“Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments. Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name. Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me. Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep your precepts. Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes. My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.” Psalm 119:129-136
Today we have so many choices concerning how to live our lives…so many choices that we are confused, fearful and depressed. That is what so many worldly choices will do…and that is also why there are so many… to keep us confused, fearful, and depressed. “Preacher…you are sounding like a conspiracy theorist!” Well, in this case there is no conspiracy, the Bible clearly tells us that the world is against Him and us as believers. It is not theory…it is fact! With this being fact…where do we turn?
The Psalmist makes this abundantly clear in Psalm 119…we turn and depend upon God and His Word so we do not have to be confused, fearful and depressed. He knows God’s Word works because he has seen it work in his life, “Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.” The word in the Hebrew for “wonderful” here is the word for “tried and true”. God’s Word has been put to the test by the psalmist and it has been found to be true, reliable and trustworthy so he would be a fool not to keep it.
Next, he says, “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” It is God’s Word that sheds light on all of our decisions…all of our questions…all of our struggles in this life. God’s Word exposes what is in the darkness trying to stay hidden, which is another reason for the struggles against us… because darkness is not going to go down alone. The last thing it wants is for us to understand it, since with understanding comes confidence against it “…your word…imparts understanding to the simple.” God’s Word sheds light on something we haven’t been able to see and we say to ourselves, “Why didn’t I see that before? It was right in front of my face and I didn’t even notice it.” The Word enables us to see what was previously hidden by the darkness at just the right time.
What do you long for? What do you desire above all things? Can you answer this without hesitation? King David does, saying, “I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments.” For those who run, or walk fast you sometimes reach the point where you have to stop because you can’t get your breath so you pant longing for more air… as such… the Psalmist, in the midst of life’s struggles longs for God’s Word to give him the life he needs to keep pressing forward to do his work and to worship according to God’s commands.
He has talked about what he is to do with God’s Word now he asks God to do what He has promised, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name. Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me. Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep your precepts. Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.” Do you see what he is asking of God? “Turn to me…be gracious to me…Keep steady my steps…let no iniquity get dominion over me…Redeem me… Make your face to shine upon your servant and teach me…” He recognizes that he can’t do this on his own. He also recognizes that if God doesn’t keep His promises to do these all is lost because he knows most assuredly that there are no answers that this life throws out there that will enable him to keep pushing forward for God’s glory and the good of God’s people. He knows it is only in dependence on God and His Word that he can rise above the confusion, fearfulness and depression that are the products of a life lived without God and God’s law.
He knows what works…and it is not “David’s truth”…but God’s Truth… that is why we find him in tears at the end of this section of verses… “My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.” He knows the truth and he grieves over God’s people who would rather listen to the world than to the tried and true Word of God. David knows that this is not a time to be angry with the foolishness of God’s people who would rather be confused, fearful and depressed…it is a time for tears. He is consumed with grief; he is a man of sorrows…for God’s people. So He weeps for his people …for his sheep, as their shepherd…like Jesus, the Man of Sorrows because God’s people are refusing to walk in the light of God’s Word.
Choose this day, by God’s grace, to follow the Lord and His Word rather than the world. Test His Word and see that it is true!
God Bless, y’all.
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
