11. Preparation for Hard Times (5), Psalm 119:97-120

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Hymns: RHC 252 The Old Book and the Old Faith, 257 Holy Bible, Book Divine, 259 Lamp of Our Feet

Preparation for Hard Times (5)

Psalm 119:97-120 (KJV)

97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. 98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. 101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. 102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. 103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. 107 I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word. 108 Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments. 109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law. 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts. 111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. 112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.

 113 I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. 114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. 115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. 116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. 117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. 118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood. 119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies. 120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.

 


OUTLINE

I. Blessedness of
 embracing God’s Word (v1–40)

  • Cleansing power of God’s Word(v9–16)
  • Counselling power of God’s Word (v17–24)
  • Strengthening power of God’s Word (v25–32)
  • Establishing power of God’s Word (v33–40)

II. Blessedness of
 walking with God (v41–96)

  • The LORD delivers (v41–48)
  • The LORD comforts(v49–56)
  • The LORD loves (v57–64)
  • The LORD chastens (v65–72)
  • The LORD moulds (v73–80)
  • The LORD helps (v81–88)
  • The LORD upholds (v89–96)

III. Blessedness of
growing in the LORD (v97–144)

  • Growing to love His Word (v97–104)
  • Growing to rejoice in His Word (v105–112)
  • Growing to hope in His Word (v113–120)
  • Growing to highly esteem His Word (v121–128)
  • Growing to order my steps in His Word (v129–136)
  • Growing to delight in His Word (v137–144)

 Continuing…

The psalmist who has experienced the good hand of God in his life. He sees how the LORD delivers him, comforts him, loves him, chastens him, moulds him, helps him, upholds him. His LORD is very real to him in his life.

Though he cannot see this invisible God Whom he worships, he has experienced him in his life and is encouraged to follow Him closely. He knows that he can draw close to Him by meditating on His Word. He sees the value of God’s Word through his journey of life to his final destination.

 

  • Growing to love His Word (v97-104)

97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. 98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. 101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. 102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. 103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

He realises that God’s Word gives him true wisdom (v98) and the moral courage to refrain from evil (v101). By embracing God’s Word, he is wiser than his teachers (v99). God’s Word is like honey (v103), it energises and revitalises him. Therefore, he is resolved to love God’s Word and meditate upon it all the day. This is a description of the Christian’s devotional time. Beloved, how is your quiet time? Is it a rush or a relish?

“And You Visited Me” is a book that contains testimonies of God’s blessings on the Prison Fellowship organized by Louise Purvis.

This ministry is well described by J.D. Miller (1904) when he wrote, “Christ is building His Kingdom with Earth’s broken things. Men want only the strong, the successful, the victorious, the “unbroken,” in building their kingdom: but God is the God of the unsuccessful, of those who have failed. Heaven is filling with earth’s broken lives, and there is no bruised reed that Christ cannot take and restore to glorious blessedness and beauty. He can take the life crushed by pain and sorrow and make it into a harp whose music shall be all praise. He can lift earth’s saddest failure up to Heaven’s glory.”

An inmate Alan Fraser testifies, “On a November night in 1978 I made the biggest mistake of my life. I was out ‘on the town’ and drinking quite heavily, as usual. Then I ran out of money. But it didn’t matter because I knew how to get more – and I didn’t care how I got it. Walking down a dark street I saw someone coming towards me. On the spot I decided I was going to take his money. I was carrying a knife so I set upon the man and stabbed him severely. There was so much hatred in my heart for everybody that I really didn’t care what happened to me. But the laugh was on me – the guy didn’t have any money. The only thing he was carrying was a Bible – and he offered it to me. I threw it back at him in disgust. Later that night I was arrested and the next day charged with ‘possession of an offensive weapon’ and ‘attempted murder.’ I was sentenced to eight years imprisonment. In the courtroom, Kenneth spoke out. ‘I’m sorry you’ve got such a long sentence,’ he said. ‘I’ll pray for you.’ I started my sentence in Aberdeen and later transferred to Perth for three years. Later on I was moved to Dungavel prison. And this was where I began to recognize that God had an interest in my life.”

Alan Fraser continues his testimony, “I started to go to the meetings, but I was often quite disruptive. Sometimes I said terrible things to the Fellowship leaders, but in the end I realize that they loved me anyway. I couldn’t understand it – I had never known or been shown that kind of love before. I went back to the dormitory and felt deeply troubled within myself.

One Friday evening I told Pat (a leader of the Fellowship) everything that had happened on that November night back in 1978. It didn’t change the Christian love that showed in her face. The only thing I can remember her saying was: ‘You know enough, Alan.’ I knew what she meant.

