PSALM119:89-96 LAPIS LAZULI LOVE OF THE LAW

LAPIS LAZULI LOVE OF THE LAW

PSALM 119:89-96

ל (Lamed)

Psalm 119:89 Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

Susan: What the Lord has declared is established and trustworthy eternally. We can be assured and confident in the certainty that God will keep His word.

Susie: When I see “it is settled,” I think “It’s a done deal.” If God has written something in His word, the Bible, we can take that to the bank as a sure thing. As Peter wrote under the direction of the Holy Spirit, God’s word lasts forever.

1 Peter 1:24-25 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Psalm 119:90-91 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.

Susie: God created the earth and until the day that He destroys it to create a new earth, it will remain. Jesus Himself is the sustainer of the earth, and we are just the stewards over our part of it. The fact that the planets remain in their specific orbits and do not collide is evidence of God’s sustaining power. The study of science, rather than creating doubt in the Creator, should put us in awe of His might and grace.

Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Psalm 119:92 Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.

Susan: God not only sustains our planet but He sustains the very life and breath of His people. His word empowers us to press on in the midst of pain and trial.

Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Susie: There are times that we are weary, in pain, or frustrated. Those are the times we need to remember that it is not by our own might that we accomplish what God has called us to do. He will enable us to complete His purposes in our lives.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

Psalm 119:93 I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.

Susie: God brings us to life when we trust in Jesus, and we trust in Jesus when we have heard the word of God preached and believe it. A great music minister, Paul Paschal, introduced me to the song “Preach the Word.”  You can listen to it here:

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hsimp=yhs-att_001&hspart=att&p=song+Preach+the+Word#id=5&vid=d9fadb3725159b064ebef31b8a96289c&action=view

It is vitally important that our preaching and teaching focuses on the word of God because that is the tool the Lord uses to draw men to Himself.

Romans 10:14 (CJB) But how can they call on someone if they haven’t trusted in him? And how can they trust in someone if they haven’t heard about him? And how can they hear about someone if no one is proclaiming him?

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

Susan: God’s word is vital and essential to aid in the navigation of life for those who believe and trust that Jesus is the Messiah who gave His life for them.

Susie: The Bible is our primary tool for sharing the love of Jesus with others. This is one reason Susan and I are committed to teaching scripture passages verse by verse.

Psalm 119:94 I am thine, save me: for I have sought thy precepts.

Susan: We are not our own. All that I am and all that I shall be belong to the Lord. Jesus purchased my redemption and my life on the cross.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Susie: Those of us who have been chosen by God, who have trusted in Jesus are God’s prized possession, His precious jewels.

Malachi 3:17 And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Psalm 119:95 The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies.

Susan: The evil people are waiting in ambush for the psalmist, desiring his demise. But he is choosing to contemplate what the word says, what he knows is true about God.

Susie: The word testifies of the strength of God, His lovingkindness toward His children, and His faithfulness. Remembering these testimonies will give us peace in times of peril.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Philippians 4:6-8 (CSB) Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.

Susie: Fixing our focus on the word of God helps us to have proper perspective during the challenges of life.

Psalm 119:96 I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.

Psalm 119:96 (AMP) I have seen that all [human] perfection has its limits [no matter how grand and perfect and noble]; Your commandment is exceedingly broad and extends without limits [into eternity].

Susie: The psalmist had seen many great, seemingly perfect endeavors of man come and then be gone. We have as well. In contrast, the word of God stands the test of time. It endures and remains perfect now and forever. Its truth will never fail us.

Matthew Henry Commentary quoted at http://biblehub.com/psalms/119-96.htm

It is poor perfection which one sees an end of. Such are all things in this world, which pass for perfections. The glory of man is but as the flower of the grass. The psalmist had seen the fulness of the word of God, and its sufficiency. The word of the Lord reaches to all cases, to all times. It will take us from all confidence in man, or in our own wisdom, strength, and righteousness. Thus shall we seek comfort and happiness from Christ alone.

Points to Ponder:

·     God’s word never changes

·     God is faithful; we can trust His word

·     God’s word brings us joy

·     God’s word enlivens us

·     God’s word sustains us

·     God’s word gives peace

·     God’s word is limitless and eternal

Reflection Question: Is reading the Bible daily a duty or a delight? Is memorizing scripture tedious or thrilling? Is your Bible used daily or is it dusty? Are your profiting from meditation in the word or are you becoming spiritually bankrupt?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

PSALM 119:81-88 KUNZITE KEYS

KUNZITE KEYS

PSALM 119:81-88

כ (Kaf)

Psalm 119:81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.

