Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding so that I can learn Your commands. Those who fear You will see me and rejoice, for I put my hope in Your word. I know, LORD, that Your judgments are just and that You have afflicted me fairly. May Your faithful love comfort me, as You promised Your servant.           Psalm 119:73-76 (HCSB)
Psalm 119 with its 176 verses is a chapter in the Bible full of wonderful ‘nuggets’ that I can read, think about, and like the squirrels outside my window, store away for the long winters that come into my life. Those promises and truths of the Lord are a part of my daily life. It is in studying and meditating on them that they become a part of me, influencing my thoughts and actions. But they are also – spikes – that I drive down into the solid rock where I stand. When storms blow and my world is shaken, these ‘nuggets’ are what keep my eyes on Jesus and hold me steady.
Today the phrase ‘in faithfulness’ jumped out at me as I once again read that GOD is sovereign and nothing happens without His permission, even ‘affliction’. GOD remains faithful even in affliction. nothing catches Him by surprise. Nothing is allowed without knowledge of the consequences. There are no ‘oops!’ in God’s works.
God is faithful and to me that means that He is there before and after every fact! He knows the events that will occur and is ready to comfort me, pick me up, point me in HIS right direction for the next step, and always, always loving me along the way.
I long for Your salvation; I put my hope in Your word. My eyes grow weary [looking] for what You have promised; I ask, “When will You comfort me?”
Though I have become like a wineskin [dried] by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.
How many days [must] Your servant [wait]? When will You execute judgment on my persecutors?
LORD, Your word is forever; it is firmly fixed in heaven.
Your faithfulness is for all generations; You established the earth, and it stands firm. They stand today in accordance with Your judgments, for all things are Your servants. If Your instruction had not been my delight, I would have died in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for You have given me life through them.                  Psalm 119:81-84, 89-93 (HCSB)
The psalmist did well in expressing my feelings. Too often I am impatient for God to rescue me from my trials and tribulations! I am worn down with the battle. I am so involved with the fight that I miss what I am to learn. And I forget that there is more than ‘me’ in any given situation. A ‘trial’ is an opportunity for me to learn or to endure discipline (Hebrews 12), but it may also have a connection to others. Maybe part of the trial is for me to ‘hang on’ and endure while my brothers and sisters receive what they are supposed to learn also. “How long must I wait?†As long as it takes. But God’s word stands firm and it is there for me to grab and hang on, knowing that it is a good anchor, a trustworthy anchor! They preserve my life! Amen.
