Psalm 119:9 “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
The “word” of God is a major theme of the 119th Psalm. It is clear that the Word of God is precious to those to whom our Lord has given Spiritual Life; thus, He has lovingly drawn them to Himself and given them a strong yearning to learn of Him and follow Him. At the moment of Spiritual Birth, sin becomes exceedingly shameful and painful to the struggling Child of God. Obedience to God becomes their preeminent objective. And, a Righteous Fear of disobedience begins to grip them. But, there are blessings in obedience: “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.” (Psalms 119:1) and “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” (Psalm 119:2). The word “Blessed” connotes happiness; Charles Wesley poetically phrased it this way: “O how happy are they Who their savior obey, And whose treasures are laid up above!” This message is repeated over and over in the Word of God. Isaiah put it this way: “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:19-20). And, Jesus put it this way: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). The Psalmist recognized that he needed wisdom and strength from the Lord to live in obedience, thus He humbly prayed: “O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! 6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.” (Psalm 119:5-6). He so yearned to live in obedience to his Lord that he set his course for a life of faithfulness, and he prayed and declared his intentions this way: “I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. 8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.” (Psalm 119:7-8). The devil has filled this world with sinful temptations to draw away and ensnare the Children of God. And, if he can’t tempt them away, he fills their life with troubles, trials, and tribulations. Our Lord knows all about the devil’s wicked devices, so He lovingly comforts us, telling us to “be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33) and “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). The closer we follow after our Lord, the greater our joy, even in the very face of the devil’s vicious obstacles. When things get really hard, we find that our Lord’s Almighty “grace is sufficient” to uphold and sustain us (II Corinthians 12:9)!