Psalm 119:140 | “Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it.”

God’s word is well tried. The Hebrew verb translated “tried” is saraph, a term drawn from the work of a refiner. It literally describes the process of melting metal in order to remove impurities. Silver is heated until what is impure rises to the surface and is taken away, leaving what is clean and valuable behind. In this verse, saraph communicates that God’s word has been proven, tested, and refined. It has passed through the fire and emerged without flaw. There is no error in it. God’s word is perfect, wholly pure, and entirely trustworthy. Spurgeon observes, “Only those who are pure love God’s word because of its purity. His heart was knit to the word because of its glorious holiness and truth. He admired it, delighted in it, sought to practise it, and longed to come under its purifying power.” The psalmist is not speaking theoretically. By applying the Lord’s word to his own life, he has found it to be exactly what it claims to be. It has been tested through obedience, proven by experience, and shown to be faithful in every promise. Because God’s word has revealed itself to be pure, the psalmist loves it. He does not just respect it. He clings to it. May we submit ourselves to the same tested and trustworthy word until our love for it governs our thoughts, orders our affections, and dictates our steps.