Be Still And Know

Psalm 119:1-2 'Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.' This is the beginning of what is by far the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. It is made up of 22 sections, each one of which begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of those sections is made up of eight verses and the whole psalm is beautifully designed like a piece of intricate tapestry. It is nothing like those psalms in which the psalmist pours out his emotions of anger, sorrow and joy. The whole purpose of this psalm is to declare the blessing of God’s laws, because they are the key to living life to the full. It’s as if the psalmist sees God’s instructions as being so beautiful that, like a diamond, every single angle of them needs to be identified and celebrated. When we first hear the word ‘law’ we are inclined to think of restrictions, and no one likes the thought of that. We want to be free to do