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This Bible study on Psalm 119 contains outlines, extensive cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, lessons to learn, and applications.  Visit our inductive Bible studies for more studies on this and other books of the Bible.

Psalm 119:25-32 Inductive Bible Study

Psalm 119:25-32

His Word Strengthens the Weak

Summary- I come from the dust, and my soul is mired down in this fleshly, sorrowful way. Only His Word can revive me. I confess my sins before Him, and He forgives and teaches me more of His Word. As He helps me understand more of His Scripture, my soul will focus more on His amazing character and works. My sin causes me much grief, but His Word strengthens me. Only He can remove the sin from me and help me to follow His way, which is found in His Bible. I must hold on tightly to these precious Words of God in order not to be put to shame by my own sins. In the beginning my heart was small and selfish. He will enlarge it so I can follow His commandments.

Central Teaching- Were it not for Christ, I would never rise above my sinful ways, but His Word strengthens and corrects me.

Key Verse- 32

Key Words-cleaves, dust, revive, teach, understand, meditate, strengthen, chosen, faithful, enlarge, Your Word

Ten things this passage says-

  1. My soul cleaves to the dust.
  2. His Word revives.
  3. When I confess my sins, He forgives.
  4. He teaches His statues until I understand them SO I will meditate on them.
  5. My sin brings me great grief, but His Word strengthens me.
  6. The false way is already a part of who I am.
  7. Any understanding I have of His law or ability to follow it comes from Him.
  8. Living faithfully is a choice, and it’s accomplished by keeping His Word before me.
  9. Following His testimonies keeps me free from shame.
  10. I can enthusiastically obey His commands because He enlarges my heart.

Ten things this passage does NOT say-

  1. I am basically good and happy all the time.
  2. Even when I sin, I can make it right on my own and do what is good, or at the very least, psychology will help me find the answers.
  3. There is no need to confess my sins to God. I’m not sinning against Him, but against those around me.
  4. He might forgive me of my sins, but He can’t help me get on the right path and avoid doing the same things again and again.
  5. I can never understand God’s ways; it’s too tiring to think of them.
  6. There is no way my sins can ever be forgiven, and I will always live with my weakness.
  7. When I do wrong, it’s only a mistake, and not my usual way. I will soon seek out His Law to follow it again.
  8. Being faithful is instinctive for me, and I can do it naturally, without having to follow His Word.
  9. If I follow His Word, I will come to shame.
  10. There’s no way I can obey everything He has commanded; I’m just not able.

What does this passage teach me about God?

His word revives.

He answers and forgives.

He teaches me His ways.

Not only does He teach me, but He helps me to understand.

He is wonderful!

He strengthens me with His word.

He is gracious.

He does not shame His obedient children.

He enlarges my heart.

Questions-

What does it mean that “my soul cleaves to the dust”? V25

What does it mean to be revived? V25

How are we revived? V25

How does His Word revive? V25

What “ways” has the psalmist told of? V26

How does God answer him? V26

Why is it significant that the psalmist asks God to teach him His statutes immediately after telling of his ways and being answered by Him? V26

How does God teach His statutes? V26

What is the difference between only teaching and making to understand? V27

What is the way of His precepts? V27

Why does He make me understand the way of His precepts? V27

What are the “wonders” spoken of in this verse? V27

Why does my soul weep? V28

What causes this grief? V28

How does God strengthen me in times like this? V28

What are some common sources of strength that we turn to that will not satisfy? V28

What is the false way that is within me? V29

How does God remove it? V29

What does it mean that He “graciously grants” His law? V29

Why is the “gracious” part of that petition important? V29

What way had the psalmist chosen? V30

Why is it important that he had CHOSEN that way? V30

Why was placing God’s ordinances before him an important step in the psalmist’s choice? V30

How do I cling to the Lord’s testimonies? V31

Why do I cling to the Lord’s testimonies? V31

Why would I usually be put to shame? V31

Why would I NOT be put to shame if I cling to His testimonies? V31

Why is the “I shall” at the beginning of this statement important? V32

What does it mean to “run the way of His commandments”? V32

How are we enabled to run the way of His commandments? V32

What does it mean that He enlarges our hearts? V32

Cross References-

Psalm 119:25-

Ps 22:15

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;

And You lay me in the dust of death.

