“Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget Your decrees.” -Psalm 119:83
It was custom to place wine in leather bottles for preservation. If the bottle was hung around smoke it would char and shrivel up, becoming useless as a container for new wine. David uses this imagery to communicate how he feels in his affliction: like a thrown away broken vessel, no longer of any use once the smoke has wrinkled the wineskin. King David is wasted with age, sickness and sorrow. Yet still he clings to the Lord by declaring he will not forget God’s Word. This supernatural perseverance reminds me of Paul’s resolve in 2 Corinthians 4:8-12:
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”
This is where the believer lands. We remember and hope in our Deliverer, trusting our trials will conform us to Christ. His life is at work in the believer and He will not finish until this transformation is complete (Philippians 1:6). We are to die daily to self so Jesus becomes more real and lovely to us. How we respond in our trials also serves as a witness before a spiritually dead world. Dead to our old nature, alive in Christ through the agony of affliction.
“My eyes fail, looking for Your promise; I say, ‘When will You comfort me?’ ” -Psalm 119:82
The psalmist can’t see the outcome. Since God is outside of Time, the Creator of Time, He alone knows the future perfectly. The writer is honest before the Lord asking “when?” As Mediator, Jesus provides us access before the Throne of God to come to Him with our fears, impatience, and all the emotions in between. He will be faithful to wash the earthly grit from our eyes and sharpen our eternal perspective over time. He will do this for the psalmist as well. Why? Because God does not forsake His children. He paid a dear price to rescue us for Himself by permitting His Son Jesus to take our payment of sin. God is our Comfort. He teaches us that this world is not our Home (John 14:1-4). This isn’t all there is to life. Yet even as the world blazes on fire and nations rage, God is a constant companion to those who know and fear Him through Jesus Christ. How is this possible? By taking hold of the promises of God by faith. Faith is a precious jewel in the treasure trove of spiritual riches. For the last two thousand years believers have lived by faith. Before Jesus came in the flesh His people walked by faith too, like the psalmist, believing better things lie ahead when the Messiah would come (Hebrews 11:13-16;32-40). My knowledge may be limited but I can hold fast to the Omniscient Lord. People will disappoint and hurt us in this sin cursed world, but God Eternal never will. He has proved Himself faithful over and over. He is trustworthy. Trust in Him too and take courage while we wait on the Lord.
“My soul faints with longing for Your salvation, but I have put my hope in Your Word.” -Psalm 119:81
The purpose of life is to know, love and serve God. This means our existence matters. Yet it is a fruitless life, chasing the wind, apart from God. The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever as the Westminster Shorter Catechism states. The psalmist is fully aware of God as substance and sustainer of life, over our physical bodies and nourishment for the soul. This is why his deepest desire is to move closer to the Heavenly King. He is our strength. Also, as David’s (likely the writer of this psalm) enemies surround him relentlessly, his reaction is to cry out to God who delivers. He does not tailspin into fear but deliberately places his trust in the Sovereign Lord. Puritan William Gurnall wrote, “The world will beget a thousand cares and fears, but cannot quiet any of them.” So where do we go when we feel afraid, weary, disappointed or hopeless?
Go to Jesus. Remember the dear price our Lord paid on the cross so that we no longer have to be mastered by sin and fear. Our salvation is only in Christ (Acts 4:12). Even the psalmist looked forward to a day when the Messiah would fulfill the promises of God. We have the advantage of looking back to Calvary to see what Jesus the Messiah has done. The certain hope of every believer lay with Jesus who showed us the full extent of His love through His life, death and resurrection. May God strengthen our faith in Him and kindle an inward fire in us. May the Lord enlarge our longing for Him, continually renew our mind through Scripture, and move mightily in us like this psalmist.
“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).
“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.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” -Edmund Burke
The other day I was in a coffee shop waiting by the bar for my tall vanilla flat white. The gentleman working behind the counter solo began quietly singing a spiritual song as he crafted my caffeine. I couldn’t place the song, but heard phrases like, “Come, Lord Jesus”, “Hallelujah”, and “Coming soon”. It was a wonderful moment of kinship to realize the barista and I (hopefully) share the same faith, family and Father. He handed me my coffee and I thanked him adding, “Hey I like your singin’ too!”
It got me thinking about how Christians live in our culture today. When the LGBTQ “community” wants to identify themselves with their sex life, they wear rainbow colored t-shirts and accessories, or dress in drag. You know where they stand. This is true of any group- wearing a MAGA hat, donning a shirt with ‘I am black history’ or ‘Black Lives Matter’, sporting 2nd amendment rights, or a Choose Life bumper sticker- all speak volumes as walking billboards. But how do you spot a Christian stranger?
One reason I believe this country looks like Sodom and Gomorrah is because Christ followers in particular have acclimated, capitulated, and kept our heads down. Instead of heads up, shoulders back, smiling and speaking as God’s ambassadors, we have allowed the world to dictate what subjects are acceptable to talk about in our communities. Why is it polite society cannot comment on politics and religion? The topics go hand in hand as politics make policies that affect real people, reflecting the things we value as a society. Do we champion life in the womb or murder of an unborn child? Do we support homosexual marriages or Biblical marriages? Do we believe God created two genders, male and female, or 100 fluid “identities”?
