Psalm 119:89-96, “89 Forever, O Lord, your word
is firmly fixed in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
91 By your appointment they stand this day,
for all things are your servants.
92 If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have given me life.
94 I am yours; save me,
for I have sought your precepts.
95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,
but I consider your testimonies.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,
but your commandment is exceedingly broad.”
Psalm 119:89-96 emphasizes the eternality of the word of God, God’s enduring faithfulness to His word throughout all generations, the comfort His word brings us in affliction, the soul-reviving affect of God’s word, and the boundless perfection of it.
God’s Enduring, Eternal Word, and Faithfulness (Psalm 119:89-91)
As seen in verses 89-91, God’s Word is unchanging as His character. We ought not separate God from His word, for it is there in His Word that He reveals Himself to us. When we read the Bible, we are reading His own gracious revelation of Himself. His word is firmly fixed in the heavens; therefore, we can know that He does not change either. God is immutable, constant, unchanging, faithful to all generations (Psalm 33:11, Numbers 23:19).
As long as God’s Word endures, so shall His faithfulness to His word. To His Word and to His people, God is faithful which is why God will always be faithful to His authoritative WordThis is an important point since the Word is a great comfort to Christians. While circumstances and seasons change, God our Rock is constant and unwavering in His steadfast love and faithfulness (Psalm 107: 1-3).
A Delight in the Midst of Affliction (Psalm 119:92-93)
Delighting in God’s word is a constant theme throughout the psalms. Perhaps most notable is Psalm 1, in which we see the blessed man delighting in God’s law and meditating on it day and night. Here, in verse 92-93, the psalmist explains how it is God’s word that has sustained him through affliction. In fact, he even goes so far as to say that he would’ve perished without it. God’s eternally fixed word is a means of both sustenance and delight. Though affliction and suffering may abound in this life, God’s word is a delight the weary soul. As W.S. Plumer writes, “Such is the weight of many earthly sorrows that nothing but Scripture, received in faith, and applied by the Holy Spirit, can sustain the sinking heart.”
One of the surest ways to delight in God’s Word is by studying, meditating, and treasuring it. Cultivating a discipline for daily time in God’s Word often cultivates a deeper desire for it. He satisfies us, yet He also makes us hungry and thirsty for more. However, do not wait until affliction comes to begin trying to cultivate a delight in the word. The delight was already there for the psalmist, and it sustained him when affliction came. Pray that God would grant you an insatiable desire for His word, and as your delight in His word increases, you will find your delight in God himself increasing, for He is inseparable from His word.
We would do well to consider the soul-reviving nature of God’s Word (Psalm 19:7). Remembering that He has given us life by the power of the Spirit working through His Word will serve to help us never forget his precepts, but to delight in them always.
A Source of Confidence and Assurance (Psalm 119:94-95)
In verses 94-95, the psalmist leans into his covenant relationship with God for assurance of future deliverance. The truth that he is God’s gives him boldness and assurance to cry out, “save me.” Evidence of a relationship with God is demonstrated in the psalmist’s claim that he has sought God’s precepts, that is sought to know and obey His revealed will in His word. We need this reminder today in the church that we should have no comfort, no reason to believe that we are in a covenant relationship to God through His Son Jesus Christ if we have no desire to know and obey God.
Similar to his response to affliction, the psalmist recognizes that the wicked lie in wait to destroy him, yet He turns to consider, to ponder upon God’s word. Wickedness abounds in the world, and if we are honest, wickedness still tries to eat away at our souls. We are tempted and enticed by wickedness, yet steadfast consideration and meditation on God’s word helps us not give in. Our eyes firmly fixed on God and His word, are less prone to wonder to wickedness. As we behold His glory (in His word) with unveiled faces, we will not be deceived and devoured by the wicked, but will be transformed into the image of Christ, from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Boundless Perfection (Psalm 119:96)
The culmination of the previous verses has led the psalmist to the realization of the perfection of God’s Word. All creation has its limits. All of it, at some point, becomes transient. Yet, the perfection of God’s word is boundless. It is as limitless in perfection as God Himself, for it is His Word. It is immutable, eternally fixed in the heavens, where God is seated on His throne. His word provides sustaining power and joy in affliction. It revives and satisfies our hungry and thirsty souls.
The eternality and surety of God’s word should give us all the hope we need in our life and ministry today. The church today, with all her gimmicks and pragmatism, desperately needs to return to a confidence in the Word of God. For far too long now, the church has proclaimed the sufficiency of Scripture in principle while denying it practice. This problem has revealed our lack of confidence, not just in God’s Word, but in God Himself, and perhaps most strikingly, the Word made flesh, our Lord Jesus (John 1:14). So, may we proclaim God’s Word faithfully from the pulpits, preaching expository sermons. May we sing God’s Word loudly with joy alongside our fellow members. May we pray God’s Word, modeling for the congregation what it means to let Scripture guide our prayers. May the church today preach Christ, the Word in the flesh, trusting that it is not our programs, though some are useful and most are well-intended, that saves, but it is the gospel of Jesus that is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16).
Drew is married to his beautiful wife, Tyra. They have one son, Judson. Drew serves as Pastoral Assistant of CrossLife Church, with a specific emphasis on leading youth and college students in the church. He enjoys running, cycling, hiking, coffee, and watching the Boston Red Sox, Arkansas Razorbacks, and the Kansas City Chiefs. He graduated from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY with his Master’s of Divinity in Christian Ministry. He also teaches Literature, Church History, World Missions, and Bible at Valley Christian School in Russellville, AR.
