“And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
for my hope is in your rules.” Psalm 119.43
O that the Word of God would ever be on the lips of his people! As the psalmist continues to extol the Scripture, he longs to proclaim it. Having begged for the steadfast love of God according to the promises in his Word (41), realizing that Word of God provides the answer for the skeptic (42), the poet longs to continually proclaim the truth.
With this longing he prays that the Lord would not remove the word of truth out of his mouth. His desire is that his testimony be faithful and constant. He wants the Lord would protect him from failing health, diminished capacity, hypocrisy—anything that would prevent him from a faithful testimony.
The psalmist adds to this prayer an affirmation of the hope he has in God’s Word. He wants biblical truth to be ever on his lips, because there is a sure hope in God’s Word. God’s revealed will—regarding worship, his will for our lives, and his plans for his creation—is perfect. In knowing and testifying to that truth, we find confident hope.
In what ways do the truths of Scripture guide your speech? How often do you pray for the Lord to protect the purity of your doctrine and life, that you might maintain a faithful testimony? How do you find hope in God’s Word?
Heavenly Father, please protect our life and doctrine. Help our testimony to be faithful and true, filled with Scripture’s truth. May we ever find our hope in you, as you’ve revealed yourself in your holy Word. Amen.