The Book That Understands Me

Psalm 119:129-144

129Your decrees are wonderful.

No wonder I obey them!

130As your words are taught, they give light;

even the simple can understand them.

131I open my mouth, panting expectantly,

longing for your commands.

132Come and show me your mercy,

as you do for all who love your name.

133Guide my steps by your word,

so I will not be overcome by any evil.

134Rescue me from the oppression of evil people;

then I can obey your commandments.

135Look down on me with love;

teach me all your principles.

136Rivers of tears gush from my eyes

because people disobey your law.

137O LORD, you are righteous,

and your decisions are fair.

138Your decrees are perfect;

they are entirely worthy of our trust.

139I am overwhelmed with rage,

for my enemies have disregarded your words.

140Your promises have been thoroughly tested;

that is why I love them so much.

141I am insignificant and despised,

but I don’t forget your commandments.

142Your justice is eternal,

and your law is perfectly true.

143As pressure and stress bear down on me,

I find joy in your commands.

144Your decrees are always fair;

help me to understand them, that I may live.

The young French philosopher Emile Cailliet had been disillusioned by World War I. Sitting in the trenches, he saw that his naturalistic philosophy didn’t work. He sought for a book that would make sense out of life, and more than that, “a book that would understand me.”

Not finding such a book, he decided to put it together himself, finding wise sayings wherever he could and putting them in a scrapbook. One day he sat under a tree, reading his self-made book with his self-made philosophy. After reading it, he was more disillusioned than ever. His own collection of wisdom wouldn’t work either.

Just then his wife came out of the house with a Bible, which she had chanced upon at a nearby chapel. Despite his education, Cailliet had never seen a Bible before. “As I read it, I could not find words to express my awe and wonder. Suddenly the realization dawned upon me. This was the Book that would understand me.”

Throughout this psalm, the psalmist expresses amazement at what God’s Word is, just as Cailliet discovered. Later the French philosopher, who became a devout Christian, admitted that it seemed strange to speak of a book understanding a person, but it could be said only “because its pages were animated by the presence of the living God.”

The Hand that gave it still supplies

The gracious light and heat,

His truths upon its readers rise,

They rise but never set.

JOHN NEWTON

Fascinating Fact

Verse 132 is one of only four verses in this psalm that do not have a direct reference to God’s Word. The other verses are 90, 121, and 122.

Notable Quotable

“This light [verse 130] has excellent properties. (1) It is a manifesting light; it lays open all the frauds of the world; (2) it is a directing light; it shows us how to manage ourselves in all situations; (3) it is a quickening light; it shows us Jesus, the light who gives life; (4) it is a refreshing light; it brings daily comfort.”

THOMAS MANTON