In The Word
Read: Psalm 119: 49-80
49 Remember the word to Your servant,
In which You have made me hope.
50 This is my comfort in my misery,
That Your word has revived me.
51 The arrogant utterly deride me,
Yet I do not turn aside from Your Law.
52 I have remembered Your judgments from of old, Lord,
And comfort myself.
53 Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked,
Who abandon Your Law.
54 Your statutes are my songs
In the house of my pilgrimage.
55 Lord, I remember Your name in the night,
And keep Your Law.
56 This has become mine,
That I comply with Your precepts.
Heth
57 The Lord is my portion;
I have promised to keep Your words.
58 I sought Your favor with all my heart;
Be gracious to me according to Your word.
59 I considered my ways
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
60 I hurried and did not delay
To keep Your commandments.
61 The snares of the wicked have surrounded me,
But I have not forgotten Your Law.
62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You
Because of Your righteous judgments.
63 I am a companion to all those who fear You,
And to those who keep Your precepts.
64 The earth is full of Your goodness, Lord;
Teach me Your statutes.
Teth
65 You have treated Your servant well,
Lord, according to Your word.
66 Teach me good discernment and knowledge,
For I believe in Your commandments.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
68 You are good and You do good;
Teach me Your statutes.
69 The arrogant have forged a lie against me;
With all my heart I will comply with Your precepts.
70 Their heart is insensitive, like fat,
But I delight in Your Law.
71 It is good for me that I was afflicted,
So that I may learn Your statutes.
72 The Law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Yodh
73 Your hands made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, so that I may learn Your commandments.
74 May those who fear You see me and be glad,
Because I wait for Your word.
75 I know, Lord, that Your judgments are righteous,
And that You have afflicted me in faithfulness.
76 May Your favor comfort me,
According to Your word to Your servant.
77 May Your compassion come to me so that I may live,
For Your Law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be put to shame, because they lead me astray with a lie;
But I shall meditate on Your precepts.
79 May those who fear You turn to me,
And those who know Your testimonies.
80 May my heart be blameless in Your statutes,
So that I will not be ashamed.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
In these scriptures, David reveals a struggle he was having because he strayed from God’s commandments. He went astray, and God, in His love, corrected him. David’s comfort in his affliction was the promises God made him. David understood that if he made the proper adjustments by turning to God’s Word and seeking to learn and grow, that God would have compassion on his life and fulfill the promises to him even though he had messed up. David desired to learn, to grow, and to never stray from God again. He filled himself with the Word through reading, meditating, and even singing. He so desired to be blameless before God. His hope was that God’s favor would be restored in his life. David waited for it and received it from God. His adversaries didn’t like that; but those who feared God not only understood it, they also rejoiced in David’s restoration.
We have much to learn here. We should always seek to fill our lives with the truth of God’s Word daily through reading, meditating, and singing. This will keep us from going astray and having to endure affliction. However, it also teaches us that if we happen to go astray, we can turn to a compassionate Father in repentance and hope. We can know that we will be restored to His favor. If someone strays, the enemy is always using people to try to keep them down, but God is also using His people to encourage them to get up. If you are standing in truth, keep standing, but if you have stumbled, get up. May all of our hearts be blameless and unashamed in Christ.