Ps 44:25

25 For our soul has sunk down into the dust;

Our body cleaves to the earth.

Matt 16:23

23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Rom 7:22

22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,

Phil 3:19

19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

Col 3:2

2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

Ps 71:20

20 You who have shown me many troubles and distresses

Will revive me again,

And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

Ps 80:18

18 Then we shall not turn back from You;

Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

Ps 119:37

37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,

And revive me in Your ways.

Ps 119:88

88 Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,

So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

Ps 143:11

11 For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me.

In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.

Rom 8:2-3

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,

Deut 30:6

6 “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.

2 Sam 7:27-29

27 “For You, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant, saying, “I will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. 28 “Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. 29 “Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”

Psalm 119:26-

Ps 32:5

5 I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I did not hide;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”;

And You forgave the guilt of my sin.

Ps 38:18

18 For I confess my iniquity;

I am full of anxiety because of my sin.

Ps 119:106

106 I have sworn and I will confirm it,

That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.

Prov 28:13

13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,

But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

1 Kings 8:36

36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land, which You have given Your people for an inheritance.

Ps 25:4

4 Make me know Your ways, O LORD;

Teach me Your paths.

Ps 25:8-9

8 Good and upright is the LORD;

Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.

9 He leads the humble in justice,

And He teaches the humble His way.

Ps 27:11

11 Teach me Your way, O LORD,

And lead me in a level path

Because of my foes.

Ps 86:11

11 Teach me Your way, O LORD;

I will walk in Your truth;

Unite my heart to fear Your name.

Ps 143:8-10

8 Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;

For I trust in You;

Teach me the way in which I should walk;

For to You I lift up my soul.

9 Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;

I take refuge in You.

10 Teach me to do Your will,

For You are my God;

Psalm 119:27-

Josh 4:6-7

6 “Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, “What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall say to them, “Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”

Ps 71:17

17 O God, You have taught me from my youth,

And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.

Ps 78:4

4 We will not conceal them from their children,

But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,

And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.

Ps 105:2

2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;

Speak of all His wonders.

Ps 111:4

4 He has made His wonders to be remembered;

The LORD is gracious and compassionate.

Ps 145:5-6

5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty

And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

6 Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts,

And I will tell of Your greatness.

Rev 15:3

3 And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and marvelous are Your works,

O Lord God, the Almighty;

Righteous and true are Your ways,

King of the nations!

Ps 119:7

7 I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart,

When I learn Your righteous judgments.

Psalm 119:28-

Josh 2:11

11 “When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

Josh 2:24

24 They said to Joshua, “Surely the LORD has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us.”

Ps 22:14

14 I am poured out like water,

And all my bones are out of joint;

My heart is like wax;

It is melted within me.

Ps 107:26

26 They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths;

Their soul melted away in their misery.

Deut 33:25

25 “Your locks will be iron and bronze,

And according to your days, so will your leisurely walk be.

Ps 27:14

14 Wait for the LORD;

Be strong and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for the LORD.

Ps 29:11

11 The LORD will give strength to His people;

The LORD will bless His people with peace.

Isa 40:29

29 He gives strength to the weary,

And to him who lacks might He increases power.

Isa 40:31

31 Yet those who wait for the LORD

Will gain new strength;

They will mount up with wings like eagles,

They will run and not get tired,

They will walk and not become weary.

Zech 10:12

12 “And I will strengthen them in the LORD,

And in His name they will walk,” declares the LORD.

Eph 3:16

16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

Phil 4:13

13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

1 Peter 1:6

6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

Psalm 119:29-

Ps 119:37

37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,

And revive me in Your ways.

Ps 119:104

104 From Your precepts I get understanding;

Therefore I hate every false way.

