Psalm 119

A kaleidoscope

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This past summer I enjoyed a 12 week Women’s Bible class in Psalm 119. We generally worked through two octaves per week, breaking them down as much as possible, verse by verse. I consider this a rich way to meditate on Scripture. Nothing is lost or skimmed over when focusing on a particular verse, pondering why the Lord (through the psalmist) penned these words. Along with studying together, our teacher provided a supplemental commentary written by Charles Spurgeon. His reflection on Psalm 119 is so dense it was made into a book titled The Golden Alphabet: An Exposition on Psalm 119. Spurgeon’s meditation on Psalm 119 led him to the analogy of a kaleidoscope. While a number of the verses seem redundant, he argues that the reader is not properly viewing the entire psalm as it should be. He writes:

“This psalm is a wonderful composition. Its expressions are many as the waves, but its testimony is one as the sea. It deals all along with one subject only; but although it consists of a considerable number of verses, some of which are very similar to others, yet throughout its one hundred and seventy-six stanzas the self-same thought is not repeated: there is always a shade of difference, even when the color of the thought appears to be the same. Some have said that in it there is an absence of variety; but that is merely the observation of those who have not studied it. I have weighed each word, and looked at each syllable with lengthened meditation; and I bear witness that this sacred song has no tautology in it, but is charmingly varied from beginning to end. Its variety is that of a kaleidoscope: from a few objects innumerable permutations and combinations are produced. In the kaleidoscope you look once, and there is a strangely beautiful form: you shift the glass a little, and another shape, equally delicate and beautiful, is before your eyes. So it is here.”

Our class was encouraged to journal through each octave, so the bulk of this study was left up to us to personally reflect through Psalm 119 as the Holy Spirit illuminated His treasure trove. This is the explanation I can give you for my posts on Psalm 119 the last few weeks. I hope to share the entire psalm with you as a means of encouragement. To write these reflections out again for this blog has been a comfort to me all over again. We are always in need of remembering the truth we know. So I write these posts for my personal encouragement as much as it is an offering of love to you. My hope is you are blessed in reading snippets of what the Lord is teaching me. Which leads me to ask, what is God teaching you? I think it is wonderful to share with fellow believers how the Spirit is at work in our hearts. We don’t seem to talk this way very often. Maybe the Bible has become stale to you or you aren’t sensing the Lord’s presence near. Cling on to the encouragement trusted believers have found in God’s Word and let that sustain you until you drink deeply again from your own well. God will not let you stay thirsty. He is faithful to show Himself to those who seek Him. God is faithful to help the weary believer persevere because of His promise to never leave or forsake His own.

Grace upon grace,

April

Grow deeper: Deuteronomy 31:6-8; Isaiah 40:29-31; Isaiah 55:6

Act of Worship

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“I will praise You with an upright heart as I learn Your righteous laws.” -Psalm 119:7

The psalmist pivots to a heart of praise in verse seven. This posture of worship pleases the Lord. The psalmist has just meditated on God’s mercy in light of his sin and inability to save himself. What is his response? As the Holy Spirit continues to teach him the depth of God’s wisdom, the psalmist explodes in gratitude with praise. He would likely echo Paul’s doxology in Romans, written hundreds of years later:

“Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgements, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever! Amen. Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 11:33-12:1)

God has given us His Holy Word to learn His righteous laws, recognize our need for the Savior, and come to Jesus. The soul which leans on the work of Jesus, abiding in His Spirit for holy living becomes a precious offering before the Throne of Grace.

Grace upon grace,

April

God’s Mercy

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“Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all Your commands.” -Psalm 119:6

One of the benefits of God’s Law is to reveal to us our inability to keep it perfectly. It is here we see our need for a Savior rather than give up and despair. When a heart considers the holiness of God’s standard, we realize we can never measure up as sin seeks to master us. The soul who sees this feels shame. Yet it serves as an act of mercy from God, to not let us stay covered in guilt but run to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of every repentant heart! Parables, prophecies and warnings all serve as mercies for the soul that comes alive, acknowledging the damnation of autonomy, self-righteousness and pride. It is God’s mercy to show us through His commands “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) so that we might not perish in our sins, but come to Him for everlasting life.

Grace upon grace,

April

Sanctifying Obedience

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“Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying Your decrees!” -Psalm 119:5

Verses 5 and 6 in Psalm 119 are an interjected prayer of lament because the psalmist knows too well his sinful nature. He cannot perfectly keep the law. To be steadfast in obeying the Lord means to be immovable, unshakable, and constant. Yet we are fickle, finite creatures overcome with fear, worry, and the cares of this world. I once heard the Christian life compared to a life-long practice of who we will be in Heaven someday. This is our training ground. So what are you practicing today? Is it contentment, self-control, taking captive prideful thoughts, harnessing a gossiping tongue? If you and I run into another breathing soul today it is likely we will have practice in our sanctification. Am I learning to bear with others in love? To be quick to forgive, slow to anger? There are many times I have not practiced well which is why I need the Lord’s help every day.

We echo the psalmist’s lament in our own strength, yet have hope in Jesus our Mediator, High Priest and Friend. He will continue to intercede for us when we fail. Our Lord guides the tenderhearted, strengthening His lambs according to His Word.

