Taw
169 O Lord, listen to my cry;
give me the discerning mind you promised.
170 Listen to my prayer;
rescue me as you promised.
171 Let praise flow from my lips,
for you have taught me your decrees.
172 Let my tongue sing about your word,
for all your commands are right.
173 Give me a helping hand,
for I have chosen to follow your commandments.
174 O Lord, I have longed for your rescue,
and your instructions are my delight.
175 Let me live so I can praise you,
and may your regulations help me.
176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep;
come and find me,
for I have not forgotten your commands.
Psalm 119:169-176
Dear God, what an interesting way to end this 176-verse poem/song/psalm to you: “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.” That’s not exactly the tone of the rest of the psalm. The rest of the psalm is about the psalmist being right and so many people being wrong against him. It’s about doing your commands and not just remembering them. But now, after having written all of those other sections and verses, is this the Holy Spirit revealing to the psalmist that he has still managed to lose his way?
I certainly lose my way sometimes. I really hope I’m not losing my way now. I’ve had something interesting happening the last several nights. I’ve been having extremely positive dreams. I don’t know how much you speak to me through dreams, but I do believe that, to some extent, the theme or overall feel of our dreams reveals the state of our heart and mind. I guess I must be in a pretty good place right now. But even that concerns me. Am I feeling too confident in myself? Am I forgetting to praise you for everything (what I perceive as good and bad), and am I doing things for the future in my own power and not through your provision and discernment? I need you every hour, Lord. “I need thee, oh I need thee. Every hour I need thee.”
Here are the different verses of this psalm. Please speak to me through what this psalmist put down thousands of years ago. In another language. In another culture. In another time.
- 169 O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. – Yes, I need discernment. I need to understand what you have for me to do. I need to remember that this is all from you. I need to point to you in all things. Help me to reveal you to everyone who sees me. That is my cry. Don’t do for me. Do through me for the sake of others.
- 170 Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised. – I’m not sure that I need rescued as much as I need you to show me your path and bring you glory throughout it. Be glorified in me, oh Lord. And let my life be as you have ordained it. Help me to be exactly the 1/7 billionth of the earth’s population that you need me to be.
- 171 Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your decrees. – I do worship you. You are amazing. You are everything. You are my only hope. You are my beginning and my end. I repent for wandering from your path. Help me to walk it today.
- 172 Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right. – Show me how to talk about you in a way that is not obnoxious but loving. Love other people through me. Give me your words and actions so that others might be drawn in closer to you.
- 173 Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments. – Help me, Lord. I have desires of my heart, and I don’t know if it is your will to fulfill them or not, but I do know that you want the best for those I am praying for. Heal and encourage. Love.
- 174 O Lord, I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight. – I’m sure if I were in a situation of suffering like in Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Sudan, or even in a border detention center or a foreign land I didn’t know, I would long for your rescue. Or if I were in deep poverty, I would long for your rescue. But those are not my things. With that being said, I don’t want to be in Laodicea either. I don’t want to take what you’ve given me and be lukewarm. I want to be disciplined and fervent in my love and worship of you. I want to fight against my apathetic flesh and drill deeper into your heart. I want you to consume me, for “your instructions are my delight.”
- 175 Let me live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me. – Yeah. Make my life a prayer to you. Use it how you will. Use it for your worship and glory. Use it to love others and to reveal yourself to others.
- 176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands. – I wonder if this last verse is the longest of the 176. It seems like it might be. I just went and checks. I think it is the only one that has three lines. Help me to not only remember your commands but to do them in real time. Be with me, Holy Spirit. You are my God. I am your servant. I love you.
I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Tags: bible, Faith, God, Jesus, Psalm 119, Psalms, Taw
Shin
161 Powerful people harass me without cause,
but my heart trembles only at your word.
162 I rejoice in your word
like one who discovers a great treasure.
163 I hate and abhor all falsehood,
but I love your instructions.
164 I will praise you seven times a day
because all your regulations are just.
165 Those who love your instructions have great peace
and do not stumble.
166 I long for your rescue, Lord,
so I have obeyed your commands.
167 I have obeyed your laws,
for I love them very much.
168 Yes, I obey your commandments and laws
because you know everything I do.
Psalm 119:161-168
Dear God, first, it’s interesting to see how often I see selected verses from Psalm 119 pulled out and used for different things since I’ve been doing this series on it. For example, last night I attended some prayer meetings for our local public schools. One of the verses was 105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. The verse of the day for this morning from Bible Gateway was 14 I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. People find good inspiration from this psalmists words thousands and thousands of years after he wrote them. How great is that? I hope that somehow his soul knows the impact he had on the world and your children. I don’t believe this psalm is perfect. I think it has some theological problems that Jesus would correct. But it is good. You have used it and taught people through it. You are teaching me through it. And to be sure, I am not as good as this man, and my writings or thoughts are no more complete or perfect than his were. I guess my biggest hope is that just one thing I’ve written or said can impact one person and then ripple to others through that person. Make my life a prayer to you.
