Sometimes the people who should protect you are the ones who wound you.

Sometimes the places that should feel safe—don’t. The systems crack. The princes, the leaders, the ones with gold in their pockets and gavel in hand—press in, without cause. And you? You stand there, bloodied but breathing. Bruised, but unbent. Because while their power may seem great, there’s something greater still—you stand in awe of the Word.

The psalmist knows this feeling. He was hunted by princes, misunderstood by people in power. But notice what he doesn’t say. He doesn’t say “I trembled in fear.” He says: “my heart standeth in awe of thy word.” While the world shakes, the Word stands. While kings rise and fall, the promises of God hold their ground.

And what a treasure those promises are. “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.” (v.162) Can you picture it? Like a soldier stumbling upon hidden treasure in a battlefield trench—gritty, tired, and half-starved—but his eyes shine with something no enemy can steal. That’s the Word. That’s what it does.

He goes on—“I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.” (v.163) He’s not talking about white lies and missed details. He’s talking about the deep falsehoods that masquerade as truth. The kind of deception that erodes culture and disorients souls. But when you’ve walked with the Word, your compass holds true. You begin to see things for what they are. Light is light. Dark is dark. And love? It has a name and it is righteous.

Then there’s this quiet confession—“Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.” (v.164) Not because life was easy, but because God was still good. He didn’t praise once out of duty. He praised seven times out of delight. When you love the Word, it’s not a checklist. It’s a rhythm. It’s breathing.

And the peace. Oh, the peace.

“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” (v.165)

“Offend” in Hebrew carries the image of stumbling. Picture walking in darkness, unsure of your next step, until a stone catches your foot and down you go. But the psalmist says, not so for those who love the law. When God’s Word lights your path, you may still walk through shadows, but you will not fall. You will not be shaken. Great peace—shalom—settles in your soul. A kind of peace that doesn’t panic. A wholeness that can’t be shaken.

He ends with a love note to God: “I love them exceedingly.” Not “I tolerate them,” not “I know them.” He loves them. Because he knows the Author. Because the law isn’t just a rulebook—it’s a window to the heart of God.

And here’s the line that wraps it all up:

“I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.” (v.168)

All my ways. The honest ones. The shadowed ones. The days I got it right, and the nights I didn’t. They’re all before Him. And He doesn’t flinch. He sees and He stays. That’s grace.

So maybe today, the world feels tilted. Maybe some “princes” are pressing in. But friend, there’s a Word waiting. A treasure hidden in plain sight. Dust it off. Open it wide. And let your heart stand in awe again.