I went back to the dormitory but I never slept a wink that night. The next day I went down to the chapel, still deeply troubled within myself. I couldn’t understand why I suddenly felt so dirty. ‘Oh God, help me,’ I whispered. ‘Make me clean.’ And He did! Deep inside I felt an instant sense of release – release from the past; release from guilt; release from my own thoughts about myself. As I sat there I had a wonderful feeling of actually knowing Jesus and experiencing a relationship with Him. There was no doubt in my mind that Jesus had saved me and I knew that He is still alive. Tears just poured down my face and I felt no fear or anxiety at all. Next day I saw the mate who had told me about the Fellowship group. ‘I’ve become a Christian!’ I said excitedly. ‘Jesus has forgiven me! And He’ll forgive you too…’

Through the study of God’s Word, he can distinguish right from wrong, truth from error. Therefore, he says, “I hate every false way.” He learns to be honest and truthful and experiences the benefit of it and therefore wholeheartedly embraces it.

  • Growing to rejoice in His Word (v105–112) 


105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. 107 I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word. 108 Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments. 109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law. 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts. 111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. 112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.

 

He describes how he was “afflicted very much” and how God’s Word rejoices his heart. God’s Word, his indispensable companion in troubles past, is also what he will pass down to his posterity forever (v111a). Indeed, God’s Word has the supernatural power to calm every troubled soul, rejoice every aching heart. Have you experienced its power too?

The psalmist thus resolves to follow the LORD to the end (v112). We see a similar resolution in the life of Joshua. Moses had left a deep conviction in Joshua’s heart of the benefit of keeping God’s Word. As Joshua inherited the mantle from Moses, the LORD gave him these instructions in Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua lived a fruitful life in obedience to God’s Word.

The Bible is a storehouse packed full of wisdom. Unpacking its treasures take time. God’s Word holds answers leaders desperately need. The Scriptures can shed light on any situation. A surface skimming of God’s Word will not suffice. Only a careful, thoughtful period of meditation will ensure that God’s people grasp all the ramifications of God’s Word for order their lives. Paradoxically, many who are busy facing significant time pressures assume they have no time to meditate on God’s Word. Time is precious. Yet the wisest thing a child of God can do is to seek God’s wisdom.

We need to understand the enormity of this truth. How does it work out in my workplace? What does it mean when we are admitted to the hospital? Is it still true when everyone seems to have abandoned us? How does this work practically in day-to-day situations? How can I know God hasn’t forsaken me when everything in my life is going wrong? The Bible holds promises with enormous implications if we would take time to consider their potential to change our lives. Joshua did and that is why he is so successful.

 

  • Growing to Hope in His Word (v113–120)

113 I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. 114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. 115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. 116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. 117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. 118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood. 119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies. 120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.

He realises that God is just. He is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His justice. He rights every wrong! For a certainty, God will deal with wickedness, oppression and injustice that His people face. Thus, the psalmist says his flesh trembles for fear of his God and he is afraid to fall into the wrath of God. With much fear and trembling, he obeys the laws of God.

He does not dare depart from God’s laws because he has experienced the chastisement of God for his wilful transgressions. And when he has lived carefully and still suffers being wronged, he is willing to wait upon God to vindicate him. He hopes in God because he knows that God is fair and will help him. In such times of trouble, God’s Word gives him comfort.

An ephah was a measuring basket used for dry measure by the Jews. The ephah equaled three-fifths of a bushel or in metric measure, twenty- two litres. The ephah was a measure used often when preparing sacrificial offerings or food.

The nation Israel was to keep honest measures as a part of her righteousness. The prophet Micah observed her rebellious and unrighteous practices. Israel had shortened her ephah (Micah 6:10). The business practices of God’s people were to be based on true weights and measures in the marketplace. Is this your practice?

A young man had volunteered, and was expecting daily to be conscripted. One day his mother gave him an unpaid bill together with some money, and asked him to pay it. When he returned home at night, she said: “Did you pay that bill?” “I really don’t remember, mother; you know I’ve had so many things on my mind.” “But you said you did.” “Well,” he answered, “If I said I did, I did.”

He went away, and his mother took the bill herself to the shop. The young man had been in town all his life, and what opinion was held of him this will show. “I am quite sure,” she said, “that my son paid this some days ago. He has been busy since, and has quite forgotten about it; but he told me that he had, and says if he said then that he had, he is quite sure he did.” “Well,” said the man, “I forgot about it; but if he ever said he did, he did.” Was that not a grand character to have? His word was trusted!

Honesty is the best policy. But no man can be upright amid the various temptations of life unless he is honest for righteousness’ sake for it pleases his Lord. Dear friends, in the long run, character is better than capital.

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. Help me, Lord, to build an honest character that glorifies Your Name.

The man of God will fear to offend God by transgressing His laws. He knows that his sins will find him out. There is no escape with God. He learns to deal truthfully and honestly.

…To be continued