Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.
– Psalm 119:1
I know sometimes I just throw in that exclamation point. But I think it’s so important, especially when you’re not reading the text, to feel the emphasis in the text, the excitement in the Word as the longest chapter in the Bible begins, Psalm 119.
Psalm 119:1 Portrays the Blessed Way of the Blameless
And it starts by saying, “Blessed”. In other words, happy, satisfied, fulfilled, abundant, “Are those whose way is blameless”. So the way to blessing is blamelessness.
Then like we see all throughout the Psalm, we see a parallel phrase right after this. “Blessed are those whose way is blameless.” Well what does that mean, “Who walk in the law of the Lord”? That’s what it means to be blameless. And that’s what it means to be blessed, to walk in God’s law. That’s what the whole chapter is about. Hundreds of verses talking about what it looks like to experience the blessing of God by walking in His law. I love that phrase, in the law of the Lord.
And I would just ask you, is that true of your life? Are you living, walking, every day in the law of God? Obviously, that necessitates being in the law of God, meditating on the law of God. Psalm 1, how this whole book of the Bible starts, “Blessed is the one who walks not on the council of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but on God’s law, he meditates day and night.”
Psalm 119:1 Encourages Us to Live a Blameless Life in God’s Law
God is making very clear in His Word, and specifically here in the Psalms, that blessing, happiness, fulfillment, satisfaction, in your life is found in meditating on God’s law and walking in it, living according to it. Just think about it. The essence of sin is not walking in God’s law, not living according to God’s law. Sin leads to our destruction. Sin leads to death.
So how do you experience abundant life? How do you experience satisfaction and fulfillment in this life? By walking in God’s law. So God, we pray, help each one of us to meditate on your Word day and night, to be careful to do according to all that is written in it, to walk in your law.
God, we pray that that would be the story of our lives, that we are walking in your law today. May that be the story of our lives today, that we’re meditating on your Word today, tonight, and we’re walking in it with an exclamation point, God, that that would be the emphasis of our lives today. And God, as we pray that for our own lives, we pray for people especially in the world who don’t have your Word, for Bible-less peoples, for thousands of people groups that still don’t have the Bible, the full Word of God in their language.
Praying for the Kachchi People
We pray today for the Kachchi people of Tanzania, this unique people group that migrated from India to East Africa, a large majority of whom are Muslims. And as linguists work on a Bible translation in the Kachchi Swahili language, we pray that you would give them success. God, we pray for a swift completion of the Bible in the Kachchi Swahili language that they might have your Word, God, that they might walk in your law.
We pray that over the Kachchi people, even as we praise you, God, for the privilege of having your Word. Psalm 119, even in our heart language, oh God, help us to steward this Word you’ve given to us by meditating on it day and night by walking in it, and as we do, we pray you’d help us to experience the fullness of your blessing. We pray that over our own lives, over the Kachchi people, and over all the peoples of the world, in Jesus’ name, according to Psalm 119:1, amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
