“Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and Your servant loves them.” -Psalm 119:140
The things that we love shape who we are. Love means time invested. Whether the object of your love occupies your thoughts, words or actions, it is your energy and time being used. What we love will become evident to others as well. Can you imagine a young lady newly engaged and telling no one about it? No, she would share her excitement with family, friends and possibly, not so casually, blurt it out to the cashier ringing up her groceries too.
The New King James translation of this verse reads, “Your Word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it.” I like this translation better because it underscores the beauty of Scripture in a succinct way. Matthew Henry describes the purity of God’s Word as linked to His holiness and the power of the written Word to change us. He writes,
“Our love to the word of God is then an evidence of our love to God when we love it for the sake of its purity, because it bears the image of God’s holiness and is designed to make us partakers of His holiness. It commands purity, and as it is itself refined from all corrupt mixture, so if we receive it in the light and love of it, it will refine us from the dross of worldliness and fleshly-mindedness.”
It is a marvelous grace the seed of love God has planted in the hearts of His children. We can not love Him anymore than we can raise the dead, had God not loved us first. He has drawn us to Himself in loving-kindness, calling us by name. So now the Greatest Love Story unfolds with a new chapter which includes your story. It is better than any rags to riches tale Hollywood dreams up. The Lord has wooed every one of His people to Himself. Imperfect as our love is, God is patient and unconditional in His perfect love toward us. How can you and I get to know this God of love? This Holy One who stooped down to take notice of you and me, even giving us life eternal? We grow deeper in love with our Heavenly Father by reading His personal love letter, the Bible.
God’s eternal Word is pure and holy, telling us how we were dead and without hope. But God. God in His rich mercy, made us alive with Jesus Christ. Is this what you love? Is the Lord God your greatest treasure? May the Father loosen our lips to speak of our love for Him, and soften our hearts into a posture of worship.
“My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore Your words.” -Psalm 119:139
Do not cast your pearls before swine. Those who willfully reject the truth of God cannot love and treasure the Pearl of Great Price the way you do. This is applied to those who continually reject the Gospel. Be zealous for God, but if His Word is not received, shake the dust from your feet and move on. There is much Kingdom work to attend to in these last days.
This does call for discernment with whom we share the Gospel with and for how long. Anyone who does not yet know the Lord is His enemy, as we once were. Praise God for His mercy that someone shared the Good News with you and me! Yet spiritual ground is harder in some places in the world and may take years to penetrate. It reminds me of the missionary William Carey. He could have echoed the psalmist’s words. As a missionary to India, Carey had no convert for seven years. SEVEN. Even in his zeal for the Lord and obedience to His call, he too grew discouraged at times. Yet Carey kept plodding, as he calls it, attempting great things for God because he expected great things from God. The Lord was merciful to begin a spiritual awakening in the heart of India because Carey was a willing servant. His zealous life became an instrument of grace among those enslaved to false religions and vices. His enemies became his brothers in Christ.
The psalmist rightly handles his enemies by crying out to God first. It is a principle all Christians are to follow, entrusting Him who judges justly with our foes. My ESV Study Bible comments, “Believers are to be merciful, forgiving, and slow to judge, yet they should wisely discern the true character of people and not indefinitely continue proclaiming the Gospel to those who adamantly reject it, so that they can move on and proclaim the Gospel to others.” This is the command Jesus gave His twelve apostles when He sent them out to preach (Matthew 10:5-15). We are simply called to be faithful for today in proclaiming the Good News. The Lord may call some to serve Him long term toward a specific people like He did with William Carey. Others will be called to evangelize in an informal manner, with the people we see everyday. Some will be open to Christ and some will reject Jesus’ gift of salvation forever. Ultimately we trust God to work in the hearts of men. Trust and obey. Leave the results with the Lord. Some of our answered prayers and the fruit of our labors we may never see this side of Heaven. Be zealous for the One who loves you best and keep plodding.
