CORAL COUNSEL
(RED
CORAL)
PSALM
119:17-24
ג
(Gimel)
Psalm
119:17 Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.
Susan: The
psalmist entreated the Lord to deal graciously with him so that he would be
able to exemplify God’s abundant presence in his life.
Susie: God’s
work in his life, the power of the Lord in him would enable him to adhere to
God’s instructions. God deals bountifully with believers and infuses those who
trust in Jesus with the ability to serve Him faithfully.
Ephesians
3:20-21 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in
the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Psalm
119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Susie: The
psalmist needed the Lord to give him full understanding of what he was studying
in the law, the word of God. Even the apostles needed to have their eyes
opened, although at times the Lord purposely hid the full extent of what He was
saying from them. As we studied recently in Luke, Jesus eventually “opened
their eyes.”
Luke
9:44-45 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be
delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it
was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of
that saying.
Luke
24:44-45 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you,
while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written
in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then
opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.
Susan: We
need to rely on the Holy Spirit to unearth the treasures hidden in God’s word.
Because the Holy Spirit hold the key to the map.
Psalm
119:19 I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
Susan: We are
travelers just passing through earth and are not home yet.
Susie: Reminds
me of the old gospel song, “This World is Not My Home.” https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hsimp=yhs-att_001&hspart=att&p=This+World+is+not+my+Home#id=3&vid=17af07b2bc8bfc27a9e4c750406117d2&action=click
Susan: It
reminds me of Chris Tomlin’s “Home.” https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hsimp=yhs-att_001&hspart=att&p=Chris+Tomlin+%22Home%22#id=3&vid=0046fc14156cf6343de3b390537e1e98&action=click
Hebrews
11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having
seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and
confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Susan: The
psalmist needs to keep the commandments ever close to him because they are a
compass to lead him home.
Susie: As we
saw in the earlier verse, God can open or close the eyes of understanding. The
psalmist asks the Lord to keep his eyes wide open to comprehend the fullness of
God’s word.
Psalm
119:20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all
times.
Susie: The
psalmist craves the word of God as if starving.
Susan: The
psalmist is like a pregnant woman intensely craving ice cream or chocolate. All
he can think about is God’s word.
Susie: Obedience
to the word of God leads to righteousness. Jesus covers us with His
righteousness because we trusted in Him because of His word. We are blessed
when we crave God’s word and righteousness.
Matthew
5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they
shall be filled.
Psalm
119:21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy
commandments.
Susie: Pride,
the lack of humility, is often associated with those who do not trust in God.
To approach the Lord, one must humbly admit sinfulness and the need of
salvation. The proud try to reach God by their own means rather than submitting
to His plan.
Proverbs
16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
James
4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but
giveth grace unto the humble.
1
John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Psalm
119:22 Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
Susan: The
psalmist was suffering ridicule due to his faithfulness in living God’s word
before others. They are convicted; but instead of repenting, they taunt and
insult the man of God.
Susie: He
prayed asking God to deliver him from their insults. God is able to deliver us,
but He sometimes gives us the grace to remain strong within the situation.
Either way, Jesus enables us to overcome the world.
Susan: Sometimes
God delivers us out of a situation;
and other times, He delivers us through
it.
John
15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than
his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they
have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
John
16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In
the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.
1
John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because
greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1
John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1
John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus
is the Son of God?
Psalm
119:23 Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate
in thy statutes.
Susie: Some
commentators suggest that this verse shows the psalmist to have royal status
while others believe that the nation of Israel is the “me” in this verse.
Either way, powerful people were slandering him/them.
Susan: The
psalmist used God’s word as his armor to shield him from insult and false
accusations hurled at him by his enemies.
Susie: Instead
of letting them get to him, he immerses himself in the word of God, soaking it
in and basking in it.
Psalm
119:24 Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.
Susan: God’s
word is my joy and advises me of the way in which to live successfully in God’s
kingdom.
The
whole of Scripture is so to a good man; he delights in the law of God, after
the inward man; the Gospel is a joyful sound to him; the doctrines of peace,
pardon, righteousness, and salvation by Christ, are very pleasant; the promises
of it give more joy than the finding of a great spoil; and the precepts and
ordinances of it are not grievous, but ways of pleasantness and peace;
MacArthur
Study Bible note:
119:24
my counselors. The chief means of biblical counseling is the application of
God’s Word by God’s Spirit to the heart of a believer.
Points
to Ponder:
· Ask
the Lord to open your eyes to understand His word
· Crave
the word of God
· Persecution
accompanies obedience to the Lord
· God’s
grace enables us to stand strong
· Delight
in the word
· Seek
God’s counsel in the Bible
Reflection
Question: When in need of counseling, where do you turn first—a
trusted friend, your spouse, your pastor? The Holy Spirit is called the
Counselor, and He uses God’s word to instruct us. We need the people in our
lives, but the best counsel we can receive comes directly from the Bible.
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