With that said, here are the Shin verses for Psalm 119.
- 161 Powerful people harass me without cause, but my heart trembles only at your word. – I like this. The idea that I see darkness all around me, but my only fear is of not having you. If you are here and my heart hears you then it trembles at your presence, but it’s a good tremble. And the idea of losing you makes me shudder.
- 162 I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure. – This makes me think of the parables Jesus told about the man who finds the treasure and buries it: 44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!” Your treasure is worth my life and everything I have. Help me to know how to surrender it all to you.
- 163 I hate and abhor all falsehood, but I love your instructions. – Help me to live up to this line. Help me to know how to deal with falsehood. Help me to purge any falsehood from my own life. I love you.
- 164 I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just. – This is so specific. I Googled how many times do Jews pray a day (three) and Muslims (5). Seven, of course, is a special number in the bible, but I still found this interesting that he claims to make time to praise you seven times a day.
- 165 Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. – Ah, peace. My favorite of the fruits of the Spirit. Well, maybe not my favorite, but the one that feels like it is most dependent upon you. I just can’t fake whether or not I am at peace. I am only at peace in you.
- 166 I long for your rescue, Lord, so I have obeyed your commands. – I obey you simply because I know it is good for me. I know it is bad for me to not obey you. I need you. I need your commands. Like a deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you (and your commands) (Psalm 42:1).
- 167 I have obeyed your laws, for I love them very much. – I love you and now that I know your laws and you better and better I am loving the laws more and more as well. Oh, how I am amazed I get to sit here even this morning and pray to you. Thank you!
- 168 Yes, I obey your commandments and laws because you know everything I do. – You do know everything I do, and I invite you to know me completely. I turn over every area of my life to you, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit. Help me to live up to what you are putting into me. Help me to do good work today in your service and for your glory.
I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Tags: bible, Faith, God, Jesus, Psalm 119, Psalms, Shin
Resh
153 Look upon my suffering and rescue me,
for I have not forgotten your instructions.
154 Argue my case; take my side!
Protect my life as you promised.
155 The wicked are far from rescue,
for they do not bother with your decrees.
156 Lord, how great is your mercy;
let me be revived by following your regulations.
157 Many persecute and trouble me,
yet I have not swerved from your laws.
158 Seeing these traitors makes me sick at heart,
because they care nothing for your word.
159 See how I love your commandments, Lord.
Give back my life because of your unfailing love.
160 The very essence of your words is truth;
all your just regulations will stand forever.
Psalm 119:153-160
Dear God, it is interesting to simultaneously spend time with this psalm and the letters to the churches in Revelation 2-3. I think the big juxtaposition is a man living among like-minded Jews seeking out your justice in his society vs. different churches who are in the minority trying to survive among a majority that is against them and would just as soon kill them and have them gone.
But the psalmist seems frustrated because it’s not working like he thinks it should. From his perspective, I think he would align himself with the people of Smyrna and Philadelphia in his righteousness, but the people in his region–his enemies–would be more like the people in Ephesus, Sartis, or Laodicea: lost their first love, dead inside, and lukewarm, respectively.
With that said, let’s see what today’s verses have for me. Holy Spirit, please walk with me this morning as I go through these verses:
- 153 Look upon my suffering and rescue me, for I have not forgotten your instructions. – This psalmist is determined to not be lukewarm, and I applaud him for that. Am I that determined? How low am I willing to let the flame go out of my life before I notice and decide I’ve gone too far? Do I accept this correction in my life? Please, Holy Spirit, give me eyes to see and ears to hear.
- 154 Argue my case; take my side! Protect my life as you promised. – This is a difficult one because I tend to think more of the people of Smyrna being promised they will be protected from the “second death” but not necessarily physical death from this world. But I don’t think the psalmist ever considered this perspective.
- 155 The wicked are far from rescue, for they do not bother with your decrees. – This may be true. And it is disappointing that the rain will fall on the bad as well as the good. I just think I need to have more concern about the state of my own heart being submitted appropriately to you and then allowing that love between us to flow to the wicked I see. If they can be brought to you, I would love that.
- 156 Lord, how great is your mercy; let me be revived by following your regulations. – Yes. Revive me. Even this morning, I am going to be driving between two churches to speak and share your words. Give me your words. Give me your presence. Give me your strength.
