Psalms 119:173 - Meaning and Application

David prays here that God’s grace would work for him: “Let your hand help me.” He knows his own hands are not enough, and no creature can help him in any lasting way. So he looks up to God, trusting that the same hand that made him will also help him. If the Lord does not help us, where else can help come from? All true help must come from God’s hand, from his power and his kindness.

He also points to what God has already done in him as a reason to ask for more mercy. That earlier grace is a sign of what God will do next. David says, “I have chosen your precepts.” He made God’s commands his rule, not because he knew nothing else, but because he had tested them and found no better way. People who are good and do good by choice, not by accident, may trust God’s helping hand in their work and in their suffering.

David also says, “I have longed for your salvation.” His heart was set on heaven. When he reached the throne, he found enough in this world to make him want to stay, but he still looked beyond it for something better. There is an eternal salvation that all believers long for, and that is why they pray for God’s hand to help them onward.

He adds, “Your law is my delight.” He does not mean only that he likes God’s law, but that it is his greatest joy in this life. Those who obey God cheerfully may ask in faith for help to keep obeying. And those who hope for God’s salvation should also delight in his law, because that hope should deepen their love for it.