Grace upon grace,

April

Grow in Grace

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“You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.” -Psalm 119:4

The psalmist in Psalm 119 rightly understands pursuing God means living out the commands He has given. It isn’t enough to mentally assent to the words of Scripture. We must be people activated in the power of the Holy Spirit, putting hands and feet to what our mouths profess. We also acknowledge that no one fulfills the ways of God perfectly except Jesus His Son. Our failure to carry out God’s standard shows us our need for Christ. Only then can we persevere in faith, pursuing holiness because of what Jesus has done for God’s children. A regenerate heart will want to follow their Shepherd, knowing we will stumble but equally aware of our King’s grace toward redeemed sinners. He keeps pouring out more mercy, more love, more fellowship with Himself. We serve a just and gentle Savior. God is faithful to help us obey when we abide in Him. He is faithful to pick us up when we fall into the miry pit as well.

God demands submission to His authority but not as a harsh taskmaster. He expects us to follow Him out of love and trust. What do you know about God? What is His character like? His faithfulness in past events? The same God who rescued His people from slavery in Egypt through Moses, the same Father who allowed His only Son Jesus to die for sinners, is the same Lord over all today. He does not change (Hebrews 13:8). We can trust a God like this. He is willing and capable to deliver His people from bondage, to grow us in grace, guiding His children in obedience to His will.

Grace upon grace,

April

Grow deeper: Isaiah 40:25-31

Declared Innocent

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“They do nothing wrong; they walk in His ways.” -Psalm 119:3

Those who are hidden in Christ are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1). In God’s eyes we are innocent because Jesus exchanged His robe of righteousness for our sinful garments on the cross. It is only when we step out of His will, operating in the flesh that we sin. When pursuing holiness which is Christlikeness, we are safe, surrounded by the hedges of God’s commands. But the curse has infected every heart, therefore a life long earthly battle of two natures is at work in every child of God. Our part is to stay faithful and diligent in our fight against sin, knowing how real spiritual warfare is (Ephesians 6:12-13). Those who do no wrong are abiding in the Spirit, for we cannot be righteous apart from Christ.

What blessing, what relief we find when our minds rightly see our sin, confess it, repent and turn back into restored fellowship with God! One day, soon and very soon, our fellowship with the Lord will be eternally unbroken, never again tainted with sin.

Grace upon grace,

April

Grow deeper: Romans 7:14-8:17

Bearing Fruit

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“Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart.” -Psalm 119:2

This verse is similar to the previous. We who keep God’s statutes (His commands) are blessed. But how do we keep them? Like the psalmist says in verse 1, those who walk in God’s ways are blessed. Our lives bear fruit of the commitment we have to the Lord. Whatever or whomever we love will be apparent in our actions, speech and thoughts. You and I cannot be sinless, perfectly keeping God’s law, which is why Jesus came. Yet our character is consistent with whom? As a child of God or a beast of Satan? Not that we are saved by our good works, but the visible signs point to the transformation of our inner man hidden to all but God. In a sermon I heard yesterday the preacher said the work of Christ in us precedes the work we do for Him, never the other way around.

So bear fruit because of the salvific work Christ has done for you. If we truly love Him, we will obey His commands (John 14:15). God is faithful to help His children walk in obedience in the power of His Spirit, who dwells in the heart of every redeemed sinner. Where does one start to learn what God’s statutes are? By seeking the Lord through His Holy Word. God is faithful to reveal Himself to those who search with all sincerity and desire.

Grace upon grace,

April

Grow deeper: Matthew 7:15-29; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:12-13

Eternally Blessed

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“Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.” -Psalm 119:1

What does it mean to be blessed? To be blessed by God? The Lord’s favor is on those He blesses. Only the children of God have tasted and experienced the favor of Him who has rescued their souls from endless, Godless torment. Even if the wicked enjoy material wealth, power, success, popularity and temporal happiness, the saints of God are the ones eternally rich in the blessings of Christ. Do you remember the story Jesus told of the rich man and the poor beggar Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)? Who was the one who stood by Abraham’s side in Heaven? Our temporal circumstances do not indicate whether we are favored by God or not. This was particularly helpful for me when I recently needed an eternal perspective check-up. My temporal reality was causing despair, but you and I must remember this life is not the whole picture. Our story begins here, but last forever with God for those who are in Christ.

Take heart when evil prevails. God will have His perfect justice. And which side will you be on? The true believer committed to faithfully walking the path of righteousness will hear on that day “Well done good and faithful servant! Come and share your Master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:14-30). As His children persevere in holiness day in and day out, we learn not to be consumed by the cares of this world but look heavenward, walking worthy of the calling we have received. This does not mean Christians are to disengage with the affairs of this world, but use our gifts and resources to exercise godly dominion as commanded by God (Genesis 1:26-28). Keeping this in mind, Christians also realize we are not God, but must trust in His loving sovereignty to rule all things (Daniel 2:20-22). I am just a vessel for His service.

The Apostle Paul comforted the church in Corinth with these words:

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Jesus Christ has covered all of God’s elect in His robe of righteousness, in exchange for our filthy rags. Now the Lord says this is His way, walk in it and be eternally blessed.

Grace upon grace,

April

Further encouragement:

The sermon I heard on the rich man and the poor beggar is by John MacArthur. You can listen to it here.

A hymn of hope as you persevere: Day by Day