This psalm is precious to me because it was while reading it that I asked God to give me the love for His word that this psalmist had. At that time, I was frustrated with all the ways the poet was able to find to draw out his work by restating the same idea over and over again; I have since learned to appreciate the significance of each idea expressed in conveying all the reasons why God’s word is so precious.
I have taken different approaches to studying this psalm over the years, and found each valuable. For interest’s sake, you may want to keep track of any of the following central ideas as you read through it:
- The benefits of keeping God’s word that the psalmist describes. Do you realize these benefits in your own life? If so, praise God for them. If not, why not? You should be seeking them.
- The ways the psalmist uses to know God’s word. He was no slacker. Compare that to your diligence in knowing God’s word. Does that make you a seeker or otherwise? If you lack diligence, what ways speak the most to you as disciplines you could observe in your pursuit of knowing God?
- What the psalmist asks of God. If he asks, couldn’t we? Shouldn’t we?
What are the connections between some of the ideas the writer presents in his parallelisms? Some of them are not obvious at all, but rather than dismissing the odd ones as odd, you should consider them for a deeper understanding.