Susie: The psalmist may have been referring to a physical salvation from the threats of his enemies. However, this can apply to the desperation of being held captive by our sins as well. Either way, he is at a point of exhaustion because he cannot handle things in his own strength.

Susan: He reminds himself that his strength lies in the power and promises of Yahweh’s word. Even though he is totally spent, he is determined to hold fast to the truth found in the scriptures.

Psalm 119:82 Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?

Susan: The psalmist is trying to get his perception in line with God’s word, trying to make sense of the senseless abuse his enemies hurl at him.

Susie: He is experiencing spiritual eye-strain. He knows God’s word, knows God is trustworthy, knows God sees his plight. However, it seems like the Lord is taking His time in responding to the psalmist’s need.

Susan: This is an example that God’s timetable is not human in nature but supernatural.

Susie: If God seems to be withholding comfort, it is still for the eventual good of His child. I love reading Psalms because the human writers do not sugar-coat their situations or their emotions.

Susan: At the times when we feel like a piece of swiss cheese, that the winds of life are blowing completely through us, God may be building something in us, conforming us to the character of Christ. His comfort will come to us in His perfect timing and for His purpose to be perfected in us.

Psalm 119:83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.

Susie: When modern readers see the word “bottle,” they may envision something made of glass. However, this would have been a wineskin made from animal hide that would dry out and shrivel up in a hot smoky place.

Susan: The psalmist felt like a grape that had become a raisin, all the juice evaporating leaving a shriveled shell. He felt wrung out, completely limp and lifeless because of the tormenting actions of his enemies.

Susie: Even though he is completely spent, he remembers and clings to the truth of God’s word. He knows the Lord keeps His covenant with His people.

Susan: Even though, in his humanity, he was feeling abandon, the writer of Psalm 119 knows that the word of God is his life’s preservation. Therefore, he holds fast to it.

Psalm 119:84 How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?

Susie: The psalmist cries out to God asking how much longer he has, how much longer must he endure.

Susan: He wonders how much longer he must remain in this state of being persecuted and whether or not he will enjoy deliverance in his lifetime. His strength is essentially gone; and he feels that unless God comes through for him soon, he will leave earth to be with God. He does not know whether God will deliver him here or take him out of the problem and all the way Home.

Psalm 119:85 The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law.

Susie: Those who oppose him are crafty in trying to ensnare him. Whether literally or figuratively, it is if they have dug a pit, covered in weak branches, and waited for him to fall in.

Susan: They use deceit and all manner of evil to bring him down. They work behind his back spreading lies rather than confronting him face to face.

Susie: All types of deceit are contrary to God’s precepts, and actual open pits that an animal or person might fall into were specifically forbidden in God’s word.

Exodus 21:33-34 33 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein; The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.

Psalm 119:86 All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.

Susan: The psalmist maintains his confidence in the fact that all of God’s precepts are true and trustworthy. People were maligning his character by bringing false accusations against him.

Susie: As stated throughout this psalm, he is living according to God’s statutes and asking the Lord to help him do so. Therefore, he feels certain he can trust the Lord to help him.

Susan: He trusts in God to be his everything, his fortress, his safe place, his defense. He pleads with he Lord to come to his aid before he faces destruction.

Psalm 119:87 They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts.

Susan: His enemies had almost succeeded in their mission of extinguishing him, removing him from the earth. Even in the midst of the horrific battle, he remained faithful to God’s teaching. Obedience is not dependent upon the circumstances. He obeys in the bad times as well as the good.

Susie: He holds tightly to the Lord and His word and remains confident in the trial. Another psalm expresses this well:

Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV) Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Susan: The psalmist knew the truth that the only way to be triumphant, victorious, is to hold on to God through His word.

Psalm 119:88 Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.

Susan: For the psalmist, his relationship with God is paramount, it is his priority to the nth degree. God does not always take you out of a situation, but He will see you through.

Susie: The psalmist has expressed feeling near death in this passage but ends this stanza asking the Lord to “quicken” him, to revive him, to resuscitate him, according to His “lovingkindness,” His merciful and gracious love.

