Here we are, completing our first week of the reading plan and we land once again at Psalm 119.
With the reading of Job this week, the idea of suffering and hardship has been at the forefront of my mind. So, it was natural that as I read through 119 today certain verses caught my attention and reminded me of Job and of others, I know personally who are suffering with varying degrees of hardship and trial. It was also a beautiful reminder of how the Word of God applies to all things in our life.
One of the verses that caught my attention was Psalm 119:50.
This is my comfort in my affliction,
that your promise gives me life.
Whatever the affliction the writer experienced, we do not know. But what we do know is that in the midst of that trial, he found comfort in the promises of God. Even in suffering he was able to look beyond his circumstances, to lift his chin and look to what he knew for certain was true – Yahweh. How was he able to do this? Because he had stored up God’s word in his heart (Psalm 119:11). He had meditated on what God had appointed and fixed his eyes on God’s ways (Psalm 119:15). He delighted in the divine law of God and did not forget his word. (Psalm 119:16).
This entire Psalm is saturated with the power of God’s word in the life of the believer. As the ESV study note says, “By singing and praying its contents, one expresses heartfelt admiration to God, who has so lovingly bestowed this great gift upon his people, and fervent yearning for one’s personal life to reflect loveliness and goodness of the Torah.” The ESV study note also says the goal of Psalm 119, “is to enable God’s people to admire his Word so strongly that they will work and pray hard to have it shape their character and conduct. The cumulative impact of the psalm is huge.”
Verse 105 says,
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
The picture of light is God’s guidance which makes the right path clear for the life of the believer.
There is much more about Psalm 119 that we could dig into, but we will save it for another Sunday. We have a whole year to savor this beautiful chapter.
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