Day 18: Great Peace in God’s Word
Bible passage: Psalm 119:165–168
The Longest Psalm
Today is Tuesday 18th of January 2022. Welcome to Day 18 of our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Today we open the longest chapter in the Bible.
Psalm 119 has 176 verses, and almost every one of them is about the Word of God. Near the end, the writer tells us what a lifetime of loving that Word has given him.
The Promise
Great Peace
“Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.” Psalm 119:165 (NLT)
Notice that he does not say “those who know” God’s instructions, or even “those who study” them. He says those who love them. It is possible to know the Bible well and still be restless. Peace is promised to people who treasure what God says because they treasure the One who says it.
Sure Footing
He adds that they do not stumble. God’s Word shows us where the ground is firm. It warns us about the ditch before we are in it. So many of the things that rob us of peace, such as broken trust, hidden sin and foolish choices, are things the Bible would have steered us away from.
Freedom Through Obedience
A Different Idea of Freedom
Our culture tells us that freedom means doing whatever we like, and that commands are cages. The psalmist has found the opposite. A train is free when it is on the rails. A river is powerful when it stays within its banks. We are most free when we live the way our Maker designed us to live.
In the next verses he says that he longs for God’s rescue, that he has obeyed God’s laws because he loves them deeply, and that everything he does is known to God (Psalm 119:166–168). He is not hiding anything. That openness is part of his peace.
Obedience That Flows from Grace
We do not obey in order to be accepted. Paul says God is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins (Ephesians 1:7). We obey because we already belong to Him.
Read it daily. Use the hunger of this fast to drive you to Scripture. Give God’s Word time you would normally give to a meal or a screen.
Do what it says. Is there something God has already told you to do that you have been putting off? Take one step of obedience today.
Live in the open. Is anything hidden? Bring it into the light. There is no peace in secrets.
David sang that the Lord is his strength and shield, and that his heart trusts in Him and is filled with joy (Psalm 28:7). Trust and obedience still lead to joy and peace.
Prayer for Today:
Father, thank You for Your Word. Forgive me for the times I have treated it as a burden and gone my own way. Give me a deep love for what You say. Show me where I need to obey, and give me the grace to do it. Keep my feet from stumbling and fill my heart with Your great peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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