Psalm 119 is an epic 176-verse acrostic poem focused on God’s Word, and at a glance this verse seems like your run-of-the-mill pro-Word verse. In context, it reveals that we have a choice to make.

This section, Samekh, calls out two options we have in which we can put our hope: God’s word, or the word of anything else. At first it seems like a no-brainer — why would we base our hope on double-minded evildoers whose delusions come to nothing (v.113, 114, 118) — and it would seem the psalmist is resolved to base his hope on God. However, vs.116-117 reveal the challenge we all face: his call for God to sustain and uphold him indicates that he either doesn’t feel that is happening, or is unsure it will continue. While the results of the word of anything else are often clear (though often bad), the results of the word of God can feel absent (though meant to be good.) How does the psalmist resolve to hope in God’s word when the other words seem more logical?

Verse 120 tells us: “My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.” This is not a mere logical decision: the psalmist has come to understand God in such a way that there is no question that abiding in Him is the only true option. From this standpoint, logic falls in line: all other voices are limited in their experience, scope, and capacity for integrity, while the Word is eternal, has and will experience all (John 1:1), and has no limitations. Only one of those is worthy of our hope.