Go! And… Live In Great Peace: The Unshakable Gift Of Loving God’s Word Series

Go! And… Live in Great Peace: The Unshakable Gift of Loving God’s Word

Key Scripture: Psalm 119:165 (NLT)

“Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.”

Introduction – The Quest for Peace in a Restless Age

In the 21st Century, the world is searching for peace. People try to find it in possessions, in relationships, in self-help techniques, in mindfulness apps, in a new career or a better holiday destination. Yet, true peace—deep, abiding, unshakable peace—remains elusive.

The Psalmist declares: “Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.” This is not a fragile peace that crumbles when life is hard. It is not a fleeting peace that vanishes when the news headlines break our hearts. This is great peace—peace rooted in the eternal Word of God.

Today, as part of our Go! And… series, I want us to hear the call: Go! And live in great peace! Not because of our circumstances, but because of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, the living Word.

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible—176 verses, each one celebrating the beauty, power, and necessity of God’s Word. The word translated “instructions” here is the Hebrew word ??????? (torah), meaning law, teaching, or direction. It speaks not only of rules, but of God’s revealed will—His instruction for life.

The phrase “great peace” uses the Hebrew word ??????? (shalom), meaning not just the absence of conflict but wholeness, completeness, well-being, flourishing in every aspect of life.

And the phrase “do not stumble” comes from the Hebrew ????????? (mikshol), meaning to fall, to falter, to trip. Those who love God’s Word walk securely.

1. Great Peace Comes from Loving God’s Word

Jesus said in John 14:27 (NLT): “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

True peace is not something we manufacture; it is a gift from Christ. But notice in Psalm 119:165—it is those who love His instructions who experience it. Loving God’s Word means more than reading it; it means treasuring it, obeying it, letting it shape our lives.

Charles Stanley once said: “The Word of God is our anchor in the storms of life. Without it, we drift; with it, we stand secure.”

As I reflect on that, I am reminded how many Christians today want peace without the anchor. They want calm seas without the compass. But God says: Peace flows from a heart anchored in His Word.

A sailor in a storm does not throw away the anchor; he throws it overboard to hold him steady. Likewise, in the storms of life—cancer diagnoses, redundancy, family crises—we hold to the Word, and it holds us.

Do you treasure God’s Word enough to let it anchor your peace? Or do you treat it as a spare tyre—only reached for when life goes flat?

2. Great Peace Guards Us from Stumbling

Psalm 37:23–24 (NLT) says: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”

The Hebrew concept here is that loving God’s Word sets a guardrail on our path. It does not mean we never trip, but that we are kept from ultimate ruin. It is the difference between stumbling and staying down, versus stumbling and being lifted.

John Piper says: “Satan tempts us to trade eternal joy for momentary pleasure. But the Word of God awakens us to reality.”

How true! Temptation seeks to make us stumble—bitterness, lust, pride, greed. But the Word of God opens our eyes: sin is a trap, Christ is the way.

I once read of a hiker in the Lake District who ignored the warning signs and slipped on the edge of a cliff path. Thankfully, a guide had set a rope as a safeguard. The Word of God is that rope—when we love it, we heed its warnings and walk securely.

Are there areas in your life where you are close to stumbling because you’ve ignored God’s Word? A compromise? A secret sin? Let today be the day you turn back before the fall.

3. Great Peace Points Us to the Prince of Peace

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT): “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

The ultimate fulfilment of Psalm 119:165 is found in Jesus Christ, the living Word (John 1:1). The written Word points to the living Word, and He Himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14).

The Hebrew shalom we long for is not simply a calm life; it is a reconciled relationship with God. And that only comes through the Gospel.

R.T. Kendall said: “The greatest peace you will ever know is when you are forgiven.”