Ps 119:128

128 Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything,

I hate every false way.

Ps 119:163

163 I hate and despise falsehood,

But I love Your law.

Ps 141:3-4

3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;

Keep watch over the door of my lips.

4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,

To practice deeds of wickedness

With men who do iniquity;

And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

Prov 30:8

8 Keep deception and lies far from me,

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

Feed me with the food that is my portion,

Isa 44:20

20 He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

Jer 16:19

19 O LORD, my strength and my stronghold,

And my refuge in the day of distress,

To You the nations will come

From the ends of the earth and say,

“Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood,

Futility and things of no profit.”

Jonah 2:8

8 “Those who regard vain idols

Forsake their faithfulness,

Eph 4:22-25

22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,

23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE OF YOU WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.

1 John 1:8

8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

1 John 2:4

4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

Rev 22:15

15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

Ps 119:5

5 Oh that my ways may be established

To keep Your statutes!

Jer 31:33-34

33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Heb 8:10-11

10 “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL

AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:

I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS,

AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS.

AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,

AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

11 “AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN,

AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING,”KNOW THE LORD,’

FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME,

FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.

Psalm 119:30-

Josh 24:15

15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Ps 119:29

29 Remove the false way from me,

And graciously grant me Your law.

Ps 119:111

111 I have inherited Your testimonies forever,

For they are the joy of my heart.

Ps 119:173

173 Let Your hand be ready to help me,

For I have chosen Your precepts.

Prov 1:29

29 Because they hated knowledge

And did not choose the fear of the LORD.

Luke 10:42

42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.””

John 3:19-21

19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

1 Peter 2:2

2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

Deut 11:18-20

18 “You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.

19 “You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.

20 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,

Ps 119:24

24 Your testimonies also are my delight;

They are my counselors.

Ps 119:52

52 I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O LORD,

And comfort myself.

Psalm 119:31-

Deut 4:4

4 “But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive today, every one of you.

Deut 10:20

20 “You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.

Prov 23:23

23 Buy truth, and do not sell it,

Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

John 8:31

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;

Acts 11:23

23 Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord;

Ps 25:2

2 O my God, in You I trust,

Do not let me be ashamed;

Do not let my enemies exult over me.

Ps 25:20

20 Guard my soul and deliver me;

Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.

Ps 119:80

80 May my heart be blameless in Your statutes,

So that I will not be ashamed.

Isa 45:17

17 Israel has been saved by the LORD

With an everlasting salvation;

You will not be put to shame or humiliated

To all eternity.

Jer 17:18

18 Let those who persecute me be put to shame, but as for me, let me not be put to shame;

Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed.

Bring on them a day of disaster,

And crush them with twofold destruction!

Rom 5:5

5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

1 John 2:28

28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

Isa 25:4

4 For You have been a defense for the helpless,

A defense for the needy in his distress,

A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat;

For the breath of the ruthless

Is like a rain storm against a wall.

Psalm 119:31-

Isa 40:31

31 Yet those who wait for the LORD

Will gain new strength;

They will mount up with wings like eagles,

They will run and not get tired,

They will walk and not become weary.

1 Cor 9:24-26

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;

Heb 12:1

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Job 36:15-16

15 “He delivers the afflicted in their affliction,

And opens their ear in time of oppression.

16 “Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress,

Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;

And that which was set on your table was full of fatness.

Ps 18:36

36 You enlarge my steps under me,

And my feet have not slipped.

Ps 119:45

45 And I will walk at liberty,

For I seek Your precepts.

Isa 60:5

5 “Then you will see and be radiant,

And your heart will thrill and rejoice;

Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you,

The wealth of the nations will come to you.

Isa 61:1

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

Because the LORD has anointed me

To bring good news to the afflicted;

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to captives

And freedom to prisoners;

Luke 1:74-75

74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,

Might serve Him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

John 8:32

32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

John 8:36

36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

2 Cor 3:17

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

2 Cor 6:11

11 Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide.

1 Peter 2:16

16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

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