Susan: The psalmist desires to go on living in order to bring glory to the Lord by living according to God’s word.

Points to Ponder:

·     We can find hope in God’s word

·     We need to remember (memorize) God’s word

·     God’s word is trustworthy

·     Do not forsake (give up on) God’s word

·     God revives us

·     We must keep (obey) God’s word

Reflection Question: Do you have “key” verses memorized or written down that you turn to in times of need? Some Bibles have suggested key verses, and there are numerous gift books for this purpose. However, we recommend developing your own key, meaningful verses. You may want to write them out on a notecard to carry with you until you can commit them to memory. Here is a short list of some of ours:

·     1 John 1:9 – When I have sinned

·     1 Corinthians 10:13 – When I am tempted

·     Psalm 23 – For comfort

·     John 10:27-29 – Held in His hand

·     Romans 8:37 – I am a conqueror

·     Romans 8:38-39 – Nothing can separate me from God’s love

PSALM 119:73-80 JADE JUST JUDGMENTS

JADE JUST JUDGMENTS

PSALM 119:73-80

י (Yud)

Psalm 119:73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

Susie: God formed every part of me, including my brain, my mind, my intellect. It would only make sense to ask my Designer to enable my mind to understand His word. The one who programs the computer knows how to communicate with it to maximize its effectiveness. God is the Master Programmer who formed the complex synapses that bring the ability to reason to the human brain. The psalmist may not have understood all the science behind it (neither do I), but he knew to turn to the Lord for understanding.

Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV) For you created my inmost being;  you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 119:74 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.

Susan: Believers, those who trust in God, are elated when they see someone come to trust in God for their salvation, grow in faith, and experience the blessings of the Lord. When we see a person living out their faith in their daily walk as a testimony to God’s faithfulness, we are encouraged.

Psalm 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.

Romans 12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

The Pulpit Commentary at http://biblehub.com/psalms/119-74.htm

I shall be a fresh proof to them that God does not forsake his servants.

Psalm 119:75 I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

Susie: God is always just. Since He sees the total picture, He alone truly knows what is best for His child. We do not always understand the ways that the Lord is working behind the scenes of our lives because we see only a small portion of the fabric of our lives. We see only one quilt square while the Lord sees the entire, beautiful, perfect pattern He is laying out for us.

Psalm 19:9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Susan: When God disciplines His children by way of difficulties, it is always a corrective measure to bring them back in line with His perfect plan for their lives. He is our loving, Heavenly Father, and every trial in our lives is filtered through His loving hand. God’s desire is to bring our relationship with Him to full fruition, to enable us to live joyfully for His glory.

Psalm 119:75 (VOICE) I know, O Eternal One, Your rulings are right,    and when You humbled me, You did so out of faithfulness.

Proverbs 27:6a (VOICE) Wounds inflicted by the correction of a friend prove he is faithful;

Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Psalm 119:76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness²⁶¹⁷ be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.

The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible

2617 – cheçed – loving-kindness, mercy, merciful kindness, pity

Susan: The first use of cheçed is in Genesis 19:19 when Lot used the word to describe God’s hand in delivering him from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Genesis 19:19a Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life

Susan: God used the word cheçed twice in the description of Himself to Moses, a portion of scripture the psalmist may have been alluding to:

Exodus 34:6-7 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness²⁷¹⁶ and truth, Keeping mercy²⁷¹⁶ for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Susan: For a word study on cheçed, go to http://pastorseansblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/word-study-of-checed-or-hesed-h2617.html

Susie: God’s kindness is much more than a nice gesture to a stranger, a “random act of kindness.” It is mercifully saving another’s life, literally (as in the case of Lot), or spiritually as in Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross.

Susan: The greatest expression of cheçed is Christ’s self-sacrificing death on the cross to pay the debt of my sin.

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Psalm 119:77 Let thy tender mercies⁷³⁵⁶ come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

Susie: The psalmist employs a different word for mercies in this verse. The sense is the compassion protection of being in the mother’s womb. God is our Father, but He is also likened to a hen protecting her young under her wings.

The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible

7356 – racham – compassion by extension, the womb (as cherishing the fetus) — bowels, compassion, damsel, tender love, (great, tender) mercy, pity, womb

Psalm 91:4 (NASB) He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!

