Psalm 119 Striving to be undefiled in the way

As some of you know I have really been studying psalm 119 for a while. I have been reading in a commentary by Charles Spurgeon, and I have really gained a lot of insight into this incredible passage of the bible. Its amazing how much there is to learn in just one verse! So, I would like the share a few things about the first verse of Psalm 119. In verse one David says, "Blessed are those who are undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD." The first thing that Spurgeon points out in his commentary is that the psalmist considers a the person who is walking in the way of the LORD to be happy.

Spurgeon says, "The psalmist is so delighted with God's word that he considers being conformed to it the height of blessing. He has gazed upon the beauties of the perfect law as if this verse were the sum and outcome of all his emotions.....we not only judge the keeping of God's word to be wise and proper, but we are also warmly delighted by its holiness. We cry in adoring wonder, 'Blessed are the undefiled'. Eagerly wanting to be undefiled, we wish for no greater happiness than to be perfectly holy. It may be that writer labored under a sense of his own faults and envied the blessedness of those whose walk had been more pure and clean. Contemplating the perfect law of the LORD was enough to make him mourn his own imperfections and cry for the blessing of an undefiled walk."

So, I think it can be said that the psalmist delighted in the word of God because he saw that others who kept the Law were blessed, or happy. The psalmist says that the undefiled in the way are blessed. We know that we can never be completely without sin or defilement, but the psalmist was rejoicing in sanctification. His blessedness was found in dependence upon God to change him from glory to glory, and in the hope that one day when he has left this world he will finally be able to be totally undefiled before the LORD and experience the ultimate blessedness. So, the blessedness that we can experience on this earth is found in seeking God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and in seeking him he will make up holy. Well guys, I really pray that this will do something in your hearts. I pray that our ultimate joy would be found in going hard after Christ and striving to be undefiled in the way. So, I will close with another quote from Charles Spurgeon and I hope that you will make this your prayer.

"Lord, if I am not yet so blessed as to be among the undefiled in Your way, I will think of the happiness they enjoy and make it my life's ambition."


-AC