Purity is something that we like to *talk* about today, but when it comes down to it, we're pretty bad at putting the rubber to the road.

So what is David telling us here in this verse?  Let's quickly look at what he's implying first, then we'll have a greater appreciation for what he does say.

First, he's implying that the person actually wants to keep his way pure.  This is a detail that can be easily overlooked (since it's not explicitly stated in the text), but is vitally important.  If a person doesn't want to keep his way pure, then there's not a whole lot that can be done about it.

Second, he implies that there IS a possible means of guarding it.  It would be a rather mean thing if you were to say to someone, "You know how to have all your bills paid off?", then when they -- barely conatining their excitement -- eagerly reply "no, how?!", you say "Whoops, my mistake...there's no way." :(  Not cool.

Third, (and this is one that the "knowledgeable scholars" sometimes are blind to) David implies that not only IS there a way, but it is knowable and reliable.  I don't think they had the issue in his day, but if he were living in our time I don't think he would've changed his wording to "by guarding it according to Thy word, as recorded in such-and-such translation."  Certainly, there are "versions" that are sorely lacking in the area of faithful translating (a whole other blog in itself), but David's point in all of Psalm 119 is "Just get INTO His Word and it WILL cause a change!"

Now, with all that as an implied backdrop, what is it that David's telling us?  In context of our modern-day culture, his suggestion could sound something like this:

"Trying to maintain purity in your ways without constant immersion in and application of His Word -- regardless of how many other "resources" and "guides" you have on the subject -- is bound to ultimately fail, since HE is purity, and can only become more well-known and cleansing in your life through the personal time spent together in His Word.  Soap does you no good by merely putting it on the table next to you; you have to pick it up and *use it* for it to do what it was intended to do.

We're good at gathering "resources" and "guides" to supposedly help us along out Christian walk, but as an old car guy I knew used to say, "No amount of car magazines or personal conversations with other owners can ever accurately convey the experience of 5 minutes of seat time in a '69 Roadrunner."  And while we're obviously not talking about cars here, the basic premise remains the same: a lot of words about the Bible will never compare with even a small amount of exposure to the Bible itself.

So immerse yourself in it, meditate upon it, and rightly apply it to your life, that you may keep your ways pure.  :)