- 157 Many persecute and trouble me, yet I have not swerved from your laws. – If it can be said of me that I did not swerve from your laws regardless of what happened to me, I’ll take it. I can already think of times in my life when I swerved. I can also think of times when I didn’t. Father, have mercy on me. Jesus, have more on me. Holy Spirit, have mercy on me.
- 158 Seeing these traitors makes me sick at heart, because they care nothing for your word. – “Traitors” is an interesting word here. New American Standard uses “treacherous” here. I think that one makes more sense. Why do people have to be treacherous? Well, I guess it’s because they feel like they have to do everything to protect and promote themselves. God, help them. Help me help them fin you and the freedom of releasing their life so they can find it.
- 159 See how I love your commandments, Lord. Give back my life because of your unfailing love. – There are parts of my life that are missing, Father. There are sorrows. Heal me. If it’s your will, please restore these parts in my lifetime. But I am trusting you that this is in your timing. I’ve prayed so much for this, I am left only to assume that your answer is either “no” or “not yet.” I trust you.
- 160 The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever. – You are the only thing that is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Thank you.
Father, I want to close with prayers for friends and family who are sick. Be with each person in my head. Some need healing. Some have unknown needs. Some need your comfort. Oh, Father, be with each one.
I pray this in Jesus and your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Tags: bible, Faith, God, Jesus, Psalm 119, Psalms, Resh
Qoph
145 I pray with all my heart; answer me, Lord!
I will obey your decrees.
146 I cry out to you; rescue me,
that I may obey your laws.
147 I rise early, before the sun is up;
I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.
148 I stay awake through the night,
thinking about your promise.
149 In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry;
let me be revived by following your regulations.
150 Lawless people are coming to attack me;
they live far from your instructions.
151 But you are near, O Lord,
and all your commands are true.
152 I have known from my earliest days
that your laws will last forever.
Psalm 119:145-152
Dear God, with this day, I have four days left in Psalm 119. I have to say, I’m ready to be done. Mainly because the sense I get from the psalmist is that they just aren’t at peace. He seems so wrapped around the axle. Maybe I’m wrong and I’ve completely misread him, his life, his intentions, and even his theology. But I just find myself wanting to sit with him and encouraging him to relax and know the Jesus I know. And the Jesus I know didn’t get rid of the law. In fact, he raised the standard. But he made love for you and others and then compassion, forgiveness, and mercy the foundation for everything. In fact, he chastises the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2 for doing everything that looks right but then losing their first love. This guy loves you. I don’t doubt that. But there is certainly more to worshipping you than doing everything right.
With that said, let’s look at today’s Qoph section:
- 145 I pray with all my heart; answer me, Lord! I will obey your decrees. – See, he loves you. He prays with all of his heart. I have no doubt he loves you. And that is wonderful to see. In fact, he probably prays more fervently than I do. Do I pray with all my heart? That might actually be convicting this morning. I pray earnestly. I pray thoughtfully. I pray intentionally. But I’m not sure I do it with all my heart. I think I have to be in a more desperate mode to pray with all my heart.
- 146 I cry out to you; rescue me, that I may obey your laws. – If I’m ever asking to be rescued, I think it is so I can worship you and continue being salt and light in the world for you. That seems like a more appropriate reason to ask for rescue than just so I can obey your laws. I don’t think you created us to obey your laws. You created us for relationship and then gave us laws through which we could live an effective life in relationship with you. Oh, how I’m hope I’m not just typing heresy here.
- 147 I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words. – I have an early meeting this Saturday morning, but here I am up a little early so I would have time to do this. The sun will be up later, but right now I need you. In fact, we are doing something important for work today. This is probably a good opportunity to express my need for you. We need your guidance. We need your vision. We need to see the man/woman calling to us that needs us and figure out how to reach them in your name. Help us to know what that need is and how to reach it.
- 148 I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise. – It’s important to remember what you promised and what you didn’t promise. My wife and I visited with a friend last night who told us about a conversation he had with a woman about the recent floods in Kerrville. She attributed it to you basically smiting the area and those who suffered. He was shocked at her perspective. I would counter that your earth is in motion, and it’s not a safe earth. It has natural disasters. It has man-made disasters. It has man-made horrors. And I believe that sometimes you choose to intervene and rescue us from them, but there is no way for me to figure out the rhyme or reason to them this side of life. But you will always comfort those who mourn. You will save your people from the second death. Those are the promises. Expecting anything beyond that, on my part, is wishful, selfish thinking (in my opinion).
