Psalm 119, and repetition of praise

Psalm 119 is fascinating, in part due to its length. (It's the longest chapter in the Bible!)

As one reads through Psalm 119, a striking feature is its repetition. Nearly every verse praises God's commandments --  using synonyms like "statutes," "laws," "testimonies," "judgments," etc. --  and expresses the joy inherent in obeying them.

And that continues for 176 verses! Do we really need the same point made that many times?

Of course we do! Even the Bible's most faithful characters, from David to Peter, suffered embarrassing lapses into doubt and sin. And if those great figures can succumb to earthly behaviors, how much worse must we be! To counter our earthly tendencies, we must engage is repeated and frequent praise.

The beauty of Psalm 119 is that each of its 176 verses is relatively self-contained, meaning you can read just a verse and come away with the main message of the Psalm. But then we tend to forget that message. So return to Psalm 119, find another verse, and refresh that message. And then do that continually, and we're getting close to praying without ceasing!