Encouraged by God’s Word

Scripture offers countless examples of individuals whose lives were genuinely strengthened by God’s Word in their most difficult moments.

Seasons of Hardship. Life often brings times of sorrow, shame, and struggle that can feel overwhelming. In these moments, it is easy to feel alone, persecuted, trapped, depressed, or burdened by guilt—uncertain of the path ahead. Yet amid our trials, one unfailing source of strength and hope is the Word of God. This hope isn’t just an abstract idea of comfort or a sentimental thought—it is a real and practical truth. Scripture offers countless examples of individuals whose lives were genuinely strengthened by God’s Word in their most difficult moments. We have one powerful example found in the life of David. And where better to understand David’s relationship with God’s Word than in Psalm 119¹—the longest psalm in the Bible?

Psalm 119 highlights the significance of God’s Word in nearly every verse. Almost every line refers to the writer personally, using words like “me,” “my,” or “I” or indirectly through phrases like “your servant.” It is a profoundly personal psalm, intended as a meditative prayer. Designed for memorization and self-reflection, it consists of 176 verses, divided into 22 sections corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each section contains eight verses, all beginning with the same Hebrew letter, structuring the Psalm to encourage meditation and internalization.

While this Psalm often refers to God’s Word through terms like commandments, judgments, and ordinances, it also clearly references something more personal—a specific message from God to David. Let’s take a closer look at how God’s Word encouraged David to endure in his darkest times.

David’s Wisdom from God’s Word. While David’s brothers were given prominent roles in the king’s court and on the battlefield, David was assigned the humble task of tending sheep. Yet he didn’t waste that time. Instead, he used it to meditate on God’s Word, committing it to memory and allowing it to shape his thoughts and character. 1 Samuel 18 clearly reflects this spiritual foundation, which follows David’s victory over Goliath. The chapter emphasizes four times that David “behaved wisely”—with the men of war (v. 5), with Saul (v. 15), in all his actions (v. 14), and more wisely than all of Saul’s servants (v. 30).

Where did this wisdom come from? Status or experience was not its base—David wasn’t even taken seriously by his own brother Eliab. We find the answer in Psalm 119, where David writes, “It imparts understanding to the simple” (v. 130),2 “Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies” (v. 98), “I have more understanding than all my teachers.” (v. 99). This wisdom did not emerge out of nowhere—it grew out of a deep, personal relationship with God’s Word, developed during quiet, faithful years long before he entered the king’s service.

Psalm 119 uses ten Hebrew terms to describe God’s Word, each highlighting a different aspect. Among them, “word” stands out—not just referring to Scripture in general, but to God’s personal message or promise to David that he would become king over Israel. This specific word became a source of strength and encouragement for David during the darkest moments of his life.

Persecuted but Strengthened. Psalm 119 doesn’t just reflect the idea of persecution—it describes David’s life in real terms. Consider the verses: “Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of Your words.” (v. 161). “Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies.” (v. 157). “The arrogant utterly deride me, but I do not turn aside from Your law.” (v. 51 NRSV). These verses aren’t abstract—they directly reflect what David endured. Though David had done no wrong, Saul relentlessly pursued him, driven by jealousy and fear. Saul tried to kill him, sent assassins to his home, and hunted him across the land. Even after Samuel delivered God’s word that God would take the kingdom from Saul and give it to David (1 Samuel 15:27), Saul resisted, doing everything he could to prevent that word from being fulfilled.

In the face of all this, David’s strength came from God’s Word—not just the general teachings of Scripture, but the personal message from God that he would one day be king. That promise was his anchor: “Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” (vv. 49–50). David wasn’t just comforted by spiritual ideas; God’s specific promise sustained him, that one day, all this kingdom would be his.