Reformed Christian circles in particular have moved away from preaching these values to a muddled, merging with the world over the last ten years. We are no longer clear in where we stand on issues that should not be debatable as Christians. Instead of remaining set apart by using discernment in how we engage the culture, some have welcomed Vanity Fair with open arms inside the church walls. This is defended by well meaning church leaders as “loving” and “winsome”, all the while your unconverted neighbor remains content and oblivious in their sins because Christians have watered down truth, making it less offensive and more palatable for the general audience. It sends the message of not taking the Bible too seriously, because who would want a sermon when we can put on a show? Calling out sinful lifestyles is branded as judgmental and legalistic instead of what it actually is- loving someone enough to tell them they are about to fall off a cliff. The opposite of love is not hate but apathy. Even God has righteous hate over sin (as should we) but He is never apathetic. The definition of how we love our unbelieving neighbors has become skewed. In reality, mainstream Christian Reformers have morphed into another brand of a seeker sensitive church. The Christian’s response to all this confusion should not be unity at all costs (especially when that unity is tied to a secular world), but truth at all costs. Truth is what unifies believers from every tongue, tribe and nation. If we cannot stand together on God’s inerrant Word and the commands He gives us, then what is our foundation but sinking sand?
David Platt wrote a little book called Radical years ago about how Christians should sell everything and move overseas as missionaries. That was the gist of it. Shortly after that wave, Michael Horton came out with a book called Ordinary, arguing believers are called to stay faithful right where God has placed them to influence the spiritual landscape. It doesn’t mean some are not called to be missionaries overseas, but we need faithful Christian engineers, doctors, pastors and homemakers here too. I think Horton was on the right track, but Platt has a point too. What if Christians in the Western world were radically ordinary Christ followers? What does it look like?
Whatever your profession, we must live differently than the world by the choices we make. This is our antidote. How we spend our time and money, what we watch, read and listen to, all play a part in shaping how we think and feel. Most of the time the messaging is subtle, yet over time these choices influence our worldview. Whether it is watching ESPN (which has become culturally outspoken), Disney+, the 24/7 news cycle, or even a show on Netflix, we start to listen to the commentary or plot as Gospel truth instead of fact-checking with Scripture. Even when we know a statement or action is unbiblical, it may not affect us as much because Christians have become more tolerant, passive and apathetic to the sins which grieve our Holy Father. By choosing to think critically ourselves instead of absorbing whatever Twitter says, we can learn to swim against the current instead of drifting like jellyfish.
Ideas have consequences, good and bad. Christians since the Fall have needed discernment, and we are in dire need of it today. We as fallen humans are susceptible to fear, pride, gullibility, idolatry, and indulging self-love over servant-love. Our daily choices, however small they seem to us, can alter the culture we live in. Choosing to not shop at a store which brazenly promotes self-mutilation and the breakdown of nuclear families; knowing when to speak up and when to keep walking; turning a show off when the content is anti-God; thinking critically about current events instead of being swayed by our emotions; learning all the facts before listening to mob rule; voting for leaders who support Biblical values; daily feeding our spirits with Scripture; being Spirit-led and not gratifying the flesh; practicing a healthy prayer life; and fellowshipping with other believers, are just a few ways you and I can become radically ordinary Christians.
Obedience is how we worship. Obedience then to what or whom is the question. Are we trying to satisfy the world and live like God fearing Christians? Its getting mighty hard to do the splits these days. In the Old Testament (1 & 2 Kings), even good kings left “the high places” for people to worship false gods. It was a compromise for fear of public opinion. The worship of idols was popular and ingrained into the culture so these godly kings let it slide under the radar, except that their lack of total obedience led to more disobedience from the people they were meant to protect not just from physical harm but spiritual apostasy.
In the same way Christians will not look different from the dying world when we remain milquetoast. Acts of kindness are encouraged by Christians and unbelievers alike. What sets a Christ follower apart is not merely acting nice so everyone will like us, but also speaking the truth about sin even when it is uncomfortable. Being winsome toward others we disagree with is how we advocate the truth, not by compromising the truth.
It is easy to feel helpless as wicked leaders takeover and God’s values are mocked. But we have ways to engage the culture by combating the hell-bound lies which have been normalized, even seen as righteous, in the eyes of men. Let us make the most of the opportunities given to us individually, not merely speak on approved subjects to our neighbor, but initiate conversations about Truth. In our society today that is jaw-dropping radical. Our language needs clarification, or rather purging, about what truth is and the source of it. It is up to ordinary Christians to take back the dictionary as we learn to communicate frankly, openly and unashamed about what the Bible has to say about sin. The Gospel is the greatest love story, with the power to break the chains of sin that have so many enslaved. This is what loving your neighbor looks like right where you live. Perhaps God will use our personal obedience to spark spiritual revival and repentance in our world.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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
redeemed in grace 