- 149 In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry; let me be revived by following your regulations. – Revive me. When I’m down and weary, revive me. When I drift from you, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, revive me. Please, give me exactly what I need to accomplish what you have for me to do.
- 150 Lawless people are coming to attack me; they live far from your instructions. – Help me to share you with those who attack me. Help me to be your messenger to them. Give me words to speak. Give me mercy for them (something I often lack). And they would probably tell you I live far from your instructions. Help me to see any truth in their attacks on me.
- 151 But you are near, O Lord, and all your commands are true. – This makes me think of an old Christian song by a group from the 90s called Rachel Rachel, “You are Always There.” Chorus: “You are always there holding me closely. In your tender arms the wonder of your love falls on me.” Thank you for this verse being true. It doesn’t have to be, but it is. You are faithful. You are true. You are always there.
- 152 I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever. – I can’t quite say my earliest days, but I have certainly known you from a young age, and I am grateful I learned to follow you before I did too much damage to myself. When I think of some different directions my life could have gone when I was a child and where those roads could have led, it is sobering. Who knows where I would be if I hadn’t been in an environment where I could find you.
Father, I am about to go into this board retreat for our nonprofit. Be with us. Be among us. Do it all for your glory and our growth in you.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Tags: "You Are Always There", bible, christianity, Faith, God, Jesus, Psalm 119, Psalms, Qoph, Rachel Rachel
Tsadhe
137 O Lord, you are righteous,
and your regulations are fair.
138 Your laws are perfect
and completely trustworthy.
139 I am overwhelmed with indignation,
for my enemies have disregarded your words.
140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested;
that is why I love them so much.
141 I am insignificant and despised,
but I don’t forget your commandments.
142 Your justice is eternal,
and your instructions are perfectly true.
143 As pressure and stress bear down on me,
I find joy in your commands.
144 Your laws are always right;
help me to understand them so I may live.
Psalm 119:137-144
Dear God, how should I feel about those who have “disregarded your words?” Is indignation the right emotion? Is it pity? Is it compassion? The dangerous thing about labeling others as “disregarding your words” and judging them harshly is something that Jesus points out when he talks about removing the log from my own eye before I worry about the speck in my brother’s (Sermon on the Mount). I would be fascinated for the psalmist to come across Jesus and his teachings and see how he felt afterward. Jesus just deconstructed all of this theology and philosophy. It’s no wonder the leaders of his own people wanted to kill him. For them, he must have seemed so wrong.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t need to sit with this psalmist in his moment of writing this and see what you might have for me to learn through his experience. Some of the things I write in these prayers to you are wrong. Some of it is terrible theology. I might have already typed something heretical this morning. But it’s there for others to see and judge. I hope anyone who comes across something egregious I’ve written will have mercy on me.
With that said, let’s look at today’s verses.
- 137 O Lord, you are righteous, and your regulations are fair. – I don’t know what word he originally used in the Hebrew that was translated to “fair” here, but I find the regulations of yours that I follow are always good for me. There are some Old Testament ones I ignore that I probably shouldn’t. And my life is probably worse for it. Guide me to what I should do.
- 138 Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. – “Perfect” is a more powerful word that “fair.” Oh, you are so good. You are so good to us. And yes, you are completely trustworthy in both your laws and how you interact with your creation. I might not always like it. Things happen that make me mourn. But in those moments, you are there to comfort me with your rod and your staff. I am a sheep, and I like it.
- 139 I am overwhelmed with indignation, for my enemies have disregarded your words. – This is the verse that caught my attention from the beginning. I think I’ve said enough about it.
- 140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much. – That is true. Your promises were tested. Are tested. And sometimes we are tested by life and you watch how we perform. I think your 100% passing your tests is much better than whatever percentage of tests I’ve passed. Oh, forgive me.
- 141 I am insignificant and despised, but I don’t forget your commandments. – I could be insignificant in your eyes, but I’m not. For some reason, I am 1/7,000,000,000 of the earth and you still sit with me on mornings like this with your Holy Spirit and love one me while I travel life in this earthen body. Thank you.
- 142 Your justice is eternal, and your instructions are perfectly true. – I like how this Tsadhe section focuses on how good your law is rather than just pledging to follow it. Your laws are good and true. What you tell us to do and how you tell us to live is amazing. You are amazing.
- 143 As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. – As I said before, your rod and your staff comfort me. I lean on you.
- 144 Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live. – Yes, finally a more humble look at your laws from the psalmist. You are always right. I am not and I cannot live up to all of this. But you can help me. You can help me understand and follow them so that I might live. Please, I give you freedom to make it so.
