“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.
“Deal with Your servant according to Your love and teach me Your decrees.” -Psalm 119:124
This is the second time the psalmist refers to himself as “Your servant”. He is petitioning for the Lord to take up arms on his behalf since he belongs to His service. A master looks out for the well-being of his servants. He makes sure interlopers do not come onto his property to harm or kidnap what does not belong to them. Like a shepherd who fiercely protects his flock from ravenous wolves, so the Father will mercifully take care of His children. We are not only servants, but adopted family in the Kingdom of God. How much more will a father love his son or daughter over a hired hand? How much more will he protect them? God will surely act according to His love for us. If we believe the Lord is perfectly just, perfectly good and perfectly loving, then we can trust Him with our days and obey His commands, as this is our duty and the will of God.
He is also faithful to teach His children. This too is a mercy. Only God bestows instruction, which keeps us from boasting about any spiritual wisdom we have attained. It is a gift from the Lord. The apostle Paul writes, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). What a helpful reminder for saints to remain humble in the spiritual graces we have been given. It is because of the Lord’s mercy that we receive anything from Him, not because of our own merit.
The wise man then seeks more wisdom, realizing there is so much he doesn’t know. It is interesting to observe how wisdom and humility intersect to produce a teachable heart. Wisdom is willing to be taught, hungry for truth, sincerely seeking God’s best, instead of looking out for his own interest. The psalmist goes to the Source of all knowledge, asking for God’s grace to teach him more. He is in the best posture to receive spiritual nourishment: a teachable, humble spirit, dependent on God. This the Lord does not despise.
It is a general principle that God grows His children in grace of the knowledge of Him through trials. Here we run to God, cling to Christ, finding comfort and guidance from the Holy Spirit. Our faith is refined in the crosses we bear because as we look to Jesus, we realize we aren’t carrying these burdens alone. Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28). Our spiritual vision is sharpened when we look to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. We can freely approach the Throne of Grace, asking Him to watch over us according to His love and teach us according to His wisdom. Go to Him today and ask, for He will freely give.
“My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, looking for Your righteous promise.” -Psalm 119:123
This is the lowest point in the octave. Our afflictions or disappointments overwhelm us to the point where we can’t think straight on what is true. Our faith may shrink but does not evaporate. The psalmist is still praying, still pleading to the Lord even though he does not sense His Presence. God is always actively at work in His children, and in the affairs of men. Puritan Richard Baxter comments on God’s mysterious providence. When we stand in Heaven, looking back on how our lives played out here on earth, if we still can’t understand God’s infinite wisdom, we can surely rest in His eternal goodness toward us:
“The Lord had a sweeter purpose and meant better than you would believe. Your Redeemer was saving you as much when He crossed your desires as when He granted them, and He was saving you when He broke your heart as much as when He bound it up.”
Our earthly eyes will fail us since we are finite creatures, with limited understanding to only what is seen. May God give us grace to have heavenly eyes of faith to comprehend the unseen, but very real spiritual warfare marching over the face of the earth. The angels in Heaven are clashing against Satan’s demonic forces in real time, each and every day. So when you and I are in despair, let us look up. Who is in Heaven? Who gives Satan any authority to speak of? Who allows the wicked to roam the earth for a set time? Who is longsuffering like God, not wishing any of His image-bearers to perish in Hell? Who died on the cross for redeemed sinners? Look to Jesus and ask Him to give you an eternal perspective. The story does not end here, it begins here. When we see things as God does we can be at peace, remembering He is in control and has never lost control over Heaven and Earth. On this particular verse Matthew Henry writes, “Though our eyes fail, yet God’s word does not, and therefore those that build upon it, though now discouraged, shall in due time see his salvation.” The battle is in the King’s Hands, His promises sure. We have certain victory over our enemies.
Help us, Father, in our weaknesses, fears and doubts that threaten to snatch up what has been planted inside of us. We have this treasure in but jars of clay. Be our Deliverer day by day until we see Christ face to face.
This is a newer song I’m not as familiar with. Yet since I first heard it, it is one of the songs I wake up thinking about. What we have to look forward to in Glory far outweighs this fleeting life. The first few lines of this song are a sweet reminder of this: “We will feast in the House of Zion, we will sing with our hearts restored. He has done great things, we will say together: We will feast and weep no more!”
