Psalm 119:65-72

TETH

 

Spurgeon notes that the verses in this stanza are the witness of David's experience, testifying to the goodness of God, the graciousness of His dealings, and the preciousness of His word.

 

Teach me good judgment and knowledge
For I believe Your commandments.
~ Ps. 119:66
This is another of those verses where I have written my children's name in the margin of my Bible,
and pray over them!

How do you deal with adversity?

 

 

Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
~ Ps. 119:67

 

It is good for me that I have been afflicted,

That I may learn Your statutes.

~ Ps. 119:71

 

Regarding this verse, my Bible notes that affliction is seen here as having a positive influence in teaching the reliability of what God says.

 

Spurgeon calls it the excellent uses of adversity!

 

How well do you deal with adversity?  When trouble comes, do you respond with bitterness like Job's wife and turn away from God ?
 "Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!'"  ~ Job 2:9

OR

do you respond like Joseph, recognizing that God works good in our lives through trials and affliction:
"But as for you, you meant evil against me,
But God meant it for good."  ~ Gen. 50:20

 

We see in verse 71 that David recognizes the value of affliction in his life, that he might turn to God and learn of His statutes.  A friend of mine underwent a terrible physical affliction, but his response was one for us all to learn from - he made this statement: 

when you are in a difficult situation, don't ask "why me?" 

Instead, ask 'What's it's purpose?'

 

It is through the FIRE that gold is refined to its pure beauty!

Allow God to use the trials in your life to refine you - that you might learn of Him, lean on Him, grow in Him!  As Job said, that you might come forth as gold!

 When He has tested me,

I shall come forth as gold!

~ Job 23:10

 

"Darlin', maturity only comes through pain." ~ Dr. Jimmy Young

 

The law of Your mouth is better to me

Than thousands of coins of gold & silver.

~Ps. 119:72

 

 

 

Is God's word precious to you??

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• The Lord deals faithfully with His people according to His covenants with them
• God is good and does good
• God allows adversity & affliction so that we may learn from them, walking more closely to God's commandments
• God's word is of the highest value

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

I praise God for His word, that is better to me than thousands of coins of gold & silver

I praise God that even affliction draws me closer to His word

PRAYER:

     O Lord, You have dealt well with me, and I praise You with my whole heart.  I pray that You will teach me good judgment and knowledge, and my husband & children also.  You are good and do good, I pray that You will teach me & those I love Your statutes - give us great & wise understanding of Your precepts, that we may apply them to our lives and that they may guide our thoughts, words & deeds. 

    I pray along with King David that I would keep Your precepts with my whole heart - I long to do this, O Lord, but fail every day.  I find myself more like Paul - I don't do the things I want to do, and I do those things I don't want to do!  Be pleased to grant to me great delight in Your law, and discipline to keep Your word which is better to me than thousands of coins of gold & silver.  In Jesus' name I pray ~ Amen



Psalm 119:57-64

HETH

The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy. 
~ Ps. 119:64

In this section of Psalm 119, Charles Spurgeon notes that David takes firm hold of God Himself,

1. appropriating Him (v. 57)
2. crying out for Him (v. 58)
3. returning to Him (v. 59)
4. solacing himself in Him (v. 61-62)
5. associating with His people (v. 63)
6. sighing for personal experience of His goodness (v. 64)

"I would counsel every Christian to answer all temptations with this short saying,

'the Lord is my portion.' 

~ Thomas Brooks

.

Thou art my portion, O LORD. God is all sufficient; get him for your "portion", and you have all.

~ John Mason, 1694

 

Many will say with David, that God is their portion; but here is the point: how do they prove it?

If God were their portion, they would love Him;

if they loved Him they would love His word;

if they loved His word they would live by it and make it the rule of their life.

~ William Cowper

 

A good point to ponder: 

is God's word the rule of your life?

 

 

 

 

Be merciful to me according to Your word.

