Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Psalm 119 is a fascinating piece of work! It was probably composed after the Jews' return from exile by a very godly man who obviously sought after his Lord with great diligence. The longest of the Psalms, its main focus is on the word and promises of God. It seems to have been written with the intent of being used for instruction of the faithful Jews. If you remember, the post-exilic Jews did not have a strong tradition to fall back on. They had been in a strange land with no temple and no priests to lead them. They needed to be reminded and re-taught about the things of God.

Within the body of this psalm, the author makes 12 distinct references to the "heart". It seems like he sees the heart as the "engine" that drives his desire for and relationship with God.

In verse 11 of this psalm, we find this profession by the psalmist, "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." What a powerful and instructive verse!

One of my first thoughts as I meditated on this verse was the fact that it is so in tune with the rest of scripture. It made me wonder if Jesus had this verse in mind as he was teaching in Matthew 6:21 "....for where your treasure is, there will be your heart also." Do you consider His word as your treasure?

When you ponder it, it makes sense to fill up your heart with that which reminds you of the one you love! Just think! What power there is in having the word of God standing guard at your heart's door! At the same time it's guarding your heart, it's energizing your heart to conform to His ways.

If you get a chance, look at Psalm 119 this week and consider putting yourself under the discipline of its advice!