I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Tags: bible, Faith, God, Jesus, Psalm 119, Psalms, Tsadhe
Pe
129 Your laws are wonderful.
No wonder I obey them!
130 The teaching of your word gives light,
so even the simple can understand.
131 I pant with expectation,
longing for your commands.
132 Come and show me your mercy,
as you do for all who love your name.
133 Guide my steps by your word,
so I will not be overcome by evil.
134 Ransom me from the oppression of evil people;
then I can obey your commandments.
135 Look upon me with love;
teach me your decrees.
136 Rivers of tears gush from my eyes
because people disobey your instructions.
Psalm 119:129-136
Dear God, I am at a point at work where I actually need to toughen up when it comes to “law.” Things have gotten a little loose over the summer in a couple of areas, and it’s time for me to have to tighten things up. And I am not a good tightener. But it has to be done. I’m just thinking about it here because of the laws you have for us. We get loose with them too. We drift. We assume you’re looking the other way. All the while, we are grieving you and we are grieving your Spirit. How do you correct us? What is the most constructive way for me to correct the staff this morning? With that said, let’s see what I might be able to get out of today’s verses.
- 129 Your laws are wonderful. No wonder I obey them! – They really are wonderful. I really do need them. They really are good for me. Thank you for your love as exhibited through them. If you didn’t have them for us how would we know you care?
- 130 The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. – The line about the “simple” seems a little mean, but the point is taken. The more I know from you the more I know of you. And as a simple man, the more I can understand. Help me to learn your word and help me to know how to teach your word when given the opportunity.
- 131 I pant with expectation, longing for your commands. – There are some days I long for your commands and some days I don’t. This morning, frankly, I’m distracted by what I mentioned earlier. But I do get excited about learning from you sometimes. Help those moments to be longer and longer and more frequent.
- 132 Come and show me your mercy, as you do for all who love your name. – Ah, your mercy. I long to receive it and I need to give it. And that goes for all kinds of people. Your mercy, Father, is what allows the world to move forward. The mercy you give us and the mercy we give to each other. Even the mercy we give to you when we are angry with you and then accept that your ways are not our ways. But thank you for showing me your mercy and teaching me to show it to others.
- 133 Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil. – I just want to walk in and be in your light. Let your word be a lamp unto my feet and light upon my path.
- 134 Ransom me from the oppression of evil people; then I can obey your commandments. – I can always obey your commands, whether I’m captive or not. Even if I am oppressed by evil people, give me your freedom of soul through my loyalty, devotion, and obedience to you.
- 135 Look upon me with love; teach me your decrees. – Oh, I know you already look on me with love. And you are ready to teach me whenever I am ready to learn. Help me to be ready to learn, and thank you for looking upon me with love.
- 136 Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your instructions. – Does my heart break for those who don’t know you? Not enough. Help me to really care for those who don’t know you.
I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Tags: bible, christianity, Faith, God, Jesus, Pe, Psalm 119, Psalms
Ayin
121 Don’t leave me to the mercy of my enemies,
for I have done what is just and right.
122 Please guarantee a blessing for me.
Don’t let the arrogant oppress me!
123 My eyes strain to see your rescue,
to see the truth of your promise fulfilled.
124 I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love,
and teach me your decrees.
125 Give discernment to me, your servant;
then I will understand your laws.
126 Lord, it is time for you to act,
for these evil people have violated your instructions.
127 Truly, I love your commands
more than gold, even the finest gold.
128 Each of your commandments is right.
That is why I hate every false way.
Psalm 119:121-128
Dear God, I wonder if sometimes I don’t give myself permission to dismiss some of the things people in the Bible say or do too quickly. For example, I look at Peter deciding to choose a replacement for Judas in Acts 1 as him acting prematurely and impatiently. In this case, I read some of these lines from the psalmist here, and I just don’t jive with them. Am I wrong to be that way? Is it a mistake? Arrogant? Foolish? Holy Spirit, keep me from foolishness. Lead me not into temptation. Deliver me from evil–especially the evil from within me. Let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, regardless of what it costs me. Teach me to forgive and help me to know how to experience and grow through your forgiveness. Your name is powerful. You are everything. You are beyond all I can imagine or think. You are God, Yahweh, Jehovah. Even those words we’ve devised are not big enough for what you are. I love you.
- 121 Don’t leave me to the mercy of my enemies, for I have done what is just and right. – I just can’t say that I legitimately deserve anything better than my enemies get. My enemies could easily pray this prayer about me. I struggle with this. Maybe it’s just that the older I get the less and less I expect of you. Don’t get me wrong. I am grateful for everything you have done for me and continue to do for me. And I will pray for others. When I pray for success at work it is so that the people we serve can be blessed. When I pray for those whom I love, I am praying for their complete restoration and relationship with you. Praying for their healing. But I am not confident enough to know that I am in the right and my enemy is in the wrong and call on you to not subject me to them. I can, however, pray for them in the process. For their complete restoration and relationship with you. For their healing. And I can pray for my own restoration to and relationship with you, and my healing.
- 122 Please guarantee a blessing for me. Don’t let the arrogant oppress me! – See verse 121.
- 123 My eyes strain to see your rescue, to see the truth of your promise fulfilled. – See, I think this is part of how I’ve gotten to where I am now. Years ago, I used to selfishly look to you to work everything out the way that best suited me. I feel like you’ve ground this expectation out of me, for the most part, over the last 15 years. I wonder how the psalmist would have felt about these words at the end of his life. Did he still have this perspective?
- 124 I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love, and teach me your decrees. – Ah, yes. Finally something I can resonate with this morning. I need your unfailing love and mercy. I am your servant. I need to learn your decrees. I want to learn and become everything you have for me to be. Help me, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.
- 125 Give discernment to me, your servant; then I will understand your laws. – I guess this is what I’m asking for even now. As I look at the first three verses today and chafe against them, I am asking for your discernment to let me know if I am wrong to do so. Should I expect more of you when it comes to my defense and success?
- 126 Lord, it is time for you to act, for these evil people have violated your instructions. – Yes, WE have. WE have violated your instructions. Lord, have mercy. Jesus, have mercy. Holy Spirit, have mercy.
- 127 Truly, I love your commands more than gold, even the finest gold. – I am so much better with you. I need you. But I only get you through this relationship and the conviction and instruction that comes with it. Help me to be your disciple and servant.
- 128 Each of your commandments is right. That is why I hate every false way. – I wish I hated the false ways more, but the truth is that I am tempted by the false ways. They look very good to me. Holy Spirit, be with me today. Help me to recognize the false way when presented to me, and help me to avoid it. More than that. Help me to reject it and embrace you.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Tags: Ayin, bible, Faith, God, Jesus, Psalm 119, Psalms
Samekh
113 I hate those with divided loyalties,
but I love your instructions.
114 You are my refuge and my shield;
your word is my source of hope.
115 Get out of my life, you evil-minded people,
for I intend to obey the commands of my God.
116 Lord, sustain me as you promised, that I may live!
Do not let my hope be crushed.
117 Sustain me, and I will be rescued;
then I will meditate continually on your decrees.
118 But you have rejected all who stray from your decrees.
They are only fooling themselves.
119 You skim off the wicked of the earth like scum;
no wonder I love to obey your laws!
120 I tremble in fear of you;
I stand in awe of your regulations.
Psalm 119:113-120
Dear God, it feels like today he is drawing that line between himself (as righteous) and others he sees as unrighteous. My initial gut response was to look at this and criticize him for not having more mercy towards the others. I’m just most of those he deems as “evil-minded” or as having “divided loyalties” don’t wake up feeling like they are evil-minded or have divided loyalties. If they are lost, they probably don’t realize it. Don’t they need his love and not his condemnation?
But then I have two more thoughts. First, maybe I need to see these things either in myself or the people around me and address it. Would the psalmist consider me to have divided loyalties? Would I live up to his standard? Do any extent, would he be right about me if he thought that? Second, this is before Jesus revealed your nature to us in human form. Before he explicitly came and taught us. And Jesus did two interesting things. He raised the bar on sin so that even this psalmist would realize he doesn’t measure up (he uses the word “hate” in verse 113 to describe his feelings towards some people, which Jesus called out in the Sermon on the Mount). We have to be careful about calling on you to draw a line and smite people on one side of it because we never know where we might be in relation to that line. The other thing Jesus did, however, was offer this unbelievable grace that met us where we are and then told us to sin no more.
That was a long into for this passage. Let me look and see where there might be verse by verse.
- 113 I hate those with divided loyalties, but I love your instructions. – Is there a part of me that needs to delineate and recognize others I need to at least be wary around? Is there a role you have for me to play in their lives to call them to yourself? Are there areas where my own loyalties are divided and I don’t realize it? Holy Spirit, work with me on this, I pray.
- 114 You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope. – How do I use you as my refuge and my shield? I think it is mainly resting in the knowledge that you are my God but my life is simply to serve you between now and my first death which will be followed by a second life that will know no death. What can man do to me? Help me to be above reproach on everything.
- 115 Get out of my life, you evil-minded people, for I intend to obey the commands of my God. – I’m fortunate in that I don’t feel like there is anyone in my life who is trying to get me to not obey your commands. I mean, there are some people in the community who wish I would do some things I consider to be contrary to Jesus, and they want me to do them in your name, but they aren’t a regular part of my life.
