Why would the psalmist tremble at the words of Scripture? Because he rightly identifies these words with their Author. When we read the Bible, God Himself talks to us. Those who do not recognize His voice may find the words boring or irrelevant, but the psalmist’s heart “stands in awe” of God’s words (v 161). He rejoices in the Bible “like one who finds great spoil.” “Spoil” is what soldiers received after a hard-fought battle. Remember that nothing of value comes easily. Tim Keller writes, “To learn and digest the Bible requires a fight. We must fight our busy schedules, our distracted minds, our stubborn hearts, and the world’s opinion and disdain. But if we win, the result is pure gold.” The energy for Bible reading comes when we grasp the value of the treasure it contains: unerring words that will keep our affections on God (v 162-163). Since the psalmist says that he praises God “seven times a day,” many monastic orders follow this literally, setting aside seven daily times for prayer and Scripture reading. Surely this is not a bad idea, but the number seven signifies completeness or totality. It means we should praise God constantly, while making the prayerful study of His Word one of our top daily priorities. Unfortunately, our lives are busy, and time with God is often squeezed out by other activities which seem more urgent. If only we would learn from Martin Luther. When asked about his plans for the day, Luther replied, “I have so much to do today that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer” (v 164). As a result of his spiritual discipline, the psalmist enjoys “great peace” and a consistent walk with God. Always conscious of the LORD’s presence, he not only keeps God’s commandments, he loves doing so! (v 165-168). This theme continues into the final stanza, where we are reminded again that the Bible is not only meant to be read and studied, but sung and delighted in. We should joyfully meditate on its words, praying them back to God and striving to follow and apply all that it teaches (v 169-172, 174). But we must never forget that we cannot do this in our own power. Every day of our spiritual pilgrimage we are completely dependent on God. On our own we lack both the desire and ability to do His will. But thankfully, the LORD is always “ready to help” the one who looks to Him (v 173, 175). The truth of the matter is that each of us has “gone astray like a lost sheep.” And so here is the last important teaching of this extraordinary psalm: if we find ourselves desiring to seek God, it is only because He has been seeking us (v 176). For further meditation: