Psalm 119

Blameless

/ RedeemedInGrace / Leave a comment

“May my heart be blameless toward Your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.” Psalm 119:80

The psalmist seeks righteousness. He longs for it. To be made clean once and for all is the soul cry of every human. Unbelievers seek worldly solutions, justify their sins, or profess unbelief. By refusing to acknowledge divine authority, the unbeliever reasons they do not have to submit to such authority. But this reasoning is marred based on subjective truth rather than absolute truth, because the God of the Universe does indeed exist and we must all give account to Him for our actions one way or another (1 Peter 4:5).

Christians seek God’s face. God gives every one of His children the desire to pursue Him and live before His Throne. Only Jesus’ blood can cleanse you and me. Only Christ’s righteousness frees us to walk blameless. We are unworthy yes, but we are also recipients of His grace. The beautiful truth is that when God the Father looks at me He sees Jesus’ robe of righteousness. It sufficiently and perfectly covers me. Although I still sin, being tied to my flesh, it is no longer my master, or who God has called me to be. All in Christ are new creations. Like snake skin, we shed our old nature and put on the new. God has promised to renew my desires, thoughts and actions the more I seek Him. He is faithful to complete the work He has started in each and every one of His children (Philippians 1:6). 

Like the psalmist, let this be our heart cry, to walk worthy as sons and daughters of the King. Let us not grieve the Holy Spirit with sinful ways and shame the work of Jesus on our behalf. Pray for the Lord’s help to honor Him in loving obedience to His commands. He is certain to grant any request in line with His will (1 John 5:14-15). And what could delight Him more than to see His children asking to follow Him with a blameless heart? May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in His sight, Our LORD, our Rock and Redeemer (Psalm 19:14).

Grace upon grace,

April

The Church’s witness

/ RedeemedInGrace / 2 Comments

“May those who fear You turn to me, those who understand Your statutes.” -Psalm 119:79

In contrast to the last verse where the psalmist does not pursue close friendship with the mockers, rebels and compromisers, here he seeks fellowship with other lovers of God. Why does he want that? Because people grounded in truth are a blessing to their spiritual family. Christians who take seriously the “one another” commands in Scripture toward our spiritual family will operate like the body of Christ before an unbelieving world. What a testimony to actually look like a cohesive healthy functioning Body! We belong to each other as we belong to God. He has designed us as His Bride, the Church.

So when we can’t see eye to eye on secondary, tertiary issues and so on, let us not become bitter, resentful or judgmental toward our brother or sister in the Lord. God loves them too and Jesus also died for them. When it is hard to love one another, remember how unlovely you were before Christ saved you and even now in your unlovely moments, that Christ does not send you a bill of divorce from Him! We look over offenses, we are quick to forgive and slow to anger. Satan would love nothing more than to fracture Christ’s body into a million pieces. Let us go back to the basics of the primary Gospel issue that unifies the Church. Start there then ask the Spirit to help you practice the “one another” directives within the Body of Christ that Jesus loves so much He was willing to sacrifice His life for us.

Grace upon grace,

April

Do Not Be Overcome By Evil

/ RedeemedInGrace / Leave a comment

“May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on Your precepts.” -Psalm 119:78

 When the psalmist is falsely maligned he entrusts himself to the Perfect Judge. Instead of taking matters into his own hands for revenge he leaves room for God’s justice. This is the same message Paul writes in Romans 12:17-21:

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” 

It is wonderful to see how connected the Old Testament and New Testament are. The same message comes from One Author. Like Paul, the psalmist is so sure of God’s justice to be measured out accordingly that he goes back to studying the Scriptures! The wicked cannot win here. If the dogs of Satan cannot secure your allegiance with them their tactic is to worry, mock and persecute the children of God. Believers deeply rooted will not look on their trials with wringing hands, but will look upward with raised hands. They will worship and trust the Lord in the storms and in calmer days. Our responses to conflict, persecution and in peacetime all are part of the Lord’s school for conforming His people to Christlikeness. 

Grace upon grace,

April 

Spiritual Sustenance

/ RedeemedInGrace / 3 Comments

“Let Your compassion come to me that I may live, for Your law is my delight.” -Psalm 119:77

The Lord is compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love. He knows our frailties, failures and neediness. Jesus demonstrated a compassionate heart in the Gospels by feeding the hungry, healing the sick, teaching the ignorant. He has shown us great mercy by opening our eyes, raising us from the dead, unshackling the chains of sin and damnation. It is only then that we begin living. This is what the psalmist prays for- Life lived abundantly the rest of his earthly days as he steps from this realm into Glory.

One way the Lord lavishes more life is through His Word. As we feed on it we are nourished, able to grow and walk worthy of our King. God grants a desire in His children to seek His face. Open the Scriptures and you will find Him for God is compassionate. He does not turn away any who come to Him.

Grace upon grace,

April

Eternal Comfort

/ RedeemedInGrace / 2 Comments

“May Your unfailing love be my comfort, according to Your promise to Your servant.” -Psalm 119:76

Comfort. Who doesn’t desire comfort? We enjoy creature comforts such as a cozy blanket, a hot cup of coffee, a warm fire and “comfort” food. But the comfort the psalmist refers to is the deepest kind of comfort which reaches the soul. It is a spiritual comfort only the Lord can provide. This is an assurance of God’s love, like how a mother holds her young child close, whispering a calming hush over them. The little one settles into her security, knowing he is loved and taken care of. If we know how to love like this, how much more does God love His own children? It is rich, deep and incomprehensible. God has promised such love in His Word. 

The climax of the Father’s professed devotion took place after the psalmist’s life, on the cross at Calvary. But this psalmist could still look back at God’s past faithfulness of promises fulfilled for a confident hope in future graces. He sees himself as a servant to the One True King whom he saw from a distance. If David penned this psalm, then he also knew he was the forerunner to the Great Messiah.

God uses our afflictions as mentioned in the previous verse to bring us comfort in Him. Sometimes He allows pain in our lives to get our focus off of the worldly distractions and look up. He is our Refuge and desires to be just that for His children. His heart is to gather His lambs into His arms and hold them close, whispering a calming hush of love and assurance over every single sheep. 

Rest in the beautiful love Christ has for you, sealed with His own blood. If you are in Christ, let your eternal freedom comfort you today.

Grace upon grace,

April

Grow deeper: Isaiah 40; Hebrews 11:13-16; 38-40

Faithfully Afflicted

/ RedeemedInGrace / Leave a comment

“I know, O Lord, that Your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness You have afflicted me.” -Psalm 119:75

God faithfully afflicts those He loves. This seems counter-cultural in our world of comfort and ease, especially in the West. But to be brought low and dependent, for our spiritual vision to be sharpened, we generally need experiential training on the ground. The psalmist sees goodness in all the Lord’s dealings. How can he not trust the One with all wisdom? The God who made him and loves him best? How can we not trust in our Father who gave up His only Son to make a way for creatures like us to come to Him in peace? Jesus suffered the greatest affliction on the cross, paying the believer’s sin debt as the Father poured out His just wrath, forsaking His Son until it was finished. His ways are surely righteous and good even when we do not fully understand why we must endure a particular sorrow.

The Lord also disciplines those He loves. His rod and staff guide us to His pleasant pasture. Earthly fathers who love their children discipline them for training- to be respectful under authority, to know the difference from right and wrong, to be humble, and learn how to treat others. If these are the standards a father uses for his children, how much more loving and gracious are the ways of our Heavenly Father? All He does is for His glory and our eternal good. 

When you are afflicted, rest in this truth- God is conforming you to look like Jesus. This is our sanctification. We are being refined to practice what our position in Christ already is. He is faithful to complete this work no matter what it takes.

“being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 1:6

Grace upon grace,

April

Grow deeper: Psalm 23; Hebrews 12:3-15

Hope-filled fruit

/ RedeemedInGrace / Leave a comment

“May those who fear You rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in Your Word.” -Psalm 119:74

Hope. What is life without hope? We all hope. I hope next year will be better. I hope he wins the election. I hope you feel better soon. For the Christian our hope is a sure confidence in the One whose promises have not failed us and will not fail us. Hope in God is as sure as the rising and setting of the sun. To hope in His Word is to settle into security, a soul calm of refuge because the Christian knows God’s words to be true and trustworthy. We know how the Story ends. 

Along with this treasure of comfort, we have fellowship with other saints. God loves us too much to allow us to live like islands from each other. We are better together, encouraging one another in the faith to fear God and walk worthy. This is why attending church, small groups and discipleship is so important (Hebrews 10:24-25). Here the psalmist notes the importance of relationships. Our vertical fellowship will effect the horizontal ones. As you grow in the Lord, your desire will be to see others grow in their faith also, causing us to rejoice with the Spirit when we see fruit! The result of hoping in God is a life of bearing fruit for Him which will last for eternity. The joy is ours to come alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ glorifying our Heavenly Father. 

Grace upon grace,

April 

God our Creator, Teacher and Father

/ RedeemedInGrace / 2 Comments

“Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn Your commands.” -Psalm 119:73

The psalmist begins the octave with a prayer by acknowledging God as Creator of his person. God formed our souls as well as our bodies. He placed each freckle, determined your height and skin color. He knew what our personalities would be like- shy, outgoing, stubborn, timid, loud, quiet, reactionary, contemplative. Our Maker knows us best, inside and out. Equipped with this knowledge, the psalmist requests more understanding. Going straight to the Source, the writer is aware God will give him exactly what he needs according to his abilities and level of comprehension. The Lord will not turn away a sincere heart thirsty for more of Himself.

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.” -John 6:35-36

Grace upon grace,

April

Grow deeper: Psalm 139

Led by Hope

/ RedeemedInGrace / Leave a comment

“Your Hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn Your commands.

May those who fear You rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in Your Word.

I know, O Lord, that Your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness You have afflicted me.

May Your unfailing love be my comfort, according to Your promise to Your servant.

Let Your compassion come to me that I may live, for Your law is my delight.

May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on Your precepts.

May those who fear You turn to me, those who understand Your statutes.

May my heart be blameless toward Your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.”

-Psalm 119:73-80 (Yodh)

God is our hope. His promises carry weight because it is a sure outcome. He has proved Himself over and over. God doesn’t have to bestow such wondrous love, uncommon grace, or measureless mercy. Yet He cannot be anything contrary to His nature- He will not. Our hope is in the strength of His salvation, the sufficient work of Christ, His imputed righteousness, our eternal peace and fellowship with God Himself. This is our joy and blessing. Remembering these truths will help you and I live out a life of love for our Father like the psalmist does. 

We can also follow the psalmist’s example by not concerning ourselves with those bent on harming Christians. Rather, we focus on enjoying fellowship with other believers, as means of grace God has given each of us. As the world drifts toward the pull of distractions and lies, God’s people learn to cling to Him even if we feel alone. The Lord is faithful to lead His sheep Home. For now, our response is to stay faithful and “contend for the faith”, keeping an eternal perspective. When Christ returns we will not be put to shame.

Grace upon grace,

April

Grow deeper: Jude 3-4; 1 Kings 19:1-18

The Pruning Effect -part 2

/ RedeemedInGrace / 2 Comments

“Do good to Your servant according to Your Word, O Lord. Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in Your commands.” (vv. 65-66)

The psalmist asks the Lord to bless and equip him to keep learning God’s ways. His belief in God has ignited the flame of desire that burns brighter to grow. This can only be accomplished by the Lord’s favor and the work of His Spirit. 

“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your Word. You are good, and what You do is good; teach me Your decrees.” (vv. 67-68)

He confesses his past sins and the need for God to teach him to obey. The writer declares his belief in God’s character of providential goodness. 

“Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep Your precepts with all my heart. Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in Your law.” (vv. 69-70)

These verses reveal how unbelievers have treated the psalmist, yet this has made him cling to the Lord even more. 

“It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees.” (v. 71)

This is the turning point in the octave as the psalmist reflects on how his trials have changed him. He can testify to the passage in James, considering his hardships as joy, because they have refined his heart to persevere in God. 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

“The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.” (v. 72)

This is the fruit of perseverance. When we run to God as our refuge, His ways are pleasant. We begin to experience for ourselves the rich treasures of God’s storehouse.

God is good. There is none like Him. All He does is good, even in adversity- especially in adversity. For it is here we learn who our true friends are, what we really treasure, and experience God’s faithfulness. God is the only One who is truly good. This makes His Word more precious when one realizes what a gift it is. He has only ever wanted the very best for His Beloved. This is why He gives us good commands to follow. Yet the greatest act of love and goodness was God giving us His Son so that we may share in His joy of eternal fellowship (John 3:16). May the Lord help us to obey Him in His strength. May our love for Him grow deeper even in our sorrows as Christ becomes more dear to us. 

Grace upon grace,

April 

Further encouragement: In Christ Alone by Mercy Me