- 116 Lord, sustain me as you promised, that I may live! Do not let my hope be crushed. – I don’t know how the psalmist would define “living,” but I suspect our definitions are different. You are my God. My life is at your disposal. Show me how to live it today. My only hope is in you.
- 117 Sustain me, and I will be rescued; then I will meditate continually on your decrees. – This, I can get behind–mostly. I don’t know what he means by rescued, but just being emotionally and spiritually sustained by you is enough. I don’t need to be physically sustained by you. I love that I am. I am grateful for the amazing things in my life. I am grateful for your love and provision. I am grateful for you. I guess I’m just trying to say that that’s not why I’m here. That’s not what I expect of you. But I am grateful for what I have. I really am.
- 118 But you have rejected all who stray from your decrees. They are only fooling themselves. – When I think of putting names to those I consider to have strayed from your decrees, I know that if I were to tell them that they would be shocked and completely reject the idea they have strayed. In fact, they would probably think I have strayed. Maybe we are all fooling ourselves. Show me if I am fooling myself, Holy Spirit.
- 119 You skim off the wicked of the earth like scum; no wonder I love to obey your laws! – Do you? Is this how you work? I think we all get skimmed off the earth about int he same way. Maybe we are all wicked. And I don’t know who is subject to the second death and who is not. I don’t know where the cut line is on that, but I know I hope my heart is what you’re looking for because I do love you.
- 120 I tremble in fear of you; I stand in awe of your regulations. – Father, you are God. You have laid out a way of living that is so amazing. I am sorry so many of us, including me at times, reject it for our own selfishness. The irony is that allowing our selfishness to abandon your regulations is actually not in our self-interest. We are such fools! I am such a fool!
I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Tags: bible, christianity, Faith, God, Jesus, Psalm 119, Psalms, Samekh
Nun
105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.
106 I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again:
I will obey your righteous regulations.
107 I have suffered much, O Lord;
restore my life again as you promised.
108 Lord, accept my offering of praise,
and teach me your regulations.
109 My life constantly hangs in the balance,
but I will not stop obeying your instructions.
110 The wicked have set their traps for me,
but I will not turn from your commandments.
111 Your laws are my treasure;
they are my heart’s delight.
112 I am determined to keep your decrees
to the very end.
Psalm 119:97-105
Dear God, as I read this “Nun” section of Psalm 119 this morning, I thought about the Letter in Revelation 2 to the church at Ephesus. How they were doing great things, but they had lost their first love of loving you with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and then loving their neighbors. What came to me is that I do not believe the psalmist has this problem. He is definitely clinging to you. He wants to do the right things, but it is out of his love for you that he wants to do them. Honestly, I don’t know how much he is loving his neighbors, but he is certainly devoted to you.
If I were to receive a supernatural letter from you in the mail, what would it say? Would I even have the courage to open it? It’s awfully convenient when these conversations are a one-way street, and I can just imagine your encouraging words to me. But where are your frustration points with me?
With all that said, let’s get into today’s verses.
- 105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. – Of course, this is a popular verse. When I read it I can hear Amy Grant singing it. It was written on one of the side of Baylor University’s old administration building, Pat Neff Hall. Of course, we have our current interpretation of your “word.” We think of our modern Bible as your word. For the psalmist, however, I think he was mainly talking about the instructions in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. The laws. Your laws are a lamp unto his feel and a light for his path. As I come against difficult, complex, or confusing situations today at work, help me to use your word, both your law and the other teachings I get through the entire Bible, as well as your still small voice, Holy Spirit, to guide me.
- 106 I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations. – Yes, he has promised it many times. Even in just the previous 105 verses. What must this man have been like to be around? He seems so desperate to throw himself into you. I wonder what kind of personal pain he carried into writing this psalm. What was his state of mind when he chose each word? As I imagine visiting with him, my tendency it to try to get him to relax just a little.
- 107 I have suffered much, O Lord; restore my life again as you promised. – I don’t know if this is the right prayer or not. Maybe you promised the psalmist that you would restore a life he lost, but I feel no such expectation of my life. Studying Job and looking at the lives of Paul, Peter, and the other apostles, I cannot make this same statement to you. I simply pray for the healing of the people I love, regardless of what it might cost me.
- 108 Lord, accept my offering of praise, and teach me your regulations. – Yes, this. My offering of praise is feeble, I know, but I do offer it. My wife and I just did our daily prayer together, and I tried to focus it around worship and praise. Gratitude for what you are doing that I can see and what you are doing that I cannot see.
