Psalms 119:55 - Meaning and Application

Here we see, first, David’s inward conversation with the word of God. He kept it in mind and called it to mind whenever he had a chance. God’s name is the way he has made himself known to us in his word. It is his lasting memorial for every generation, so we should store it in our memories. We should remember it at night, when we lie awake, and when we think quietly about our own hearts. While others slept, David was remembering God’s name, and by going over it again, he grew in his knowledge of it. In the night of trouble, he also brought it back to mind.

Second, this remembrance shaped the way he lived. When God’s name, which stands before his law, is truly remembered, it strongly affects our obedience to that law. “I remembered your name in the night, and therefore I was careful to keep your law all day.” How comforting it will be later, if our own hearts can say that we remembered God’s name and kept his law!

Third, we see the benefit David received from this. “This I had because I kept your precepts” (Psalm 119:56). Some take this in a broad sense: this was what he gained, that is, all that truly satisfied and comforted him, because he kept God’s precepts. Anyone who has made religion their serious business will admit that it has paid well, and that they have gained far more from it than they expected. Others connect it with what comes just before: he had the comfort of keeping God’s law because he kept it. God’s work pays its own wages. A heart that is willing to obey God is itself a rich reward for obedience. The more we do in God’s service, the more we are enabled to do. The branch that bears fruit is made to bear more fruit (John 15:2).