This portion of Psalm 119 is grouped under the Hebrew letter ס (Samekh), which symbolizes support, protection, and memory, and means to lean upon, uphold, and sustain. We usually seek the support of a staff only when we grow old and weak, but while we are healthy, we barely give it a second thought. The truth, however, is that when our outer being is healthy, our inner being is often weak because we tend to rely on our own strength rather than on God. This self-reliance quietly suffocates our souls, often without us even realising it.
Paul urges us not to lose heart, drawing a striking contrast: though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). Our natural instinct is the very opposite of this — we prefer to live by the strength of our own bodies for as long as we can, and only turn to God once age or weakness sets in. But for the sake of our souls, we ought to rely on God precisely while we still have strength. But do we ever bother to rely on God while everything is going well?
The Double Mindedness
I hate double-minded people,
but I love your law.
Psalm 119:113 (NIV)
The Psalmist expressed his hatred towards double-minded people — and if we examine ourselves closely, we too carry a double mind. David pleaded for a steadfast spirit precisely because he recognised this double-mindedness within himself. The real question for us is whether we continue living with a divided mind, or whether we take hold of the Word of God to gain a single, focused mind with a steadfast spirit.
We too recognise this struggle within ourselves many a time, yet we often conceal our own double standards by expressing hatred towards double-minded people around us. But if we do this, should we not first hate it in ourselves? For religious Christians, following the teachings of God becomes a constant struggle precisely because of this double-mindedness. It is always difficult to walk with one foot on level ground and the other on muddy soil.
Elijah called out this very flaw in the people of his time and urged them to cling to God with all their mind and soul. Because of their double-mindedness, God withheld the rain for three and a half years — a judgement they saw only as a harsh punishment, never recognising it as God’s grace, meant to turn them back from their divided hearts. With this mindset, they concluded that following the Living God was simply too hard. We do the same, when we fail to rely on God fully, all His teachings begin to feel like punishment rather than grace, and we too convince ourselves that following our Father God is the hardest thing in our lives.
God Is My Refuge
You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.
Away from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commands of my God!
Psalm 119:14-15 (NIV)
We, along with the Psalmist, understand God as our refuge. But the real question is: are we His refugees? The Psalmist explains his own stand — he has taken refuge in God’s shelter and put his hope in His Word. Refugees are those who recognise the insecurity of their present situation and choose to forsake their current place in order to take shelter somewhere secure. If we truly know our Father God as our refuge, do we leave behind every lie and threat of this world and shift our focus solely onto His Living Word? If so, we are His refugees — people who enjoy safety within His jurisdiction, even while we still live in this fallen world.
The Psalmist also desired to be rid of all evildoers — not in order to enjoy a comfortable and luxurious life, but so that he could keep the commands of God. We too often decide we want to be rid of evildoers, yet under that very pretext we end up attaching ourselves to a group of evil-mongers.
Consider the ten lepers, cast out to the edge of the city by society. Instead of lamenting their sad stories or dwelling on the wrongs their own families had done to them, they chose to wait together for Jesus to pass through their area. United in mind, they recognised Jesus and called out to Him for help. By contrast, consider the invalid man who waited thirty-eight years for his chance to step into the water at the right moment. He spent his entire life lamenting his helpless condition — and in doing so, he missed the very presence of Jesus standing right in front of him, ready to heal him.
When we lament over our own conflicts, we too may miss God when He appears to save us. Do we miss the opportunities God gives us because we are too busy lamenting over our own pain and agony?
The Promises Of God
Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live;
do not let my hopes be dashed.
Uphold me, and I will be delivered;
I will always have regard for your decrees.
Psalm 119:16-17 (NIV)
The Psalmist held fast to God’s promise of sustenance and prayed that his hope would be fulfilled. Scripture is full of such promises, verses we memorise and cling to, even when their fulfilment seems delayed. In time, we grow weary when what we have claimed does not come to pass as we expected. Rather than pausing to ask why, we often turn and blame God for failing to keep His word.
This misunderstanding takes root when we are taught wrongly about God’s promises, particularly regarding blessing, healing, and deliverance. God never promised these as things handed directly to His children. Instead, He showed us how to receive them by abiding in Him. We must understand this clearly: God never promised a life free of trouble, sickness, poverty, or death. What He promised was His presence and His grace to carry us through those very things.
Will we free ourselves from the false teaching that claiming God’s promises guarantees a trouble-free, blessed life? True peace, the peace that passes all understanding, comes not from claiming outcomes but from the Spirit of God who dwells within our mortal bodies. Everyone acknowledges the decrees of God, but few come before Him to confess where they have fallen short of keeping them.
Do We Fear God?
You reject all who stray from your decrees,
for their delusions come to nothing.
All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;
therefore I love your statutes.
My flesh trembles in fear of you;
I stand in awe of your laws.
Psalm 119:18-20
The Psalmist expressed his fear about God’s judgment, and thus he stood in awe of His laws. When the devil tormented Job with the permission of God, Job confessed that what he had feared in his heart came upon him. In whatever way we serve God, if it is out of fear of His punishment, we will be troubled sooner or later, because fear comes only when love is not complete. John, in his epistle, brought out this truth that
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18 (NIV)
Long before God sent His Son to save everyone, so that none should perish, the Psalmist tended to think that God simply rejects all who stray from His law and cuts off the wicked from the face of the earth. It was with this understanding that the Psalmist declared his love for God’s statutes, a love mixed with fear. Yet fearing punishment and fearing out of reverence are entirely different in their approach. To love God merely to escape punishment reveals how much we still love the patterns of this world and conform to them. But to love God out of reverence for all He has done for us strengthens us to stand firm in His truth, freeing us from the lies and falsehoods of the world.
What kind of fear, then, do we carry in our hearts? Is it a fear of judgment and punishment, or a fear born of reverence? While we fear God to escape punishment, our words and actions might grieve the heart of our Father, who did everything to save us from eternal death while we were still sinners?
Father God, help us to lay aside our double-mindedness and confess our faith out of love and reverence for You. Help us also to rid ourselves of old things, for You have made us new creations, that we may continually take refuge in You. Amen.
The Jordan Valley 
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