Grace upon grace,
April
Growing deeper: Matthew 7:6-29; 9:35-10:42; Romans 12:17-21; Ephesians 2:1-13
“The statutes You have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy.” -Psalm 119:138
God’s Word has been tested in everyday living, throughout history and has not been found lacking. To truly live, our souls must seek the Righteous One. Only our Lord elects, redeems, satisfies and teaches the path of righteousness for His Name’s sake. It is for His Glory and our eternal good when we learn His statutes and practice them. Christianity is practical holy living which is only attained by the blood of Jesus and the power of His Spirit at work in the life of a believer. Only God is worthy of our worship which is why His people desire to obey Him. The Lord will then lead us in His goodness and mercy all the days of our life. And when our pilgrim journey in this world comes to an end, we will dwell in the House of the Lord eternally. This is His promise to His people. It is true and trustworthy.
“Righteous are You, O LORD, and Your laws are right.” -Psalm 119:137
The theme of this octave (vv.137-144) is the Lord’s righteousness amid the psalmist’s trials. His faith has not been found lacking, as God is actively at work refining him. Beauty from ashes, joy from mourning, light from darkness. This is how our Father in Heaven works. Jesus was born to die. He suffered to save. It is God’s upside down kingdom effect. What looks foolish to the world is salvation for those who believe.
In this section the psalmist looks for the Lord to guide him through His commands. God is his Counselor and ours when we seek His way, then trust and obey what He calls us to do. Because the Lord is all-knowing and perfectly wise, all He says, does and promises are right. Not only are His ways correct and true, but the Lord is blameless. Almighty God, sinless, sent a Perfect spotless Lamb, His Son Jesus, to the cross to make atonement for the sins of many (Isaiah 53:10-12). Why put your trust in anything else? We were made to worship and live for the Living God. This is the way to true life- walk in it.
“Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey Your precepts.” -Psalm 119:134
The psalmist is harassed by those who despise truth. They hate him for living by the truth as it exposes their own unrighteousness. Those who do not fear God attempt to silence, mock or harm saints who reverence the Lord. This should not cause the believer to despair but rather affirm he is on the right side. Worldliness makes holiness a disease and normalizes sin (Romans 1:18-32). But Christians have Jehovah Maginnenu, the LORD our Defense. “The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your Name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:9-10). Believers can entrust our circumstances no matter how dire, in the Lord’s Sovereign and Loving Hands. If we know He runs the show, and He also loves you, then what other excuse do you have not to trust Him?
If God allowed His only Son to endure cruel rejection and even death, we should expect persecution as well (John 15:18-25). Likewise, we have our older Brother to show us how to respond to the oppression of men. The night Jesus was betrayed, the Bible says He did not retaliate, although He could have sent an army of angels to His side in an instant. Instead, our Lord Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23). This is why the psalmist petitions for God to help him not sin against his enemies, but redeem him- keep him from taking the bait and falling into the pit his enemies wallow in. The psalmist desires obedience to the Lord over personal revenge. Let his example be an encouragement to us.
“Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.” -Psalm 119:129
If God’s statutes did not mean anything to the psalmist he would not have wanted to obey them. The love for what is right and true grows an inward desire for holy obedience. Those who do not love God’s law but go through the outward motions are legalists at best, hypocrites at worst. We are motivated by what we love, things we are passionate about, what we respect, and by godly fear. The difference in reverent fear for the Lord versus being afraid of Him is loving God’s authority. We trust Him to rule over us therefore we will obey. His character, His nature, demands our all and yet God Himself is not demanding. We are not His puppets on a string. Instead, the Lord woos us to Himself, unlocking the mysteries of Who He is over a lifetime of discovery. This is the heart of God for His children.
As we grow in grace toward spiritual maturity, His saints learn what a wonderful, gracious, merciful Law-Giver we serve and desire to follow His footprints. This too is a mercy as God gently leads us in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. The end result is the Christian’s glorification, reflecting the likeness of our Savior. We have been justified by His mercy, we are being sanctified in His grace, one day we will be glorified in His perfect righteousness.