~ Ps. 119:58

Here in verse 2, David reflects upon his prayers to God, and renews his petition. 
He prays, "Be merciful to me, in the forgiveness of what I have done amiss, and in giving me grace to do better in the future."  ~ Matthew Henry

 

 

I entreated Your favor with my whole heart.
~ Ps. 119:58

As Walter Marshall notes, prayer is chiefly a heart work. God hears the heart without the mouth, but never hears the mouth acceptably without the heart.

"But the Lord said to Samuel, '. . . for the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  ~ I Sam. 16:7

In verse 63, David reminds us of the value of God's people in our lives; like-minded believers with whom we can share our faith and be accountable for our actions.   

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• The Lord is my portion - all I need
• God is merciful according to His word - not according to anything I might bring
• The Lord delights in my obedience to His commandments
• God's judgments are righteous

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that He is my portion and all I need, and that He is merciful to me according to His word, not mine!

 PRAYER:

     O Lord, I pray with David and claim that You are my portion.  Be all that I need, and may I never look for another.  I entreat Your favor with my whole heart, and pray that You will be merciful to me and my family according to Your word. 

     I bless You for the Christian friends in my life, friend with whom I can share my faith and to whom I can be accountable for my actions.  They are kind blessings from Your hand, and I pray that I will be a good friend to them as well.

     I pray, Father, that You will teach me Your statutes, and that Your Holy Spirit will make my heart sensitive to my sin - that I will ponder all my ways and turn my feet to Your testimonies. 

     The earth, O God, is full of Your mercy - how I praise You and love You, Lord!  In Jesus' name I pray ~ Amen

    

 

 

 

 

Psalm 119:49-56

ZAYIN

In this stanza, the Scripture shows us that God can be trusted despite the proud and the wicked. 

David opens with a prayer that God will remember His word - and we can know with absolute certainty that God will indeed be true to that!

Thou art faithful, and therefore will perform what Thou hast promised,

and will not break Thy word.

~ M.H.

This is my comfort in my affliction,

for Your word has given me life.

~ Ps. 119:50

Regarding this verse, Matthew Henry notes that God's word 'quickens' us :

• When we are dead in sin
• When we are in duty
• It quickens us to that which is good when we are backward and averse to it
• It quickens us in that which is good when we are cold and indifferent

 Do you ever awaken in the night  with a burden?  Or can't even fall asleep because so many things are on your mind?  Things always seem to be worse in those dark hours, don't they?  Verse 55 reminds us to turn our thoughts to the Lord at these times:

I remember Your name in the night, O Lord.
~Ps. 119:55

Note the last verse of this stanza in which David sums up his thoughts:

This has become mine,

Because I kept Your precepts.

~ Ps. 119:56

Charles Spurgeon makes this note:

David had this comfort, this remembrance of God, this power to sing, this courage to face the enemy, this hope in the promise, because he had earnestly observed the commands of God, and striven to walk in them. We are not rewarded for our works, but there is a reward in them. Many a comfort is obtainable only by careful living.

God's work is its own wages.  A heart to obey the will of God is a most valuable reward of obedience.

~ Matthew Henry

 WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God is faithful to His word . . . and to His people
• God's word gives me life

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that I can trust Him to remember His word to His people  . . . and never forget
• I bless the Lord that His word quickens me, and has given me life

PRAYER:
     O Lord, I praise You that You remembered Your word King David, and You remember it today to me!  I bless You that I can hope upon Your word with certainty, that Your word is comfort, and has given me life. 
     Would You strengthen me, Father, to be like David - to earnestly observe Your commands and strive to walk in them daily.  May You continually fashion my heart obey Your will, and may I seek Your precepts and make Your statutes my song.  ~ In Jesus' name I pray ~ Amen

Psalm 119:41-48

WAW

Do you find yourself justifying wrong behavior saying, "Oh well, everybody else is doing it!"  Do you struggle with "situation ethics" - a system of ethics that evaluates acts in light of their situational context rather than by the application of moral absolutes.  

My Bible notes that the summary of this stanza in Psalm 119 is despite the mockery of worldlings the psalmist will commit himself to the value of Scriptures.  In verse 46, David boldly states:

I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings,

and will not be ashamed.

