Psalm 119 – The Mount Everest of the Psalms

While each of the 150 psalms are unique and precious, (Psalm 119) stands out as my favorite psalm for several reasons. May the following four reasons help you to see why I call this amazing psalm the Mount Everest of the psalms.

(Psalm 119:18)

This verse should be memorized by all Christians and hidden deep in our hearts. It reads: “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.” The Bible is full of wondrous things. Reading the Word is like going on a great treasure hunt and mining for nuggets of true gold and incomparable wisdom. No wonder the psalmist is crying out to have his eyes opened by the illumination of the Holy Spirit to see and experience the true riches contained in the pages of Scripture. If you want to develop a love affair with the Scriptures then I challenge you to read and meditate on (Psalm 119). As you do be prepared to travel with the psalmist on the most amazing and exciting adventure of a lifetime – I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

(Psalm 119:24)

This verse introduces us to how much the psalmist considers reading the Word sheer delight. It reads: “Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.” I love this word delight, which is a central theme of (Psalm 119), because it implies that the Bible is something not to be feared but enjoyed. And here the psalmist not only says he enjoys and delights in the Word, but considers the Word his treasured companion and counselor; guiding him in the right way on this journey called life. We know that God wants to give us the desires of our heart and the more we fall in love with the Word and Jesus we can see God’s desires becoming our desires – and experience the reality of (Psalm 37:4): “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

(Psalm 119:72)

Having great riches is something all of us want. While financial riches probably will never be ours, we all can have something far greater to deposit in our spiritual bank account. And this verse should excite all of us: “The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver.” All of us would love to have thousands of coins of gold and silver. With them we could buy the best cars, houses, and vacations – all of which in themselves are great. But here the psalmist says that the true riches contained in the Bible far exceed these worldly possessions. The person who really knows the Bible will be full of joy and contentment no matter what his lot in life may be. What can be more wonderful than having a personal and intimate relationship with the Author of the Word of God – Jesus Christ!

(Psalm 119:162)

In this verse we read: “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.” There are so many different types of treasure to be found in the Scriptures that even a lifetime of study will not exhaust its riches. Peace, joy, and purpose are just a few of the real treasures we will find on our treasure hunt. I love the parable of the Pearl of Great Price. We read about it in (Matthew 13:45-46): “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” I, like the psalmist here, rejoice every time I read the Bible because I know that it is a precious gift from God that has everything I need to lead a rich and rewarding life both now and in eternity. Not only that, but the Word also allows me to have a deep and personal relationship with Jesus – the greatest joy imaginable!

As we read all 176 verses of this magnificent psalm be prepared to fall in love with the Word of God. Just as climbing to the top of Mount Everest must be so exhilarating, reading and meditating on all of (Psalm 119) will also prove to be a mountain top experience for all who choose to plumb the depths of this truly remarkable psalm!