“and because I consider all Your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.” -Psalm 119:128
The psalmist has already declared how much he loves God’s commands. Now he balances his affection with an equal hatred of anything which is anti-God. That is, false ways, lies and folly- Sin. Since God is the Source from Whom all blessings flow, the psalmist loves all the Father does, beginning with the good instruction He has given His children. False ways are a rejection of God’s authority. Therefore the psalmist declares all of God’s precepts as right. He has found the truth and will not easily let it go.
Sometimes during the course of a day, or even a season, we may have to fight to remember what is true. It is a very real spiritual warfare within the soul, as Lucifer has every intention to mark us as an invalid in the Lord’s army. We are to remember El Elyon, The Most High, King of Kings, when we get swept us in the cares and snares of our earthly life. I believe our Father provides helps in times of spiritual fog. My husband is a great comfort to me when I need Biblical encouragement. What other kind of encouragement is there? I know I can lean on this man to speak the truth I already know, but have somewhere along the way focused on the temporary horizon instead. God is gracious to provide His children with spiritual helps by illuminating His Word to us, and through other Christians. This is a grace that is ours in Christ Jesus.
Who is in Heaven seated on His Throne but God Almighty? Who is Omnipotent, Omniscient but Jehovah Yahweh? It is God’s mercy to align our thoughts back with His. C.S. Lewis commented on how the Lord speaks to us. He says God whispers in our joys, speaks to our consciences, and shouts in our pain. Adversity then is God’s megaphone, an instrument of grace. We want soft hearts. Soft hearts are pliable to God’s instruction, discerning to sinful choices, quick to repent. Puritan Thomas Case noted, “God softens hearts with the showers of adversity and makes us more attentive unto Him and less influenced by the noise of the world.” Our response in those trials reveals the fruit of our love for Him. May God give us grace to affirm His precepts as truth and turn from every wrong path.
“Because I love Your commands more than gold, more than pure gold,” -Psalm 119:127
The psalmist pleads for the Lord to take action in the previous verse because he treasures God’s glory more than the riches of the earth. No gemstone or precious metal is worth comparing to the greatness of God’s glory revealed in His holy gift. God’s Word is the psalmist’s delight. As a believer grows in fellowship with the Lord, he will see the wisdom in God’s boundaries, His commands, in which we are free to roam. Pasture is good, but so are fences to keep us from harm. Whether it is an outsider who seeks our undoing, or we attempt to destroy ourselves in sin, God has laid out His commands as guideposts for staying on the narrow path. This is why Christians find God’s Word priceless.
Keep to His way and you will be alert to steep cliffs, falling rocks, sharp twists and turns on your pilgrim journey. We can pray for a love of His commands and for the Holy Spirit to help us obey them. God is faithful to answer this kind of prayer since it is in line with His will. Loving the Bible leads us straight to what, or Whom, our hearts always longed for. God’s Treasure Map shows us the way to true life, eternal life hidden in Jesus Christ.
Grace upon grace,
April
For further encouragement I wanted to share this song. I’ve been thinking a lot about Heaven lately. It isn’t a discontent with all God has given me here, but knowing something better awaits. Scripture directs our steps back to Eden, through Jesus Christ. Christian, this isn’t our home. Don’t drop your anchor here. We’re almost Home.
“It is time for You to act, O LORD; Your law is being broken.” -Psalm 119:126
This verse shifts to a petition of action. It is not a demand, for who can order the Lord what to do? Rather, out of zeal for God’s Kingdom and honor, the psalmist cries out for the Lord to move swiftly. God will not allow wickedness to go unpunished- He will not be mocked. Yet God does not operate on our timetable. He is not bound by Time, for He created it. He is slow to anger, longsuffering, not wishing any to perish in Hell for everlasting wrath. I once heard a pastor say that Hell was made for Satan and the demons. It was never God’s intention to have image-bearers dwell in torment. We were made for Eden. Yet it doesn’t prevent image-bearers to rebel against God either. Rebellion and an unrepentant heart will suffer the consequences with eternal judgement.
