“Remember Your Word to Your servant, for You have given me hope.

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from Your law.

I remember Your ancient laws, O Lord, and I find comfort in them.

Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken Your law.

Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge.

In the night I remember Your name, O Lord, and I will keep Your law.

This has been my practice: I obey Your precepts.” -Psalm 119:49-56 (Zayin)

God is the psalmist’s comfort. Even when he is mocked for his faith, the psalmist knows where to turn. He makes it his practice- a habit, remembering, keeping and obeying. What exactly does he remember? What is the psalmist meditating on? What or Who is his anchor? He recounts God’s character, His past faithfulness and future promises. What we know of God determines how much you and I trust Him. What do you know of God to be true? This is a practice for every believer: to preach to ourselves what we know is true especially when our feelings don’t align. Emotions are fickle, moody creatures. The truth does not change which is why the writer keeps returning to this pillar. The psalmist knows God, trusts Him, and loves Him with all he has. An obedient heart is the fruit of this kind of captivating love. He wants to follow the Lord no matter the cost. The writer does not compromise with the wicked or his own sinful inclinations. 

God is our comfort too in times of ease or affliction. Living as a true follower of Christ has never been “fashionable”. Ironically this is what makes me cling to Him more. Letting go more and more of what the world thinks of you, instead concerning ourselves with what our Maker thinks of us. Yes, “the world is watching” and with this thinking our witness does matter. Yet how much more freeing to live for an audience of One, knowing God is watching you. I am sure if Christians lived with this mindset instead of caring about the praise/fear of man our missions would be bolder, unwilling to capitulate.

Through the work of Christ, the Lord holds fast to His beloved children. He has loved His own before the foundation of the world and will not forsake us. The God of all comfort will give strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak (Isaiah 40:29). This is His promise to remember today as you and I persevere in faith.

Grace upon grace,

April

Grow deeper: Isaiah 40 

“for I delight in Your commands because I love them.” -Psalm 119:47

Continuing his thought from the previous verse, the psalmist is not silent about what he loves. He delights in God’s ways. The more teaching, understanding, and obedience which follows, the more we delight too. The Lord provides wisdom when we ask for it, allowing us to grow deeper in the rich soil of Scripture (James 1:5-8). Then we are given thousands of opportunities each day to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit and mature as saints. Wisdom collides with training for our sanctification which makes God’s commands very practical for everyday living. This is the adventure of saints which will last an earthly lifetime. God is faithful to help every believer grow from curiosity, to instruction, to action, to eternally satisfying love in Him.

“I lift up my hands to Your commands, which I love, and I meditate on Your decrees.” -Psalm 119:48

Worship. Love. Meditation. The sequence is in reverse for our response to God once we digest a portion of His Word. The psalmist lifts up his hands in worship because he loves his God, because he has marinated in truth and found it satisfyingly sweet. There is no substitute for Scripture which will give us life and peace through Jesus Christ. Only God leads to everlasting joy which is why we too can lift up our hands in worship of the Law-Giver and Redeemer. He is our Great Delight.

Grace upon grace,

April 

“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out Your precepts.” -Psalm 119:45

There is freedom, liberty, open space to live when we know our boundaries. This is why God’s Word is good for us. He has commands for you and I to follow, for our protection, because He loves us. They are also for our sanctification, to increase our love and trust in Him. With God on our side we have nothing to fear. No dictator, oppressive government or overbearing boss can take away our eternal reward. The significance of this matters for how we go about our day to day. Keeping an eternal perspective helps when we are tempted to give in to doubt, peer pressure, worry, fear or despair. God’s people live set apart, swimming against the cultural current. And let us be a free people- a people of prayer, living boldly, peacefully and joyfully before others. This is the power of Christ in you.

“I will speak of Your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame,” -Psalm 119:46

The psalmist has courage to speak truth even before the most powerful men in his world. He is willing to speak up because God is his treasure. We cannot clam up about what we love most. Therefore God is not ashamed to be his God and the psalmist’s eternal reward will not be met with shame but with blessing.

Grace upon grace,

April 

Grow deeper: Mark 8:34-38

“Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your Word.” -Psalm 119:37

This verse is a suitable parallel to the previous one. Along with turning toward God, the psalmist specifically asks to turn away from things which will burn up at the end of time. He knows temporal pleasures are worthless compared to everlasting riches; satisfaction found in God alone. The psalmist values more life in God which includes an ever expanding view of who God is, enriching fellowship with the Lord and His saints; more love, faith and power gifted by the Holy Spirit. As C.S. Lewis would say, “Further up and further in!”.

“Fulfill Your promise to Your servant, so that You may be feared.” -Psalm 119:38

Could King David (likely the psalmist) be referring to the promise of God in which one day the Eternal King would come from his line (2 Samuel 7:11-16; 27-29)? We know Jesus came from David’s family tree as God fulfilled His promise. Yet another part of the promise is yet to be fulfilled. At Christ’s Second Coming He will rightfully take His Throne and cleanse the world of sin and sorrow. What an Awesome God we serve! He is to be rightly feared and will be by all at the end of Time (Philippians 2:9-11).

Grace upon grace,

April

Reference: The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

 

“Teach me, O Lord, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.” -Psalm 119:33

A scholar wants to know all his professor knows; an apprentice studies the ways of the one he works for. Yet in order to be teachable in God’s schoolroom, humility precedes learning. God will not impress His deeper truths on our hearts if we are not seeking, willing to submit no matter the costs. The difference in head knowledge and wisdom by faith is a confident peace which God blesses only His children. Atheists may read the Bible from cover to cover and have the capacity to answer every trivia question. But if the heart is unchanged then sadly the unrepentant merely scratch the surface of God’s storehouse. The psalmist knows this here, praying to learn from God as his Teacher and Master, persevering on the straight and narrow path.

“Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart.” -Psalm 119:34

The same request is given here as in verse 33. Faith is practical and active which is why the psalmist uses language like “keep”, “follow” and “obey”. He also sees the necessity for the Lord to grow his faith with more understanding, asking God to “give” and “teach”. Verses 33 and 34 are similar but different. Verse 34 reaches deeper in asking for understanding. It is one thing to be taught and retain head knowledge. To understand what we’ve been taught shows maturity as we begin to meditate on God’s commands. Finally what we do with the truths we have heard, then studied, is where our faith grow feet. Submitting to God requires a response of obedience that develops into habits of holiness over a lifetime. But it first starts with a heart change or else our actions are nothing more than legalistic/salvation by works. This is a work of grace only God can accomplish which is why the psalmist prays in this specific order. Teach me; bless me with understanding for wisdom and discernment; then help me obey what I have learned. These verses are evidence of God at work in the psalmist. When we can pray for instruction because we desire faithful obedience, rest assured God is cultivating the fruit of your heart. 

Grace upon grace,

April