will know God's will and be able to choose the right path when we have to make choices.

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  • Passionate longing for God

    Psalm 119.10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!

    In most of the psalms we find praise, prayers and confessions of faith and doctrine. We have already seen this in Psalm 199 as well. In verse two he talks about the joy and blessing those who seek the Lord receive from him. This is probably what David has in mind in this tenth verse when he prays this prayer: I have longed passionately for you with all my heart, do not let me depart from your commands!

    Most Norwegian versions says, I seek you (in present), while many English versions say, I have sought you (in the past). This is something that goes on throughout the different versions of the Psalms. It is translated at different times, some translations are in the present and others are in the past. I do not have enough language knowledge to say anything about what is right, but find it interesting to notice. Here in this verse (10) it is not so important, but the psalmist will emphasize that he has sought God out of the whole heart and still does so. He has tasted the joy and blessing it is to seek God and keep His word. This is something he will not lose. Therefore he prays as he does: Do not allow me to depart from your words.

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  • True Joy

    In the passage from verses 9 to 16, each line begins with the Hebrew letter Beth. This section is very much about true joy.

    Psalm 119.9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 

    This verse has followed me since I was a young Christian. I am so grateful for the Norwegian prayer house movement I grew up in, because there we learned to highly value God's Word high and let it control our lives. The psalmist asks a very important question and gave us the right answer: How can a young man live clean? By living in the Word of God and walking in the truths of the Word.

    Of course, this truth does not only apply to young people. But young people in their youth for the first time meet all the lusts and desires that can make life impure. In our childhood we were unfamiliar with much of these impure impulses, but in youth we encounter this with full force. Childhood is a time of innocence, but in youth we meet all the temptations that belong to adult human life.

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  • Psalm 119: 8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! 

    I like the way the psalmist ends the Aleph section. He does it in a very personal way. He tells the Lord of his intention, of what he wants to do, of his innermost desire. But because he knows himself so well and knows that he often comes up short, he sighs: Don’t give up on me! Do not utterly forsake me! It is understood that the psalmist may fall short, but he does trust in God's mercy and grace.

    The psalmist in one way promises to be faithful and do everything the Word reveals to him. That's probably what most Christians want to do. At the same time, he is realistic and prays that the Lord must not forsake him when he fails and falls short. Here is a nice balance that we have a lot to learn from.

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  • The happy life is lifelong learning

    Psalm 119.7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.

    Here, the psalmist portrays the happy and joyful life as he learns to know God's righteous laws. As he learns, he praises God with an honest heart. Each time we gain insight into God's Word, we want to thank and praise God. As the Word opens up for us, we are filled with joy and thanksgiving. As we come to know the word of God, we must praise God with an upright heart.

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  • No one who lives by the word of God is put to shame

    Psalm 119.6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

    The psalmist assume that his prayer in the previous verse is being answered and in this verse we find a bold assurance of faith. Then, – when God answers the longing of our hearts and makes our steps firm so that we obey His ordinances, then we will not be put to shame. Then we will not be disappointed. Then we will not become discouraged. God is faithful. He watches over his word. He does what he promised. The blessings are countless when we do God's will. No one who looks to the Lord and walks on his path will be ashamed. For the Lord takes care of us and will bring us to glory at the time.

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  • A burning desire to live in accordance with God’s Will

    Psalm 119.5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!

    This is the prayer, the longing and the heartbeat of all pious Christians. The psalmist expresses his desire to keep the law of God. That is the purpose and meaning of life, to live by the word of God. This desire goes like a red thread throughout this psalm.

    There is a deep desire expressed in this verse: Oh, that my ways may be steadfast! Oh, there is a depth to this. Oh, it entails a heartfelt and burning desire. This heartbeat, oh, is turned to God and the psalmist says he is completely dependent on God's help. He has an honest desire to live in accordance with God's will. Therefore, he prays that his steps must be steadfast, or that his ways must become firm, so that he has a lifestyle in accordance with the word of God.

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  • Those who love God are careful to do what He says!

    Psalm 119:4 You have commanded your precepts (6490) to be kept diligently.

    The God who created us has also given us instructions on how to live right. He has commanded us. He has told how he wants us to live. He has shown us that it is the right way of life. We cannot live the way we want if we want to find happiness and blessings in life. There is only one correct way to live: to be careful to keep the Word of God dilligently!

    Your precepts, is the fourth expression for God's Word in this psalm. Precept a strong word. There is no room for negotiation or compromise here. God has given us His precepts and we must be careful to do what He says. In the Bible we find God's commandments and precepts. It is not up to us to choose and wreck between them. We have only one thing to do and that is to obey all of them!

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  • Always choose the paths of the Lord

    Psalm 119:3  who also do no wrong, but walk on His ways.

    It is with great faith and confidence in God's good words and ordinances that the Psalmist says this. When we obey the law of the Lord and keep His commandments or testimonies, we will not do anything wrong. God is good and all his wayss are good for all people, yes for all societies. 

    It is good to have this simple faith in the Word of God. It is safe to walk on God's path. It is never wrong to do what God says. It is always right to follow the law of the Lord and live according to His testimony. Those who do it will never do what is wrong, but will choose to do what is good, for they walk in God's way. They do not do wrong because they are righteous and have the life of God in them (see 1 John 3: 9). The character of God has been formed in them. It has become a habit for them to do what God says in the Word.

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