Even the Lord Jesus took action when His Father’s house was turned into a marketplace instead of a house of worship (Matthew 21:12-13). We too can follow Jesus’ example of standing for holiness by upholding God’s laws. As redeemed sinners, we hold two truths together. The law reflects as a mirror of our true selves, mercifully, leading to repentance. Grace is now the freedom of every Christian. Just as we have been lavished in His grace, so we extend grace toward others. As the Christian matures in faith we see both extremes of legalism and grace abused as deceptive. We must stand for God’s standard as the psalmist does, crying out for justice. And yet the psalmist can boldly pray this request knowing he is securely kept by God, resting in the shadow of the Almighty. His sins are forgiven, his debt paid in full with the future blood of his Savior, Jesus Christ. Even if the psalmist’s (or our) feelings wax and wane, the facts remain. God does not give up what He has already bought with the sacrifice of His One and Only Son. Be of good courage and take heart, God will act for His people because He has already overcome the world, starting with Death.
“I am Your servant; give me discernment that I may understand Your statutes.” -Psalm 119:125
This verse is a continuation of thought and prayer from the previous. Here the psalmist goes deeper with his request. He reminds the Father for the third and final time that he is His servant. He has given himself totally and completely to Yahweh for service. Therefore, the psalmist desires to go deeper in God given instruction, by adding to his spiritual arsenal discernment and understanding. This is head knowledge practically applied. It is layered wisdom. Just like in elementary school, we begin with the foundation of education and gradually build upon it through years of maturity and discipline. Likewise, all Christians learn the basics of God’s truth through the Gospel. By God’s grace we grow deeper roots as we walk with the Lord, cultivating discerning wisdom through daily decisions. The responses we give even in the little things can sanctify or hardened our hearts.
There are means of grace we have at our disposal to nourish this spiritual muscle as well. Personal study with good commentary from wiser and usually older Christians is helpful. I like to use commentaries from Matthew Henry, John Gill, John MacArthur’s Study Bible, and the ESV Study Bible. You can find some of these resources online such as Biblegateway.com and Biblestudytools.com. Discernment also develops through sitting under Biblically sound preaching and teaching. Do the preacher’s words align with Scripture? Or is your pastor going off course dipping his toe in culture, adopting speech and wrong thinking from the world? These are good questions to consider. I have learned too that surrounding myself with serious, committed Christians encourages me to walk in excellence as well. Godliness, which is understanding lived out, finds suitable conditions to grow when we keep company with other godly men and women. This is a blessing of participating in fellowship with other believers.
The more you and I digest His truth in study, and learn from other Christians, the more we are able to acquire a Biblical worldview while living in Sodom. This is how every pilgrim equips their arsenal with ways of responding to the culture, our enemies, and our flesh. We are able to make godly decisions in what our response will be. Does the situation call for forgiveness, repentance, a gracious reply, overlooking an offense or clarity in speaking the truth? Every action is preceded with prayer. This is the fruit of marinating in God’s statutes.
Understanding God’s Word then is wisdom with feet. We know what the Bible says, we have studied His treasure trove, now our faith takes action in all we say and do. It doesn’t mean we are now perfect, never to sin again in this cursed world. What every Christian does have is a High Priest in Jesus who has justified us through His death and resurrection. The writer of Hebrews underscores this wonderful truth saying, “But when this priest [Jesus Christ] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:12-14). Every Christian is becoming who he already is in Christ. God is at work conforming the character of every believer into Christlikeness, which will take our entire lifetime.
The desire of the psalmist is to be kept safe from his enemies as the previous verses indicate. Yet he also longs for God to faithfully draw him closer into His circle of fellowship. The only way for us to grow deeper with the Lord is by first dying to self. Self will, self desire, autonomous living is contrary to God’s authority. Even Jesus our Lord, submitting to the Father, learned obedience through suffering. We too must learn the same. A servant is not greater than his master. Right before He went to the cross Jesus said,
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me.” (John 12:23-26)
The Lord has promised to draw near to those who seek Him. We are never abandoned. What then is the soil of your soul like? Are you dry and weary? Are you happily planted, enjoying the rich ground right where God has you? Or do you feel stuck? Alive but withering. God is waiting to draw near to this soul. He will lead you then by His mercy today and tomorrow and the next day. God is a generous giver of His wisdom, mercy and grace if we would only ask.
redeemed in grace 