Psalm 119,30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.

In this verse, David says something very important. He says with great conviction and zeal: "I have chosen!" He has made a decision. He has taken an unshakeable stand. He has decided what he wants to do, how he wants to live, what goals he wants to achieve. He has made a choice for life. Such choices of life are vital to us and will save us from turmoil and confusion. I thank God that at a young age I had the grace to make a choice to serve the Lord all of my life. This choice has helped me many times of adversity and temptation. It has helped me to guide my life through many challenges and trials.

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Psalm 119.29 Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! 

When life is heavy and difficult, it is easy to listen to our soul enemy. He pumps our head full of lies that are easy to believe: That there is nothing you can do. That there is no hope for you. That you might as well give up. That everything is meaningless. That you are hopeless and without a future. That you have said no and turned away from God, so there is no more forgiveness for you. That you are not good enough and never will be.Only give up. Or maybe he says, you are good enough the way you are, and can live the way you want to after your own desires, without it having any negative consequences for you.

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Psalm 119.28 My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! 

Again, David tells how he is. Life is difficult. He cries with sorrow. He uses strong expressions to put words into the situation he is in. "It's as if my soul is melting away in those running tears." In fact, he says that the sorrow was about to kill him. In one version he says he has drowned in tears of pain (SPCL). He carries in his heart a painful grief that is heavy to bear. Grief overwhelms him. Sorrow eats him up. He is suffocated by the painful grief.

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Psalm 119.27 Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. 

When meeting the many challenges in life, David prays a prayer that we need to pray over and over again: "Make me understand!" He asked to be able understand in both verses 12 and 18. We encounter things in life that we do not understand. The situation is not always the way we expected. Maybe our dreams were too big or unrealistic? Or maybe the challenges we face are part of the training to help us fulfill our dreams?

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Psalm 119.26 When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes! 

I told you about my path. I acknowledged my sin for you. Openly, I confessed to you everything I did. I told you all my ways. And you answered me!

An open confession is good for the soul. Acknowledging our sins brings inner health. It is not good to keep quiet and only struggle with our own thoughts. When we keep it all inside; our dishonesty devastate our inner lives. Then we are filled with frustration, irrepressible anguish, and misery. When we ponder and strive with heavy thoughts about something stupid we have said or done, we waste away. Then we become paralyzed. Then we lose our energy and courage. When we loudly and clearly confess our sin to God and do not cover our iniquity, then God answers and that changes everything.

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Daleth is the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. All the next eight verses begin with this letter corresponding to D in our alphabet. It seems that David is having a hard time and is depressed in this section of eight daleth verses.

Psalm 119.25 My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! 

There is a rather drastic portrayal David give us in the first sentence: "My soul lies in the dust", "my soul is depressed", "I lie pressed against the dust"! “I am close to death!” He is not doing well. Life is difficult. He lies prostrate in the dust and is pressed down. There is not much honour and royal reverence in this situation he is currently in.

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Psalm 119.24 Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.

This verse is the last one to begin with the Hebrew letter gimel. In the first verse we found a prayer for life in abundance. Then we have seen that the psalmist faced many challenges in his life. It was not easy for him to handle the adversity and negativity he met. Therefore, I think the way he ends this section is extraordinarily great.

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 Psalm 119.23 Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.

It is a fantastic attitude David express in what he says here. He shows us who has the highest priority with him. When the officers and leaders sit and talk negatively about him, it is not important for him to defend himself. What is important to him is to give the Word the right place in his mind.

David is not in an easy situation when he writes this verse. The chieftains are sitting and conspiring against him. Important leaders sit together and talk negatively about him. The princes are plotting against him. He faces great adversity and a lot of negativity. In the former verse he met  scorn and contempt, but now it is even worse. He is opposed by great men, chiefs, powerful officers and princes.

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Psalm 119:22 Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies.

David asks for grace to be saved from ridicule and contempt. He obviously doesn't like to be looked down upon. He wants, as we all do, to be respected for who he is and for what he believes in. He knows of bitter experience, that it is not always so.

We can face scorn and contempt for at least two reasons. Atheists or people who hate God will despise those who believe in God. When we are God's friends, the world quickly becomes our enemy. When we love God and His words, we must expect to be mocked and ridiculed in various ways. We can carry this mockery with a raised head, for it is really directed at God. Then it is an honour for us to suffer for his name.

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Psalm 119:21 You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments. 

Earlier in this Psalm we have seen that the psalmist has an humble and teaCHable attitude. He longs for God and wants to gain insight into his commandments that he can live according to God's will. He is filled with joyful confidence in the Word of God. He bows to the judgments of the Lord and will obey his precepts. He is meditating on the blessings of obeying the law of the Lord.

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