"My soul hath kept thy testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. I keep your precepts and testimonies, for all my ways are before you."
Psalm 119:167-168
Part 3
Yesterday: How to Love God’s Testimonies
“And I love them exceedingly.”
God’s testimonies loved are God’s testimonies kept!
Today: Keeping God’s Precepts
“I keep your precepts and testimonies.”
David not only loves and keeps God’s testimonies, but he also does His “precepts.” The idea of a “precept”
“comes from a word meaning to oversee or pay close attention to a matter. Thus it ‘points to the particular instructions of the Lord, as of one who cares about detail’[1] (Derek Kidner).
God’s precepts are necessary details for us to pay attention to, to understand His instructions for us. David said,
“Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love” (Psalm 119:159).
Before salvation, God’s precepts did not matter to us, nor could we hope to keep them. Our sinful nature was in all-out rebellion against God! Back then, we could never concern ourselves about what God thought. We were too busy breaking His precepts! This all changed the day that Jesus redeemed our souls!
“Indeed, the bias of the new nature to keep the precepts is as prevalent, as that of the old nature to break them”[2] (Bridges).
Now we can say with David, “I keep your precepts and testimonies.”
“For all my ways are before you.”
Somber and sobering words. God always sees me and what I do! For the sinner, these words strike fear down deep in his soul, for he can never hope to hide from God. For the believer, these “testimonies” are words of comfort, peace, and hope that describe our God. My God knows all about me!
“If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; Shall not God search this out? for He knoweth the secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44:20-21).
“Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether” (Psalm 139:2-4).
“For His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He seeth all his goings” (Job 34:21).
“For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He pondereth all his goings” (Proverbs 5:21).
“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:24).
“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13)?
Believers, take solace. God knows all about you and where you are at any given moment! These testimonies of God are blessings to us. Our God loves us and puts His laws in our hearts! “Praise Him from whom all blessings flow!”
Quote: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds” (Hebrew 10:16). “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). “For I delight in the law of God, after the inward man” (Romans 7:22).
[1] Kidner’s quote comes from the IVP commentary on Psalms 2:418. In his paper, this quote is borrowed from Steven Cole, “Psalm 119: The Priority Of God’s Word.” Downloaded:
January 2, 2021. From: https://bible.org/seriespage/psalm-119-priority-god%E2%80%99s-word.
[2] Bridge’s quote is borrowed from the Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword. Psalm 119:167-168.