Psalm 119:29-32

Psalm 119:29-32

(29)  Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.

Lying - (8267 sheqer, untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial):)

Before we understand the way of truth, the way of lying/error must be purged from us. We cannot walk in the way of lying and be living in God's law. We must step off the way of lying and walk in the way of truth. Thankfully, the Lord is there to help us change from one path to the other.

(29)  Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.

(30)  I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.

"Remove from me the way of lying . . . I have chosen the way of truth." There are two ways in which we can choose to walk. We are already on the path of lying once born, but God has given us the option to choose the way of truth.

To walk in the way of truth, we must keep God's Word before us. If we refuse to keep God's Word, we will inevitably start to walk in the way of lying once more.

(31)  I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.

Once we're on this path of truth, are we sticking there? "Stuck" is an active term: "1692 dabaq, to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere; figuratively, to catch by pursuit:" Our lives must be inseparable from the Word of God. Even when others accuse us and tempt us, we should not be ashamed to stick to the Word of God - when it is considered unpopular or "old-fashioned" and ignored by others.

Other uses of the Hebrew word "Dabaq:"

"For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; Then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves." (Deuteronomy 11:22-23)

"Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him." (Deuteronomy 13:4)

"That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." (Deuteronomy 30:17)

"But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Joshua 22:5)

"But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day." (Joshua 23:8)

"Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:" (Joshua 23:12)

"Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love." (1 Kings 11:2)

"Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom." (2 Kings 3:3)

"My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me." (Psalm 63:8)

It is clear that we will cleave to one way or another: to God's way or the world's way, to God or to gods. But we must realize that this cleaving doesn't happen by default; we choose where we will cleave.

(32)  I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

Continuing on the thought of the way of truth or the way of lying, we are in a race. There are several verses that indicate life as running:

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

"Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." (Galatians 5:7-9)

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain." (Philippians 2:14-16)

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

"Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." (1 Peter 4:4-5)

In a sense, God "broadened" our heart at salvation. Are we being faithful to now run in His ways?