The last word usually leaves a lasting impression. It seems part of our design as human beings: we pay most attention to the first and the last thing more than the rest. We’ve come to the end of Psalm 119, and it’s time to hear the final word. Psalm 119:169-176 (Taw) is the last word and it returns us to our dependence on God, praising him and many of the great themes we've seen in this great psalm.
If you are getting started in a relationship with God, trying to have a quiet time or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.
In fifteen minutes (or less) you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. What a perfect way to get started!
We've been praying through Psalm 119, the longest psalm of the Bible, which is an acrostic poem structured after the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. We have listened to one or two stanzas at a time (8 verses each), and today we focus on the last (22nd) stanza -- taw.
The letter taw allows you to turn any verb into a wish if you put it on the front, so in six of the eight verses that's what happens. This stanza also has several expressions of praise, which is similar to how the book of Psalms itself ends—with a note of praise. I
This stanza also restates the themes we’ve been hearing throughout Psalm 119: the poet is looking for understanding, for deliverance and for new life. The emphasis is on how much we depend on God, for salvation, to teach us to praise, for life itself. The last verse likens us to a lost sheep who needs to be sought out and returned to the right way, the way we have set our hearts on: following God in all his words and teachings.
Finish writing out one stanza (8 verses) of Psalm 119 each day, and you'll be able to see more connections and reflect better on what God is saying. After you've written out the stanza for the day, use one verse from that section to meditate on throughout the day.
What petition do you need to make of God? Give me understanding, deliver me, or teach me to praise you? Make that your application today.
We can't exhaust the riches that are in these verses, but you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process. You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
If you want to get more daily encouragement you can follow me on Twitter @WordofPrayer15. Go ahead and get started listening and follow/subscribe to this podcast to hear more from God's word. You can also find us on Facebook at Word of Prayer 15.
You can get a copy of the book God Help Me Grow: Learning to Pray through the Psalms on Amazon (or the ebook) so you can pray all of the first 30 psalms in the book of Psalms.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
