“My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word. My eyes long for your promise; I ask, ‘When will you comfort me?’ I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word! You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope! I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.” (v81-82,94,98-100,105,107,114,116,121,123)
There are a series of themes that jumped out in today’s reading, and we can’t cover them in detail, so here is a single thought on each one. One quick definition first – when I use the phrase “God’s Word”, I not only mean the Bible, I also mean that which His Spirit speaks to our spirit.
Salvation / Deliverance from Oppression — the author knows what persecution is, and cries out to God for comfort and resolution. They understand that only God can provide wisdom and guidance for proper handling of the situation, and taking matters into their own hands is not an option.
Becoming Wise — hiding God’s Word in our hearts, meditating on it, and obeying it, makes us wiser and more understanding than those of the world. God’s wisdom and guidance are far greater than anything this world can offer, and obedience to Him / His Word guarantees we are set apart (holy) for God.
Receiving Guidance and Life — through God’s Word we not only receive guidance, we also receive “life”. This could refer to “eternal life”, but I believe it also refers to having a “full life” on this earth (experiencing joy, fulfillment, purpose, etc.). Yes, the end result will be eternal life with God, but our lives here on earth will also be far more fulfilled by dwelling with God and living according to His Word.
Justification Through Faithful Obedience — God will judge us based on our acceptance of Jesus as Savior and Lord, and how closely we obey Him. By remaining obedient to God, we are justified in His eyes, regardless of what the world may think. I think it’s far better to obey God and offend the world, than obey the world and offend God. When we’re not obedient to God, we can confess that, and return to obedience almost as if we didn’t screw up in the first place (God is more forgiving than the world). Through humble and true repentance, our reputations with God can be restored (far more easily than our reputations with the world are).
Over all, these four themes are a huge sigh of relief for me. Fear will have little (or no) foothold in our lives, if we believe and live out these truths about God and His Word.
Father God, all honor praise and glory be to You. You are our Savior, our Guide, our Source of Wisdom, and our Justification. We ask You to please help us hide these truths in our hearts, and live them out every day. Please don’t allow fear or self-doubt to creep in, and please guard us from the enemy’s attacks. In the life-giving name of Jesus we pray, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training