572_Great peace to those who love God’s law (Psalm 119:161-168)
Psalm 161-168 Princes persecute me without cause,
but my heart stands in awe of your words.
162 I rejoice at your word
like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood,
but I love your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous rules.
165 Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble.
166 I hope for your salvation, O Lord,
and I do your commandments.
167 My soul keeps your testimonies;
I love them exceedingly.
168 I keep your precepts and testimonies,
for all my ways are before you.
There is a story about a famous musician who was once asked what gave him the ability to perform with such calm confidence before thousands. He explained that early in his life, his mentor taught him a simple exercise: whenever he felt anxious or overwhelmed, he was to place his hand on the strings of his violin—not to play, but simply to touch the instrument he loved—and breathe. He said that even in adulthood, before stepping onto any great stage, he still did that. “When my hand is on these strings,” he said, “I remember who I am, what I love, and where I belong. Peace returns.”
For him, peace was found in touching something deeply loved.
For the psalmist in Psalm 119:161–168, peace is found in something infinitely more secure—the law, the words, the very voice of God. The world around him is raging; powerful people oppose him; uncertainties abound. Yet every time he returns to the Word of God, he remembers who he is, what he loves, and to whom he belongs. And peace—great peace—returns.
As we listen to the psalmist in this passage, we are given a window into his heart. We hear not just theology but testimony. He speaks from experience, not theory. He has discovered that the peace of God, the kind that “passes all understanding,” belongs to those who love God’s law—those who stand in awe of His words, anchor their hope in His promises, and shape their daily walk around His truth. This peace is not fragile; it is not threatened by circumstances. Nothing, he says, will make them stumble.
The psalmist begins with a startling confession: “Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words.” (v.161) The affliction he faces is not from common people but from those who are influential, powerful, and high in society. Their opinions carry weight; their decisions can alter the course of his life. Yet even as they rise against him unfairly, his heart does not crumble beneath their pressure. Instead, it stands in awe—not of them, but of the Word of God.
It is as if he says, “Their power intimidates, but Your Word steadies me. Their threats unsettle, but Your truth anchors me.”
His delight in the Word surpasses the fear of earthly powers. In fact, it surpasses every earthly joy. “I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.” (v.162) Imagine a soldier stumbling upon a vast treasure after a long and wearying battle—that sudden surge of joy, relief, and gratitude. That is the psalmist’s response every time he encounters the promises of God. He is overwhelmed by the riches found in Scripture.
This is not the first time he speaks this way. Earlier he says, “The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” (v.72) Again he declares, “Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.” (v.111)
And Job echoes the same passion: “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.” (Job 23:12)
These men knew something that many in our world have forgotten: earthly riches can buy comfort, but they cannot buy peace. Achievements can bring applause, but they cannot still the soul. Influence can open doors, but it cannot open heaven. Only the Word of God can do that.
Naturally, this love for God’s Word shapes what the psalmist loves and what he hates. “I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law.” (v.163)
Three times in this short section, he emphasizes his love for God’s Word. Love for the Lord and love for His Word are inseparable—and love for truth cannot coexist with love for falsehood. Where the love of God grows, the love of evil withers.
This deep affection for Scripture leads him to praise. “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.” (v.164)
We often praise God for blessings we can see—health, provision, protection, answered prayers. The psalmist certainly valued these, but here he praises God because of His Word. He finds it so comforting, so strengthening, so life-giving that his heart cannot remain silent. Throughout the day—again and again—he erupts in praise simply because God has spoken and what He has spoken is good.
It is in this context of love, delight, and praise that he arrives at the central truth of the passage: “Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.” (v.165)
The word “peace” here carries the idea of unity or wholeness. When a person is united with God—delighting in Him, trusting His will, resting in His character—there is great peace. Not fragile peace, not temporary peace, not circumstantial peace, but a deep and unbreakable peace rooted in relationship with God Himself. Such a person walks in unbroken fellowship with the Lord. They are not easily shaken. They do not lose their footing. They do not fall into despair.
Isaiah affirms this truth: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3) Again, “The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” (Isaiah 32:17)
When the heart is anchored in God’s Word, life is steadied. Love for God’s Word naturally flows into love for God and love for neighbor. John writes, “Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.” (1 John 2:10)
Loving God’s commandments leads, inevitably, to obedience. We cannot love His commands and ignore them.
So the psalmist says, “I hope for your salvation, O Lord, and I do your commandments.” (v.166)
“My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly.” (v.167)
Again, he testifies to this inextricable bond between loving God’s Word and keeping it. It is impossible to be devoted to Scripture with the mind and careless with the life. Love always leads to action.
Finally, he concludes, “I keep your precepts and testimonies, for all my ways are before you.” (v.168) There is humility here. He lays his whole life before God. He lives transparently, aware that God sees everything. And yet there is confidence, because walking in obedience gives stability and security.
The Bible often describes life without God as spiritual death—a life disconnected from the source of peace. The world may possess wealth, technology, achievements, treaties, and strategies, yet peace remains elusive. Every generation speaks of it, seeks it, negotiates for it, and still fails to find it.
Scripture tells us why: “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1–2)
Peace begins with being reconciled to God. And those who walk with Him, loving His Word, learn to let the peace of Christ rule in their hearts (Colossians 3:15). It becomes an inner compass, an arbiter guiding decisions and shaping our steps.
This peace does not mean the absence of hardship. It means the presence of God in the midst of it. Paul asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (Romans 8:35) Nothing can. And the person who loves God’s Word knows this deeply.
To love God is to love His Word. To love His Word is to keep it. To keep it is to walk in peace. Such people are the most secure people in the world—untouchable in their inner life, unshaken in their foundation, unafraid of tomorrow. Nothing—absolutely nothing—can make them stumble.
The practical invitation for us today is simple but profound: anchor your soul in God’s Word.
Not occasionally, not hurriedly, not out of duty, but out of love. Let Scripture become the treasure you seek each day, the delight of your heart, the voice you return to whenever fear or confusion rises. As you love and obey His Word, the peace promised in this psalm—great peace—will guard your mind and steady your steps.
Let us, then, be firmly anchored in the love of God and in the truth He has spoken. For great peace belongs to those who love His law, and nothing will make them stumble. God bless.