By holding onto God’s precious Word, you are choosing the way of faithfulness. You are setting your face toward faithfulness and setting your heart and life on the unchanging Truth found in the holy pages of Scripture. 

The Message translation relays the same verses like this:

I choose the true road to Somewhere, I post your road signs at every curve and corner. I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me; God, don’t let me down! -Psalm 119:30-31

Setting your face toward faithfulness = choosing the true road to Somewhere!! Truth is held in such high regard in today’s world, but society’s version of “truth” is different for each person, often based on her needs and desires. In a world where truth seems to be relative to who you are and what you experience and believe, God’s Truth is worth clinging to confidently. While society is chaotic and constantly shifting, the statues of the Lord stay the same. Because of that, you can set your heart on them. You can grasp and hold onto them. You can hold fast to them, and you will not be put to shame. 

Verses like these are so crucial, especially when remembering that Satan the spiritual terrorist prowls around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8), and his primary language is deception (John 8:44). How is he trying to deceive you? What words are he twisting around to pull you away from Jesus? The words of the Bible, of course! If he can get you to set your face just slightly angled toward him instead of toward your faithful God, then he can make it much more appealing to hold fast to ideas and words that are just slightly different from what God says. 

He’ll convince you that God doesn’t really care about your small and insignificant problems. He’ll tell you that you’ve made too many bad choices for God to really love you unconditionally. He’ll get you thinking that you really know what’s best for you, not the God who created you. 

It’s easy to get swept away in Satan’s lies. In my experiences, setting my face toward the devil’s deception doesn’t happen in one grand movement, and doesn’t even usually happen on purpose. It happens bit by bit, tiny shift by tiny shift. And then one day, all of a sudden, you realize you’re somehow fully facing the catastrophic path to nowhere instead of the true road to Somewhere. 

Which way will you choose? On what will you set your heart? What will you reach out to grasp? To whom will you hold fast? 

I love these verses (and entire chapter!) because they remind me how important it is for believers to immerse themselves in the Bible. God’s Truth. The only Truth. The unchanging Truth. We need to read it, study it, discuss it, meditate on it, and memorize it. We need to sing about it! We need to approach it with reverence and contemplation. If we don’t KNOW the Truth, then we won’t be able to sniff out Satan’s lies as they creep into our hearts and minds. The weightiness and urgency of this cannot be overstated. 

So I implore you today—determine to set your face toward faithfulness by taking hold of the words of Scripture. …not with a casual hand hold, but with the tightest grip you’ve got. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom, insight and discernment as you study, and hold fast to the only Truth that guarantees you will not be put to shame.

I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws. I hold fast to your statutes, Lord; do not let me be put to shame. -Psalm 119:30-31