Remembering God's Word

The seventh section of Psalm 119 is entitled zayin, the seventh letter in the Hebrew alphabet. The theme of this section and prayer is remembering.  The first word in the first line is the Hebrew word, zekar, which means to remember, to recall, to recite, to meditate, to record. It has action built into it similar to the Hebrew word shema, which means to hear and obey. The Hebrew name Zechariah is from the word zekar. This is one of the most important words in the Old Testament for God’s covenant people.

All of the feasts of Israel were given to the nation so that they would not forget the mighty deeds of God and their covenant with Him. The feasts were celebrations to help them to remember and to recite the blessings and curses of the covenant; to help them remain faithful to God. Remembering brought the past into the present in order to move into the future in relationship with God.

When the word “remember” is applied to God, as it is in the first line of this section, 119:49 – 56, it is similar to praying the promises of God. God does not forget, especially His own word. When you, like the psalmist, pray, “Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.” it is a reminder to you of what God has said to you. As you pray God’s word, you record God’s word in your memory. This is the key to Scripture memorization and meditation, praying your memory verses.

The blessings of this are listed in the rest of this section. You are strengthened to keep moving forward through difficulties, “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promises gives me life.” The word “comfort” is the Hebrew word nawkham, which literally means to breath deeply. It means to be consoled, to be strengthened in a time of great distress. God’s word comforts by reminding you of His presence with you and His plans for you.

The third line in this section talks about the lie of the world, the flesh, and the devil to mislead and to misguide God’s people. The struggle you have is not with flesh and blood, not with people, but with spiritual powers of wickedness and evil identified by the phrase, the world, the flesh, and the devil. This phrase is found in Ephesians 2:1, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience; among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath.” But God’s word cuts through the lie and shines brightly with the truth!

Singing God’s word is mentioned in 119:54, “Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning.” Singing is the way you learn. You probably learned the alphabet with the song. Many have learned the books of the Bible with a song. Scripture songs are musical prayers. God gave us music for this purpose. He loves it when we sing His word in prayer to Him. And you learn the truth of God’s word more and more, His word becomes more and more interwoven into the fabric of your life. Next time you are faced with temptation, sing your way through it with a Scripture song!

Today, pray your memory verse for the day. It you don’t have one, memorize one from this section on remembering, and then pray it throughout the day.