Psa 119:97 MEM. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm. It is also the longest chapter in the whole Bible. The author of this chapter is unknown but some have suggested it may have been Ezra the priest, written at the time that the temple had been rebuilt. Others have suggested David as its author. The Psalm is arranged in an acrostic pattern. It means the verses of each stanza begin with the same letter of each of the Hebrew alphabet, such as “Aleph,” “Beth,” “Gimel,” and so on. There are 22 stanzas or sections, equal to 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, with 8 verses each, making a total of 176 verses. Psalm 119 calls on men to treasure the word of God because of its benefits: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (v.11). The word translated "hid" is the Hebrew tsaphan. Tsaphan means not only to hide something, but also to treasure it, to store it up. The psalmist’s love for the Word of God and his dedication to remember it and live by it is a theme that is repeated over and over in this psalm. Why should we treasure the Scripture? One reason is because of its great benefits. What are they? 1. Blessings: “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies” (v. 2). 2. Keeps from Sin: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (v.11). 3. Gives Life: “My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word” (v.25).                        4. Comfort in Afflictions: “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me” (v.50). 5. Produces Faith: “I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law. This I had, because I kept thy precepts” (v.55, 56). 6. Restoration: “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (v.67). 7. Gives Strength to Persevere: “Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction” (v.92). 8. Wisdom: “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way” (v.104). 9. Direction: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (v.105). 10. Happiness: “Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart” (v.111). 11. Holiness: “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (v.128). 12. Gives Enlightenment: “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (v.130).                                                                                                                                     One of the most important benefits of the word of God is it produces faith (v.55, 56). Paul concurs: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). To love God, we must love His word. Our Lord says: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). We can’t love God without loving His word. To be men or women of God, we must be men or women of the word. We cannot be devoted to God without devotion to His word. The psalmist says: “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day” (v.97). There’s no true spirituality apart from learning, loving and living the Bible. Do you want to know how to live a holy life? Do you want to know how to overcome sin? Do you want to know how to praise God properly? The word of God has all the answers. There is nothing like the Word of God. May you find joy in studying the word of God: “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”  (v.103).