Psalm 119:149 Love, Life, Law

Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
preserve my life, Lord, according to your laws.
Psalm 119:149

We've all seen it played out on TV or in the movies. Or maybe you've seen it played out in life.

There's a runaway who's in big trouble. She's scared to call home to ask Dad for help. He'll be angry. He'll yell. He won't want to help.

Of course, eventually she calls, or a police officer or social worker calls. Her father is overwhelmed with happiness to hear her voice and rushes to pick her up and welcome her back.

And yet, when she gets back home, her father tells her she's welcome to stay, but there will be rules she'll need to follow. She rebels again, fighting against the restrictions and resenting the accusations that her lifestyle is unacceptable.


If it's been awhile since you prayed, maybe it's because you think the Father doesn't want to hear from you after all these years. He'll be angry with you.

Except that when you eventually do cry out to God, you discover He's been there all along, waiting for you.  Because He loves you.

His love is a relief, but then there's all those laws. Do you really have to change your lifestyle to fit into God's way of looking at life? Like the runaway, it's hard to accept that the Father really does know that some rules are necessary. It's the way life works best.

David uses the phrase "preserve my life" a dozen times in Psalm 119 and, the same as the other eleven times, here it means to quicken or revitalize my life.

Sure, you can choose to live a lifestyle according to your own whims and random decision-making, but living according to a plan and aiming toward a purpose really is a better way to live a fantastic life. The Lord knows the secret to a vibrant life, according to His laws.

There are other people who choose to organize their lives around an approach to the Bible that results in a dull and constricted life. Understanding the law as a reflection of the heart of God makes all the difference. Follow His laws as a guide to His love. In that direction lays life at its brightest.