“Ensure Your servant’s well-being; let not the arrogant oppress me.” -Psalm 119:122
This verse is a prayer of petition, carried over in thought from the previous verse. It is the first of three times in this octave the psalmist will refer to himself as “Your servant”. It is the second time he has mentioned his oppressors (v. 121). The psalmist feels the pressure closing in on all sides, so he looks for deliverance in the Lord. His plea is for God to not forget him during this trial. How does the Caretaker of our souls tend to our well-being? Physically, He provides for us and can keep us from harm. Spiritually, He waters the garden of every redeemed heart by pulling up weeds of sin, fear and doubt. God then plants His love, peace and trust in us. It isn’t a passive supernatural act. Since we are co-heirs with Christ we are also co-laborers with Him, beginning with spiritual discipline in ourselves. We are called to lives of holiness as part of our sanctification. Elisabeth Elliot observed,
“The Holy Spirit does not do all the controlling for us. He requires us to act. He helps us, but He expects us to co-operate […] If we begin each day by an acknowledgement of our dependence on Him, and our intention to obey Him, He will certainly help us. The Holy Spirit, who is the source of our life, then directs the course. Every discipline imposed in that course is for one purpose: to bring us to our full glory, and to make us part of the permanent that cannot die.”
We are partakers of God’s grace toward us through the spiritual disciplines of reading and meditating on His Word, prayer, fellowship with believers, and placing ourselves under the authority of doctrinally sound preaching and teaching. God is then faithful to reap a harvest of righteousness in us, as we are being sanctified. This is God’s way to ensure our well-being, and deliver us from evil. The promises of God are deeply rooted, never to be turned over by the wicked affairs of men. His plans “stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations” (Psalm 33:11), which include yesterday, today and tomorrow until Jesus comes back. In Christ we stand on solid ground. Our arrogant oppressors have no firm footing to speak of.
Grace upon grace,
April
Growing deeper: Psalm 2; Matthew 10:28; 2 Corinthians 4:8-18
“I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors.” -Psalm 119:121
Have you ever felt alone? A spouse dies, a friend abandons you, or no one around you quite understands your feelings or circumstances. At some point we all have felt alone. Secondary infertility and living in a special needs world is certainly a struggle of loneliness at times for me when this isn’t the norm for most. No matter how loving and gracious family and friends are, there is no “fixing” it. Yet staying in self pity or despair is just how Satan oppresses God’s children. The remedy then is to go to God in our distress, like the psalmist does. God will never forsake His own no matter how abandoned we might feel. When Satan tempts us to despair, we must ask, “what is true?”, “what is God’s character?”, “what are His promises toward me?”, “can I trust the Lord even in suffering?”
In God’s loving sovereignty not one hair on our heads is touched without His permission. Nothing happens outside of His will, even the free will of man’s sinful choices. This too is in the Lord’s foreknowledge. There is so much you and I can’t possibly begin to understand in how the Lord operates. Somehow the Lord lovingly purposes pain, oppression and sorrow so that we might not rely on ourselves but on Him. It is death to a dream, to self, so that we can have life in sweeter, deeper, richer fellowship with the One who loves us best.
The psalmist in this verse honestly recalls his own behavior before the Lord. This isn’t a moment of spiritual pride but of examining himself and finding he is blameless, much like Job when he was afflicted. This doesn’t mean he has never sinned, but his character is consistent with holiness. The psalmist pursues and practices holy living. He goes to find relief from God, not men, and leaves His enemies in the Lord’s Hands. When we need help, who do we run to first? Following the writer’s example, we too can go to God with all our needs, desires and pleas. It is also wise to leave our oppressors, physical or spiritual, in God’s Hands. Our Lord will continually deliver His beloved from the slings and arrows of this life with His Power and Promises by sharpening our eternal perspective, refining our faith.
My favorite hymn of the moment is ‘O Love that wilt not let me go’. It is taken from a poem written by George Matheson (1842-1906). He penned these words from a personal heartbreak. As a young man, Matheson was engaged to be married but found out he was going blind. There was nothing the doctors could do. His fiancee did not want to be married to a blind man so she left him. Out of his pain of rejection we have this beautiful hymn. Suffering in God’s economy is never wasted. I hope this hymn blesses you as it has me.
“I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors. Ensure Your servant’s well-being; let not the arrogant oppress me. My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, looking for Your righteous promise. Deal with Your servant according to Your love and teach me Your decrees. I am Your servant; give me discernment that I may understand Your statutes. It is time for You to act, O LORD; Your law is being broken. Because I love Your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all Your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.” -Psalm 119:121-128 Ayin
Look at how many times the psalmist refers to himself as God’s servant. In between his pleas, the writer reminds himself of where his allegiance lies. He cannot be anything but for the Truth. This makes him a prime target for the enemy. Will the Lord protect him? Did He come to the writer’s rescue? The short answer is ‘Yes’. Our Father snatches His children from the enemy’s grasp through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. The believer’s soul is never in danger because the ransom has been paid, those in Christ are free.