Susan: It is the psalmist’s joy to internalize and build his life on the Bible, God’s instruction manual for righteous living.

Susie: Therefore, he has confidence in God’s fatherly protection and direction.

Psalm 119:78 Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.

Susie: When others make baseless accusations against the psalmist, he is determined to not let it move him from following the course God has laid out for him. He continues to focus his mind consistently on the instructions, laws, and precepts found in the word of God.

1 Peter 2:20 (MSG) There’s no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you’re treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God.

Psalm 119:79 Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.

Susie: Some of God’s people may have turned away from the psalmist when he was afflicted, thinking God was judging him rather than molding him.

Susan: His hope was that they would return to his side when they saw how the Lord had restored him. He may have also been desiring the fellowship of others who were seeking to follow God wholeheartedly, that they could understand God’s word more thoroughly together.

Psalm 119:80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.

Susan: To me to be “sound” is to be fit.

Susie: In order to be physically fit we eat well, exercise, and get enough rest.

Susan: Spiritual fitness is developed by feeding on God’s word and exerting energy in the pursuit of His ways. Just as the body-builder does not improve his physique by haphazardly going to the gym, we do not become spiritual “heavy weights” by seeing how fast we can get through our one-year devotional.

Susie: We do not develop well spiritually by studying the word on Sundays only. We must have a daily workout in the word of God.

Susan: We cannot depend on the pastor or church leadership to study and then spoon-feed us.

Susie: When we have feasted on God’s word and exercised faith to apply it, then we are able to completely, confidently rest in His promises and the hope we have in Christ. We will have no need to be ashamed because we will be living as God intended us to live.

Psalm 25:2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

Colossians 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Ephesians 3:16-20 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Points to Ponder:

·     God made us and enables us to understand His ways

·     God chastises us as our loving Father

·     God’s kindness to us was fully expressed by Jesus on the cross

·     God protects like a hen protects her chicks

·     When we are wrongfully accused, we must remain faithful to God’s word

·     In order to be spiritually sound, we need to study God’s word daily

Reflection Question: Have you ever felt like God was dealing harshly with you? Have you ever had the experience of being wounded to the core when you realized the depth of your sin? God’s assessment of us is always accurate and just, and sometimes He allows affliction, trials, in order to correct us. Remember that everything God allows into the believer’s life is filtered through His mercy and love. 

PSALM 119:65-72 IOLITE INVESTMENT

IOLITE INVESTMENT

PSALM 119:65-72

ט (Tet)

Psalm 119:65 Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O Lord, according unto thy word.

Susie: God made many promises to the Israelites including the covenant with Noah to never destroy the entire earth by flood, the Abrahamic covenant to make his descendants a great nation and give them the Promised Land, and many other promises found in the Old Testament scriptures that would have been available to the psalmist. The psalmist had found God to be consistently faithful and true to His word.

Susan: In the God-Man, Jesus Christ, God continues to give a guarantee of forgiveness of and salvation from our sin, and the certain hope of eternity in His presence to those He has chosen, who have trusted in His finished work on the cross. He is still a God who keeps His word to His people.

2 Corinthians 1:20 In Jesus we hear a resounding “yes” to all of God’s many promises. This is the reason we say “Amen” to and through Jesus when giving glory to God.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Psalm 119:66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.

Susie: As we pointed out in a previous lesson, the request for the Lord to instruct him is a common theme in Psalm 119. In this verse he specifically asks to learn about good judgement and knowledge, what we might call common sense.

Susan: He is requesting discernment and wisdom. We need wisdom, the ability to apply knowledge correctly. There is no one better to ask than the One who designed us.

Psalm 25:4-5 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.  Lead me in thy truth and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Susan: God will never demean you for seeking divine insight. He will answer that prayer generously.

Susie: The psalmist has believed, trusted in, and obeyed what he knows of God so far and desires to know and understand more and more.

Psalm 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Susie: Sometimes God allows a problem such as sickness or financial devastation into our lives to increase our trust and dependence on Him, to grow spiritually. Other times, we clearly bring troubles upon ourselves, yet those are still sifted through the loving hands of our Father.

