Head, Heart, Hands and Feet

By Dean Collins

“Head and shoulders, knees and toes… and eyes and ears and mouth and nose.”

If you have a small child or grandchild, you have probably sung those lines while performing the accompanying motions. And if you are really committed to engaging the little ones, you keep singing it over and over, each time eliminating one of the body parts verbally while continuing to do the motions.

It will focus and occupy children for a surprisingly long time!

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible. It is also the longest chapter in the Bible, with 176 verses. It is written as an acrostic, using the Hebrew alphabet to begin each of its 22 sections. While it was not specifically written for children, this design would have helped people learn and memorize the passage.

There are countless truths that can be mined from these 176 verses. Perhaps motivated by some recent experiences with grandchildren—and the song referenced above—I found myself looking for the places where the psalmist calls for the use of our eyes, heart, mouth, hands, and feet.

Years ago, I learned a song based on two of these verses. We are called to turn our eyes away from worthless things and turn our hearts toward the truth found in God’s Word.

But as we have all learned, reading these instructions and actually doing them are two very different things!

Early in this psalm, we learn that if we want to live a life that is free from shame and focused on righteousness, we must “fix our eyes on all your commandments.”

Of course, as we read this long section of Scripture, we realize that we all struggle with focus. Our attention is affected by many things, including stress, lack of sleep, age, and the constant distractions of digital media.

The psalmist’s words, written thousands of years ago, have remarkable relevance today. If we want to live lives characterized by righteousness, it will require discipline. Fixing our eyes on the truth contained in God’s Word is a good place to start.

But our eyes alone cannot solve our attention problem—or our struggle to live as people of the kingdom.

In verse 2, we discover that those who are blessed are those who keep God’s testimonies and seek him with their “whole heart.” If we choose to follow Jesus only occasionally or halfheartedly, we will inevitably have trouble with our priorities, our behavior, and certainly our influence.

The psalmist also points to the role of our lips and mouths as we seek to follow the path of godly living. We are to speak God’s Word aloud, both for our own benefit and, at times, to instruct and encourage others.

And then there are our hands and our feet.

The psalmist says, “I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,” and later, “When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies.”

In other words, following God is not merely an exercise of the mind. It involves our whole body and our whole life.

One who seeks to be formed by Christ must do so:

● With eyes fixed on the truth contained in God’s Word.

● With a whole heart devoted to seeking God.

● With lips and mouths that praise God and speak truth.

● With hands lifted in obedience, worship, and love.

● With feet that turn toward godliness and carry the good news along the way.

Maybe there is something more significant about that childhood song than I realized.

Head and shoulders. Knees and toes. Eyes and ears and mouth and nose.

The psalmist reminds us that following God involves all of us. We cannot compartmentalize our faith. God wants our attention, our hearts, our words, our hands, and our feet.

He wants our whole selves.

Father, today we seek you with our whole heart. Increase our desire to walk in your ways, to speak words of love and truth, and to keep our eyes fixed on you and your kingdom. Give us hands ready to serve and feet willing to follow wherever you lead. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Psalm 119:2, 6–7, 10, 13, 15, 18, 36–37, 43, 48, 58–59 ESV

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