Psalm 119 Devotional
22 Days: Knowing is Loving
Day 18 (Tsadhe – verses 137-144)
Righteous are You, O’ Lord, and upright are Your judgments. You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness and exceeding faithfulness. My zeal has consumed me, because my adversaries have forgotten Your words. Your word is very pure, therefore Your servant loves it. I am small and despised, yet I do not forget Your precepts. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth. Trouble and anguish have come upon me, yet Your commandments are my delight. Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.
The righteousness and the uprightness of all the actions of God should surely be enough to find us living in perfect obedience to Him. Yet, as sinners in need of a Savior we often fall short. In the moments that we find ourselves falling short we can reflect back and see the perfection of the commandments of God. Commandments that of course keep us obedient, while as the same time, since they are based on the faithful character of God, lead us in a just and upright manner and protect us from falling into the dire consequences of our sin. The psalmist provides us with an interesting situation to consider. As we move closer to God our passion for Him can and will grow. When we are operating in God’s word and will, we may see others not doing so. Our passion for God can drive us to grow in Him and to care for others who have fallen away (Acts 26:29).
Does the perfection and purity of God’s word bring us to our knees in worship and out of a desire to serve Him? The loving of something or someone completely changes us. Think about how each of us reacts when we love something and are passionate about it. We serve a God who despite our failures allows us into His presence to worship Him. Why does the psalmist cry out to God about not forgetting His precepts. Because He knows the perfection of those words, much like we can always know. Let us be quick to remember the perfection, holiness, and strength of God. Let us be quick in remembering the love that our Lord has for us. An everlasting love based on everlasting righteousness.
An everlasting righteousness, a perfect truth, and a God who dearly loves us. That is what will sustain us through the trouble, trials, and hard times that can come against us in this world. As we read here in this stanza it is God’s word which will sustain us as we go through those things. The more that we know of God’s word, the more moments of delight we will find in it. The more we know of God’s word, the more we can delight in it as we endure and persevere through the challenges presented to us every day. Obedience and submission to God are all about knowing Him more and growing each day to understand we have an eternal home with Him. We are promised through the work of Jesus that we will live in His presence one day.
Dear Lord, You have given me everything and for that I am eternally grateful. There is nothing greater in this life than knowing that I will be with You in the eternal life. Jesus, You are my delight, my hope, my desire, thank you for sacrificing Your life for me. Lord I will seek to delight always in the love You have for me, and in the revelation of You that I have in Your word. Lord even in my worst moments, You have always been the best and only God. Lord forgive me for those times I placed something or someone before You. I love You my Lord and my God.