As I have written before, I cannot totally identify with the kind of trouble the psalm writer experienced. Once again he asked God to “look on my affliction and deliver me” (153a). Then he asked God to “plead my cause and redeem me,” as if he was in a courtroom (154a). He asked for life… Read More »
I really feel sorry for the man of Psalm 119. He described the source of the “trouble & anguish” that hounded him in verse 143 this way: “They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; they are far from your law” (150). Sometimes those who claim to be among God’s people don’t act like… Read More »
Generally speaking, everyone likes rules, except when they infringe on one’s perceived freedom. (Blocked roads & detours particularly irk me.) When parents make rules for their children, they always think them to be right rules because they represent the will of the parents. Parents generally set the standards in the home rather than the children.… Read More »
As I have often prayed the words of Psalm 119:18, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law,” I have found the words of verse 119 to be true: “Your testimonies are wonderful,” and my motivation for obedience. As God opens up his word and my mind, I receive light… Read More »
I went to a university where one of its founder’s mottos was, “Do right even though the stars fall.” Verse 121 reminds me of that challenge. The poet lived this way despite heavy oppression from prideful people (121b; 122b). His standard view of himself was as God’s servant. Three times he identified himself as such… Read More »
The book of psalms expresses the full range of human emotion. In this section I see hate & love (113), not contradicting but complementing each other. There is also hope (114, 116) & disgust with resolve (115). The author expressed a desire (or is it a need?) for security & safety (117) and finds it… Read More »
Whoever wrote Psalm 119 knew the ups and downs of life. He experienced mountain peaks of confident living as well as the valleys of conflict and temptation. And he was very transparent about it. “I am severely afflicted,” he said in 107; and in 110 he explained what that affliction meant: “The wicked have laid… Read More »
I would love to have known the author of Psalm 119; but then again, if I know Jesus Christ, I DO know the One who wrote & lived this psalm perfectly. Christ and this man both loved this psalm, for it’s a testimony about both men. What an affirmation to say, “Oh how I love… Read More »
The more I read Psalm 119, the more I am impressed & encouraged by the poet’s increasing confidence & certainty about God and his word. He’s convinced of the eternal nature of God’s word “firmly fixed in the heavens” (89). IOW, the heavens are a lasting testimony to the creative power of God’s word. “The… Read More »
I remember going through “The Story” in our church a few years ago. (For those unfamiliar with this curriculum, check it out here: https://www.thestory.com/.) When it comes to the Bible’s story line from Genesis to Revelation, we learned there is an “upper story” and “lower story.” The upper story is God’s sovereign plan he is working… Read More »
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