Psalm 119:16

(16)  I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Delight - OT:8173 sha`a` (shaw-ah'); a primitive root; (in a good acceptation) to look upon (with complacency), i.e. fondle, please or amuse (self); (in a bad one) to look about (in dismay), i.e. stare:

"In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul." (Psalm 94:19)

"And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved." (Psalm 119:47)

"Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law." (Psalm 119:70)

All of these verses have one thing in common: delighting in God's words. Do we find God's Word our delight? or has something else taken its place?

Forget - OT:7911 shakach (shaw-kakh'); or shakeach (shaw-kay'-akh); a primitive root; to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention:

If God's statutes are my delight, then I won't easily forget them. In a way, this makes me think of 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." I have found that whenever I put forth effort to study God's Word, I am less likely to forget it than if I merely read it over or hear someone else mention it. If we are applying the former verses of this passage and seeking God and His Word, we will not be likely to forget it. If we find that we are forgetting God's Word, perhaps we should dedicate more time to seriously seek His Word.

There are so many verses referencing our ability to forget God and His Word - may we not be proud to think that "I'll never forget" but take these warnings to heart.

"Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;" (Deuteronomy 4:9)

"Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee." (Deuteronomy 4:23)

"Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." (Deuteronomy 6:12)

"Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:" (Deuteronomy 8:11)

"All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant." (Psalm 44:16)

"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)

"Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver." (Psalm 50:22)

"That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:" (Psalm 78:5)

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:" (Psalm 103:2)

"I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me." (Psalm 119:93)

"I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts." (Psalm 119:141)

"My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:" (Proverbs 3:1)