How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word… I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. Psalm 119:9, 14-16
With the general arc of Psalm 119 already established, pursuing the blessed life, we are ready to unpack some of the necessary elements in pursuit of that blessed life. Now that we know the true meaning of the blessed life (the pursuit of an undefiled life walking in His ways), it is necessary to understand how we are to go about that pursuit. This is precisely the question the psalmist turned to in this second section of the acrostic. How does one go about keeping his/her way pure? The answer is surprisingly simple, though the application may be more complex due to human weakness and stubbornness.
God has provided a shroud of protection for us to put around our hearts to guard them from sin’s deceitful persuasion (cf. Ephesians 6:11; Hebrews 3:13; James 1:13-15). This is not some mythical, mystical, hoodoo voodoo type of thing. It is perhaps too practical and simple for many to accept, as evidenced by the frequent rejection of the same by those who claim to be seeking this protection. Indeed, the simple protective device God gave us to guard our hearts is His word. This is reinforced many times and in various ways throughout this section of the psalm, which is consistent with the broad sweep of the Bible (cf. Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; Ephesians 6:10-18; etc.). What does the process look like as laid out in this section?
First, he notes that one must take heed according to His word (vs. 9; cf. Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4). Knowing the word is critical, but it is ineffective if we fail to heed its edicts. Second, it must be pursued as an outworking of the earnest desires of our hearts (vs. 10; 2 Chronicles 15:2; Hebrews 11:6). Third, we must enlist His help to keep us from wandering from His commandments as we do not possess the power within ourselves (vs. 10; Ephesians 6:10; 2 Corinthians 10:4; James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:7-8). Fourth, we must hide His word in our hearts if it is to grant us the protection from sin we so desperately need (vs. 11; cf. Matthew 4:4, 7, 10; John 6:44-45; 15:3; 17:17; Colossians 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:11-113; 1 Peter 2:2). Finally, to maintain this protective shroud around our hearts throughout the time of our sojourn, we must view this process with delight (vv. 14-15, 24, 47, 70, 77, 92, 111, 143, 162, 174; Psalms 19:7-11).
Sadly, many attempt to circumvent different parts or this process, leaving the heart vulnerable to Satan’s schemes. Knowing all this beforehand, we have no excuse for failing to keep our way pure. The proper response to Satan’s temptations has not changed one whit since Jesus showed it to us so masterfully in the wilderness. It is still the simple yet powerful reply, “It is written.”