- 109 My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your instructions. – Reading about some of the persecution the Christians in some of those Revelation churches experienced was sobering. The church in Smyrna comes to mind. You had no rebukes for them, and yet you told them they were about to suffer, even to death. But they would not succumb to the second death. I don’t suffer to anything near that extent. In fact, outside of a few relationships that are strained, I don’t get chastised for my faith in you at all. So I don’t know what it is like to have my life hang in the balance, but I appreciate this psalmist feeling like his did and yet he would follow your instructions anyway.
- 110 The wicked have set their traps for me, but I will not turn from your commandments. – I suppose there are traps we gladly walk into. Jesus did that. He would gladly walk into a trap the Pharisees or Sadducees set for him, but then he would cleverly turn it on them and they would find themselves in their own traps. I pray that if I find myself in any kind of difficult situation that you would give me the shrewdness and wisdom to call on you and know what to say.
- 111 Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight. – Your presence in my life is the source of life for me. My heart would be a dark place without you.
- 112 I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end. – Yes, I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end.
I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Tags: "Thy Word", Amy Grant, Baylor University, bible, Faith, God, Jesus, Nun, Pat Neff Hall, Psalm 119, Psalms
Mem
97 Oh, how I love your instructions!
I think about them all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are my constant guide.
99 Yes, I have more insight than my teachers,
for I am always thinking of your laws.
100 I am even wiser than my elders,
for I have kept your commandments.
101 I have refused to walk on any evil path,
so that I may remain obedient to your word.
102 I haven’t turned away from your regulations,
for you have taught me well.
103 How sweet your words taste to me;
they are sweeter than honey.
104 Your commandments give me understanding;
no wonder I hate every false way of life.
Psalm 119:97-104
Dear God, okay, this Mem section was tough for me to read. I was brought back to the Rich Young Ruler from Mark 10 again. Jesus loved him, but he knew there was a dimension missing. When I read this Mem section it just feels like this young man (I call him young because he mentions his elders) is trying so hard to justify himself through his own power and strength. My wife and I have this joke where when one of us gives the other a nice compliment the receiver of the compliment says, “I know, right?!?” For example, “You did such a great job at ______.” Reply, “I know, right?!?” It’s a way of receiving the compliment but also sarcastically deflecting it to some extent. I almost get the feeling that this psalmist would take a compliment like, “You are amazing at how your follow God’s commands,” and say without any sarcasm, “I know, right?!?”
With that said, let me look to see what I see in these verses.
- 97 Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long. – I am grateful for your instructions, but there are times when I want to reject them and be selfish and unforgiving. I know my desires will only lead me to places I don’t want to be, but they feel so good in the moment. I suppose it would be a great aspiration for me to love all of your instructions all day long. Maybe I’m just jealous of the psalmist for getting there when I haven’t been able to yet.
- 98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide. – I will say that there are times when I feel like I have a secret passcode to peace that others don’t have. Is it wisdom? I don’t know that I’d call it that. It feels more like letting go and living in a state of acceptance of what I cannot control. Perhaps an answer to the “Serenity Prayer” from AA: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
- 99 Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your laws. – I think this is where he lost me. Honestly, I’m surprised the Jewish church added this psalm to the canon based on this verse alone. As for me, there are certainly times I disagree with my teachers, but I am very aware that I could be wrong. I will never know you completely on this side of life, but I can try to get as close as I can. But I’ll still be wrong about some things. I watched a video yesterday by N.T. Wright on whether or not cremation is okay from an eternal standpoint. He had an opinion. Others have another opinion. I have my own opinion, although I don’t stand by it. I don’t know what’s right. And that’s okay. If I can stay in community you can help us all work it out with fear and trembling.
- 100 I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments. – Oh, my goodness. “This one thing you lack…”
- 101 I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word. – I’ve walked evil paths. I’ve been tempted by evil paths just this week. So I will modify mine to say I really do my best to not walk on an evil path. I don’t just try not to walk on an evil path, but I do my best to avoid it. But sometimes I stray. I am sorry.
- 102 I haven’t turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well. – You do teach me well. I wish I followed you better, although I do think I get a little better each year. Thank you for your patience with me.
- 103 How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. – Yes. This. Your words are awesome, and when I do successfully follow you I find myself in a peace that is awesome.
- 104 Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. – I completely agree with this verse too. It’s also a reason I want to help others not only call you Lord, but also live a discipling life. I want them to experience this as well. Help me to do that.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Tags: bible, Faith, God, Jesus, Mem, Psalm 119, Psalms, Rich Young Ruler
Emails to God 