~ Ps. 119:46

"Let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods,
Nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."
~ Dan. 3:17

Shadrach, Mesach, and Abed-Nego spoke boldly before King Nebuchadnezzar,

even at the risk of putting their own lives in peril.

Do you speak of God's testimonies boldly . . . before anybody?  I think this is especially difficult today because our culture balks at moral absolutes and absolute truth.  May we meditate on this verse today and apply it to our lives - and speak boldly of God's word & testimonies to our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers, our family members, or even strangers on the street!

And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
which I love.
~Ps. 119:47 

Regarding this verse, my Bible notes:

The delight of God's people is not in material things,

but in obedience to His commandments.

Love is more than an emotion; it includes obedience.

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God is merciful
• God is my salvation
• God's word is trustworthy

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that His mercies came to David of old . . . and they come to me today!
• I bless the Lord for His salvation according to His word

PRAYER:  this is a beautiful prayer by Ruth Myers, guiding us to pray for our friends and family members who don't know Christ.  Fill in the blanks with the names of your loved ones:

     Lord, I bow humbly before You.  You are high and exalted and I am so small and so human, so limited by time and space.  You are holy and I fall so short of Your glorious ideals.  What amazing grace that You grant me access to You at all times, day and night!
     Show me afresh Your deep love for the world - Your yearning that people trust Christ and live with You forever in Your eternal family.  To think that my prayers can help fulfill Your longings!
     I desire to persevere in prayer day by day for my unsaved family members and friends, including especially _________, ___________, and ____________.  Give me grace to pray for them often, and to relate to them with greater love and helpfulness, and to tell them of Christ in winsome and timely ways.  Make them intensely aware of their need for forgiveness.  Convince them of Your love and draw them to Christ .  Do the same for my friends and more distant relatives who don't know You, including __________ and ___________. 
     It seems, Lord, that there are so many barriers that keep people from You.  Deliver those who think there are no absolutes, who believe that every viewpoint or lifestyle is okay as long as it seems right to them.  Turn people from modern philosophies and Eastern religious practices - and from pursing ideals of some sort, depending on their own efforts rather than on Christ.  Defeat Satan as he blinds them to their need of the Cross.  Open the eyes of thousands daily to the glorious light of the Good News of Christ.  May many trust You for forgiveness in our community, our region, and beyond.  In Jesus' name ~ Amen

Psalm 119:33-40

HE

 

As King of Israel, with every possible worldly thing available to him, David recognizes the folly of covetousness.  He asks the Lord for restraining grace, as Matthew Henry notes:

The honors, pleasures and profits of the world are the vanities, the prospect of which draw multitudes away from the paths of religion and godliness. 

The eye, when fastened on these, infects the heart with the love of them, and so it is alienated from God and divine things.  Like David, we ought to pray that God by His providence would keep vanity out of our sight and that, by His grace, He would keep us from being enamoured with the sight of it.

 

Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things.
~ Ps. 119:36

I completely understand David's plea in verse 36.  For me personally, when I read verse 36, I think VESTA HOME SHOW! 

VESTA HOME SHOW

 

In the early years of our marriage, we struggled financially.  I was a stay-at-home mom, and it was a financial sacrifice for us. 

We lived in a fix-up house, and most of our furniture came from the attics of family members. 

 

The Vesta Home show was an annual event where a new home was on display with the latest builder specialty designs and furnishings.  It was fun to go and "dream," but it became a stumbling block for me - it caused me to be very discontent with my house and to COVET:   better furniture, draperies, even something as silly as better bathroom faucets!  

 

Can you relate?  Are you prone to covet in a particular area of your life?  May we remember verses 36 & 37 and ask the Lord to turn our eyes from looking at worthless things. 

Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
~ Ps. 119:35

 

Regarding verse 35, my Bible notes that the path of Your commandments refers to conduct in obedience to the will of God.  May we all faithfully walk along this path!

