Psalm 119:161-168

"Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble."

{Psalm 119:165} (NIV)

A powerful ruler, seeking to harm you, is a very frightening thing. If we tried to place ourselves in the shoes of this psalmist, we would find ourselves in the place of Joseph, David, Esther, Daniel, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, our Lord Jesus, Stephen, Peter, Paul and Silas and many other righteous men and women who belong to God. A frightening place to be sure, a place where death seems inevitable, and a painful death seems likely. 

Yet this verse speaks of great peace! 

Our Lord tells us that He will give us peace; His peace, not like the peace of the world. (Jn 14:27) The peace described in this psalm is the same peace that our Lord promised us. When you read John 14:23-31 and Psalm 119:161-168 side by side, you can see very clearly that this is the same peace. This peace comes to us from the Lord, and it comes to us through His Spirit, as we obey the commands of God. We obey them, because we love the God who gave them to us. We see these two words as two completely different concepts, but God sees them as the same. 

May we have the heart of the psalmist. May we have the eyes of our Lord to see that love is obedience and obedience is love, and therefore I love God’s Law! 

Psalm 119:161-168

New International Version (NIV)

ש Sin and Shin

¹⁶¹ Rulers persecute me without cause,
    but my heart trembles at your word.
¹⁶² I rejoice in your promise
    like one who finds great spoil.
¹⁶³ I hate and detest falsehood
    but I love your law.
¹⁶⁴ Seven times a day I praise you
    for your righteous laws.
¹⁶⁵ Great peace have those who love your law,
    and nothing can make them stumble.
¹⁶⁶ I wait for your salvation, Lord,
    and I follow your commands.
¹⁶⁷ I obey your statutes,
    for I love them greatly.
¹⁶⁸ I obey your precepts and your statutes,
    for all my ways are known to you.