Trapped but Trusting the Word. In Psalm 119, David speaks openly about the snares or traps set against him: “The arrogant have dug pitfalls for me disobeying your instruction.” (v. 85, ISV). And “The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.” (v. 110). These are not just poetic metaphors—they closely reflect the real dangers David faced. Saul’s attempts to trap him were intentional and persistent. He offered David his daughter Michal in marriage, hoping by trying to earn the bride price of 100 Philistine lives, he would be killed (1 Samuel 18:25). David exceeded the challenge and killed 200. He was also betrayed by the Ziphites out of loyalty to Saul, nearly captured at Keilah, and relentlessly hunted from place to place.

Despite these attempts, David held firmly to the promise he would one day be anointed as king. Though the reality often contradicted that promise, he trusted God’s word would stand. That assurance gave him the strength and clarity to keep going, even when everything around him pushed him to give up.

Depressed but Revived by the Word. Another theme we see in Psalm 119 is the psalmist giving voice to deep depression and weariness: “My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word.” (v. 25). “My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!” (v. 28). “My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.” (v. 81, NIV).

These verses are more than poetic expressions—they reflect David’s real emotional struggles. Hounded by Saul and constantly on the run, David often felt abandoned and insignificant. At one point, he cried out, “Whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea!” (1 Samuel 24:14). These aren’t the words of a man full of confidence; they are the cries of someone barely holding on. Yet even in that low place, David anchored himself to God’s word. The word of promise spoken to him—that he would one day be king—became the hope that revived and sustained him through overwhelming weariness.

Ashamed but Assured by the Word. As reflected in this Psalm, David often prayed for God to remove his shame and reproach: “Remove from me reproach and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies.” (v. 22, NKJV). “Turn away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good.” (v. 39, NIV).

As the youngest, his family treated David as the least significant member. Even when Samuel came to anoint the next king, David was left out until specifically requested. These early experiences of being overlooked and treated as an outsider must have left a lasting impact. Yet despite that, David continued to hold to that promise. That assurance gave him the confidence to rise above the shame and reproach he faced.

The Inner Battle to Stay Anchored. Perhaps one of the most personal aspects of Psalm 119 is its honest admission that even those who love and treasure God’s Word deeply still struggle to remain faithful to it: “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in keeping your statutes!” (v. 5). “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.” (v. 176).

David knew this battle well. For example, in 1 Samuel 21, when he fled to Achish, king of Gath, he became afraid after hearing the Philistines say, “And the servants of Achish said to him, ‘Is not this David the king of the land?’” (v. 11). Instead of trusting God’s word, David “took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.” (v. 12). And, out of fear, he pretended to be insane. In that moment, he treasured the wrong word—the word of men instead of the word of God.

This tension mirrors the struggle Paul describes in Romans 7:15: “For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” (NKJV). David and Paul remind us that staying anchored to God’s Word isn’t effortless. It requires God’s grace, forgiveness, renewal, and daily dependence on God rather than our own strength.

Conclusion: Encouragement for Our Journey. Psalm 119 is more than a poetic meditation; it’s a personal testimony of how God’s Word brings encouragement through every season of life. Like David, we have been anointed, not with oil by a prophet, but by the Spirit of Christ through His Word. After being anointed, David did not become king for nearly 20 years, unlike Saul, who became king shortly after his anointing. For us, being anointed doesn’t mean the promise to us is fulfilled yet, but it means we are sealed for it. “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Corinthians 1:21–22 NKJV). We are called to a bright future in God’s glorious Kingdom. Yet for now, we live in the “in-between,” facing trials that test our faith and focus.

We may experience persecution, temptation, weariness, shame, and inner battles like David. While David treasured God’s Word, he also acknowledged his struggles to remain faithful to it, sometimes swayed by fear or the words of others. We feel that same tension. Though we hold the hope of the Kingdom, the weight of daily concerns can cloud our perspective. Yet in those moments, God’s Word speaks encouragement. It calls us back, reminding us of His promises and renewing our strength.

Like David, we wait. And in this journey, through joy and sorrow, we cling to the Word that gives us hope. May it encourage, sustain, revive, and guide us until the day that promise is fulfilled.

Tej Chippada,
Ann Arbor Ecclesia, MI