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God gives me understanding of His word
• God's judgments are good
• God establishes His word to His people  - that is, He fulfills His promises to them in due time

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord for His word and for the enlightenment of His Holy Spirit, who gives my mind and heart understanding 
• I praise the Lord that His judgments are good . . . all the time
• I bless the Lord that He establishes His word - He fulfills His covenants and promises to His people

PRAYER:  by F.B. Meyer
     Make me, O Lord, to know the hope of Your calling, the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in the saints, and the exceeding greatness of Your power toward those who believe.  Above all, grant me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Yourself.  ~ Amen

Psalm 119:25-32

DALETH

Once again we see in these verses David asking the Lord to "teach" him, to make him "understand the way of Your precepts."  Another good thought for us to offer up in prayer each day! 

Verse 29 is interesting:  Remove from me the way of lying.  This is a prayer we should all pray . . . probably every day!  The issue of honesty pervades every area of our lives.  Have you been 100% truthful every day of your life?  Of course not.  We see in these verses that David recognizes the folly of being untruthful and asks the Lord to help him overcome that sin.  Possibly David learned this brutally difficult lesson in the aftermath of his adulterous affair with Bathsheba -he was dishonest and deceitful, and it led to murder, death, and the ultimate destruction of his family. 

Remove from me the way of lying.
~Ps. 119:29

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,

But those who deal truthfully are His delight.

~ Prov. 12:22

A recent article in a successful national business journal quoted a number of executives as saying it was impossible to succeed in business today without compromising the truth.  May we, like David, ask the Lord to remove from us the way of lying, and each seek to live with honesty & integrity in every area of our lives.

If we are careful to be honest in the little things, we will certainly be careful to be honest in the more important things of life.  ~ Jerry Bridges 

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• The Lord will grant me understanding of His ways
• The Lord will strengthen me according to His word

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that He revives & strengthens me when my soul is "iheavy"
• I praise the Lord when I meditate on His wonderful works

PRAYER: like David, Ruth Myers recognizes the beauty of God's statutes, precepts, testimonies & commandments - enjoy this beautiful prayer she penned:

      I glorify You for the Bible - that wonderful, written revelation of You and Your plan.

As snow and rain fall from the skies to meet our needs,

so You have condensed Your thoughts - which are vastly higher than all human thoughts - into written-down form. 

I'm so grateful that You cared enough to communicate with us in this clear, unchanging, always-accessible way,

so that Your thoughts are now available at all times to refresh and nourish and teach me . . .

and that You are still a communicating God, speaking these words to me as I am attentive to You,

as I read and meditate with a listening heart. 

What a privilege it is to store Your Word in my heart, where You can use it at any moment to bless me and guide me .  .  .

to keep me from sinning against You . . .

and to be a storehouse of inspired words that the Spirit can bring to my mind to help others.

     Thank You that in Your word I can see Your face and hear Your voice. 

I can discover Your will and Your patterns for living and serving. 

I can develop deeper faith and confidence. 

Thank You that the Holy Spirit inspired Your word and uses it to enlighten and guide me,

and to change me more and more into Your image, from one degree of glory to another. 

 ~ Amen

Psalm 119:17-24

GIMEL

David opens the Gimel stanza with this plea:

Deal bountifully with Your servant,

That I may live and keep Your word. 

 ~ Ps. 119:17

Regarding this verse, Matthew Henry notes;
David prays, Deal bountifully with me, that I may live.  It was God's bounty that gave us life, that give us this life; and the same bounty that gave it continues it, and gives all the supports and comforts of it.  Therefore, we ought to spend our lives in God's service.





In Camelot, Merlin the Magician was the counselor to King Arthur.
Aren't you glad we don't have to turn to magic for our answers!

Your testimonies are also my delight

And my counselors.

~ Ps. 119:24

May we go to God's word first, and not seek counsel from other sources before we have sought the mind of God on the matter!

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God deals bountifully with His children
• God's law is wondrous
• God rebukes the proud and those who stray from His commandments

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that He deals bountifully with me!
• I praise the Lord for the wondrous things in His law

PRAYER:
     O Lord, like David, I pray that You would deal bountifully with me, that I may live and keep Your word.  May Your Holy Spirit open my eyes that I may see the wondrous things from Your law - that You would give me eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand.  I pray that I would keep Your testimonies - that they would be a delight and counsel to me, and to those in my family as well.  In Jesus' name I pray ~ Amen