To be holy simply means to be wholly the Lord’s. God is all in on the project of us; He wants us all in as well.
Jesus said to the Jews of His day, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (Jn 5:39). It seems the author of Psalm 119 was well aware of this. He wasn’t just hungry for familiarity with the Book but with the Author. He knew that holiness is a love relationship with the Lord, and it was the Lord he was after. Fourteen times in the psalm he refers to his heart, six of those being his “whole heart.” Let’s see what he has to say. First, whole-hearted devotion is the path to blessing (v 2), and learning God’s “righteous judgments” results in our own “uprightness of heart” (v 7). Nothing like straight-up-and-down living! Whole-hearted seeking after God takes the wobbles out of life’s road, too (v 10). Then the famous, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (v 11). This antidote is sweet medicine to swallow! Now here’s a good one. Did you know running can enlarge your heart (v 32)? In this case it’s a good thing. Oh for more large-hearted saints! He also says obedience should be whole-hearted (v 34). Is picking what to obey obedience at all? True obedience happens when the Lord inclines our hearts to covet His “testimonies” (v 36). What else is whole-hearted? His longings in prayer (vv 58, 145) and his loyalty to the Lord (v 69). He wants to keep short accounts and so be “blameless” (v 80). Notice reverence (v 161) and rejoicing go hand in hand (v 162). And here’s a good conclusion: “I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, to the very end” (v 112). If you’d like a delightful study on your own, find the seven mentions of “meditate,” “meditates,” and “meditation.” “May my meditation be sweet to Him” (104:34).