Yet the dogs of Satan and Lucifer himself would love nothing more than to silence God’s children. If our souls cannot be claimed for the prince of the air, then the devil seeks to devour Christian pilgrims through paralysis of fear, hopeless doubt, loneliness, vainglory, material distractions and persecution, to name a few. In our flesh we even give Satan a helping hand. It is possible to destroy ourselves in sin without external afflictions. But God is faithful. Not only does He keep His Beloved and fight for us, the Lord our Shepherd is sure to teach His sheep. The Spirit teaches God’s thoughts, ways and commands through the written Word. This is how He rescues us from our enemies, our sin and godless world views, by faithfully instructing His children. Jehovah El Emeth, the LORD God of truth, does not forsake His own. This is our encouragement. We are not left floundering on our own, fending for ourselves. God rescues and then equips those He dearly loves. The psalmist’s prayer is answered ultimately in the Greatest Rescue Plan. God our Father bought each redeemed sinner with the blood of His own Son, Jesus Christ. Those He saves are His delight.
Grace upon grace,
April
Growing deeper: John 10:1-18; Ephesians 2:1-10; 6:10-18
I stumbled upon a video the other day of something I have never seen before. It appears to be just one musician in a public square, playing for a little girl who places a coin in his hat. He begins to play Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and what happens in the next few minutes is beautiful. I won’t spoil it for you, except to say it reminds me a bit of what Heaven is like. The Christian hymn Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee, written by Henry Van Dyke, is set to the music from Ode to Joy. I couldn’t help but think of those words during this video. Think of it, one day thousands upon thousands of Christians will lift up our voices in song to praise our Heavenly Father. Heaven is not at all boring contrary to the lies we’ve been sold in our culture. We won’t be sitting on marshmallow clouds plucking harps, yawning away the day. Heaven is one big adventure without sin entangling us. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden, we too will enjoy sweet, unhindered fellowship with our Creator. I believe we will get to explore the new Heaven and new Earth, just as our first parents had free reign over God’s Creation except of the one tree. But I digress…
Even though this video is an orchestrated ad for a Spanish banking company, I was moved to tears nonetheless.
“All the wicked of the earth You discard like dross; therefore I love Your statutes.” -Psalm 119:119
This verse follows in thought from the previous concerning the wicked. Just as God’s love is great toward His own, it remains true of His great wrath toward the unrepentant. The psalmist is sure of the coming judgment on the wicked, which causes him to cherish God’s promises and commands even more. Evil will not last forever since God has won the war. This is the good news which lightens the heart of every Christian. God will destroy the wicked. They will depart from His sight and be no more in His Presence or ours if we are in Christ Jesus. Trouble lasts for a night but joy comes with the morning. Amid the burning heat of your trials, you are being refined. Yet the imitators, deceivers and revilers are melted away like the dross they are.
John Gill, a pastor who preached in the same church as Charles Spurgeon one hundred years earlier, commented on this passage. He regarded those who made a show of being like silver and gold as nothing more than reprobate silver, rejected by God as a cheap imitation. For even Satan masquerades as an angel of light and his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). The Lord’s commands therefore serve as a means of preserving the believer. When we follow God’s ways in sincere and pure devotion we are kept safe, secure from destroying ourselves in sin, safeguarded from false teaching, discerning toward hypocrites and the vain things of this world.
“You reject all who stray from Your decrees, for their deceitfulness is in vain.” -Psalm 119:118
Nominal Christians will not have a share in the Kingdom of God. This group of cultural Christians is to be most pitied. Growing up in the Bible Belt, it is common to see compartmentalized Christianity. It is a place where Sundays are for church and every other day of the week is for living how we see fit. To have one foot in worship and one foot in sin is no worship at all.
Elisabeth Elliot once remarked how her parents were “Seven days a week Christians”, meaning the Lord was their life. His will commanded their everyday. To hear and taste the sweetness of God, to move in the circles of saints and remain unregenerate is tragic. Their lives are in vain. Like Judas, there are tares among the wheat and they will be rejected by God. He cannot stand outward pietism, merely going through the motions to look good for the praise of men. Vain glory is not God glorifying.
This verse serves as a profitable warning for true saints as well, to not remain stagnant, but vigilant, in pursuing God, otherwise we too might become self-deceived. God’s grace is a precious gift not meant to be neglected, abused or taken for granted. Embrace the grace which you receive by faith, and “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Philippians 2:12b-13).
Let each saint not give way to ideas of a works based salvation, but faithfully bear fruit as a result of the seed of faith planted and watered in your soul. Practically speaking, persevering as a believer looks like habitual time reading and meditating on God’s Word. It is finding a church home to regularly attend where Scripture is not diminished but upheld as the authoritative words of God. Prayer is like talking with a friend throughout the day. Christians reverence God and take His commands seriously. Christianity isn’t a game, something to entertain us or to make us feel good about ourselves one day a week. It is an all or nothing devotion to the Prince of Peace. Abide in Jesus and your life will not be in vain.
redeemed in grace 