2. Thru-Hiking the Psalmist Trail - with Jeremiah

This detailed study of Psalm 119 is the result of many years of work. The Trail Graphic shows the many ups and down that the psalmist faced because of opposition. It looks much like the sideview or elevation view of a difficult hiking trail. (The psalmist's lowest point is in the middle, in verses 81-88.) Each stanza study covers eight verses and is six pages long. Each includes a worksheet for group or personal study and multiple pages of commentary that provide the answers.

Survival on the Psalmist Trail is compared to thru-hiking the 2,000+ mile Appalachian Trail, since life was a long struggle for the psalmist. Likewise, Jeremiah had a long but difficult ministry. So similarities between Psalm 119 and Jeremiah and Lamentations are also mentioned. For instance, God gave Jeremiah a special promise of divine protection (Jer. 1:18-19, 15:20-21) which may be what the psalmist recalled in verses 25, 41, 49, 58, 65, 76, 88, 107, 116, 154, and 170 as he asked the Lord to spare his life.