Susan: A prime example of causing our own affliction is the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). The younger of two sons demanded that his father give him his share of the inheritance immediately instead of waiting until it was passed to him when the father died. He took that money, ran off to a foreign land, and blew it all on fast living. Then he hit rock bottom and found himself, a Jewish boy, tending pigs! Ugh! He was so desperately hungry that he was jealous of the pigs eating their slop. He was so low that he could have eaten that slop as if it were a gourmet meal. When he woke up and smelled the pig filth, he went home in hopes of working for his father as a field-hand. We know the rest of the story—his father lovingly received him back home as if he had died and been brought back to life. His self-imposed affliction caused him to appreciate all he had thrown away and realize how far he had strayed. The psalmist had been under some type of duress that did the same thing for him. God used it for the good purpose of motivating him to make a U-turn and return to walking God’s way.

Matthew Henry Commentary as quoted at

http://biblehub.com/psalms/119-67.htm

God visits his people with affliction, that they may learn his statutes. Not only God's promises, but even his law, his precepts, though hard to ungodly men, are desirable, and profitable, because they lead us with safety and delight unto eternal life.

Susie: Often, when God allows troubles into our lives, it is the Father’s loving way of placing us back on the right path, the one that is for our best and His glory.

Psalm 119:68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

Susie: The psalmist praises the nature of God. God is the ultimate good and always does what is right. This man desires to learn from God that he might grow into having the character of God.

Susan: The psalmist asks God to teach him what is of true value and eternal worth.

2 Peter 1:3-4 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Psalm 119:69 The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.

Susan: Arrogant men were slandering the psalmist’s good name. The writer of this psalm was relentlessly determined to obey God with the entirety of his being.

Susie: He was not going to allow the words of men to cause him to stray from the word of God. He was completely committed to living out what he learned from the Law.

Psalm 119:70 Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.

Susie: “As fat as grease” has the sense of being thick and dense like lard.

Susan: He is calling those who slander him, those who do not follow the Lord, “thick-headed,” or as Susie and I like to say, “osmium heads” because osmium is denser than lead.

Susie: In Biblical language their hearts were hardened. They could not see the truth of God’s word, the psalmist rejoiced in all God had taught him through His word. God’s word lights the path to fulfillment and joy (Psalm 119:105).

Susan: The pursuit of God’s way enables the believer to live in everlasting joy.

Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

Susie: I’ve heard many Christians testify that until they reached “rock bottom,” they did not look up to see the Lord. The psalmist’s affliction, whatever it was, drove him closer to the Lord and the wisdom found in His word. It reminds me of the poem-prayer I wrote the day I graduated with my bachelor’s degree:

Lord, please keep me on my knees

because from that position I can see

that You are truly all I have,

yet You are all I need.

Lord, please keep me on my knees.

Susan: I have finally found the good in the seven-year affliction of necrotic ulcers on both legs that family and doctors could not figure out. The enemy of our souls tried to kill me. However, if I had not had this affliction, the team of Susie and me might have never come to be. Therefore, today I can thank God for the affliction because of what He has given me in return and will continue to give me through the ministry to which God has called us together.

Susie: Throughout Susan’s ordeal, the Lord drove us deeply into the comfort of His word and the ability to find joy in our relationship with Jesus.

Psalm 119:72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.

Susan: God’s word is more valuable than any earthly fortune. It is the ultimate priceless treasure.

Psalm 119:127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.

Psalm 119:11 (CJB) I treasure your word in my heart, so that I won’t sin against you.

We liked the following statement by Tim Pauley at http://www.capitolcom.org/west-virginia/studies/49/2010/02/11/better-than-gold-the-real-value-of-gods-word

“What is your appraisal of god’s word? Don’t be like a candidate for antique roadshow with an item of infinite value just lying around the house. Use it. Read it. Study it. Put it into practice in your life.”

Points to Ponder:

·     God keeps His promises

·     God instructs us in His word

·     Afflictions can be for our good

·     No matter what others say, stick to the Lord’s way

·     Don’t be an osmium-head, delight in God’s law

·     Treasure the word of God above all else

Reflection Question

How many Bibles do you own? How often do you read them? Are they gathering dust or are you daily mining the treasures found in God’s word? How much time have you invested in memorizing Scripture?  Many of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ literally risk their lives to lay their hands on a Bible of their own. Do we dare neglect such an awesome treasure?!