Written ~ 08-24-2023
Psalm 119:145-152
“I pray with all my heart; answer me, Lord! I will obey Your decrees. I cry out to You; rescue me, that I may obey Your laws. I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in Your words. I stay awake through the night, thinking about Your promise. In Your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry; let me be revived by following Your regulations. Lawless people are coming to attack me; they live far from Your instructions. But You are near, O Lord, and all Your commands are true. I have known from my earliest days that Your laws will last forever.”
All of us have requests that we cry out to the Lord about. We have stress, we have pain, we have anxiety, we have grief, all of which cause us to cry out for help. As we cry out, where do we find that help? We find it in the Word of God. There are thousands of books, psychologists, “self-help” courses, but if we had none of those resources, we would find everything we needed in the Bible. The Words inspired by the Lord God Himself gives us all we need to find answers to our prayers. In our passage today, every prayer, every cry for help is followed up by looking to the Scriptures. First let’s look at verse 119:145,
“I pray with all my heart; answer me, Lord! I will obey Your decrees.”
Whatever we are bringing to the Lord, and yes, every day we can have new things pop up that bring us to the foot of the cross and we ask the Lord for help. We often ask the Lord for help in areas of our lives where there doesn’t seem to be a way out. What does it say in verse 119:145? “…I will pray…I will obey…” When we say to the Lord we will obey His decrees, that means we need to know what those decrees are. The only way we can know what they are is to study the Word of God. How can we obey a rule if we don’t know what it is we need to obey? The Lord wants to help in our time of need, He does, truly… but our hearts need to be in the right place, He’s going to ask us if we are obeying His Word. We cry out “Answer me, Lord!” and He may be pointing to the answer, in His Word, are we truly searching for it?
Second, verse 119:146 says,
“I cry out to You; rescue me, that I may obey Your laws.”
How often do we ask the Lord to rescue us? Are we continually falling off the path He has laid out for us and now we’re crying out for help? Do we ask to be rescued time and time again? Maybe we need to be reminded of His Word! If we are frequently finding ourselves in a place where the Light of the Lord has diminished, we need to get back in the Bible and find our deliverance in the very words God has given to us in the Scriptures! Psalm 119:105 says,
“Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
That’s a familiar verse wouldn’t you say? Now look at verse 119:106,
“I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey Your righteous regulations.”
So even though we know God’s Word is a powerful guide to keep us on the right path, so often it seems we don’t use it for the answers we seek, our promise must be to obey it! Next let’s look at verses 119:147 and 148,
“I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and I put my hope in Your Words. I stay awake through the night, thinking about Your Promise.”
These two verses include both the early morning riser and the night owl… no matter your preference God is calling us to search His Word. Putting our hope in His Word and knowing His Promises, thinking about them, both will give us the guidance we need when we are crying out to Him for help. Joshua 1:8 says,
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
This verse in the Book of Joshua can’t be reiterated enough! It’s a reminder to us that no matter where we are, what we are doing, the Word of God needs to be in our hearts, in our minds always. Alright, let’s move on to verse 119:149,
“In Your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry; let me be revived by following Your regulations.”
Our Father in heaven loves us so much, we can’t even fathom the depth of His love. In response to His love for us, we need to be diving into His Word, pouring over the Scriptures to find the answers we require to live a faithful, righteous life for the Lord. Let’s find revival in His love, through His Word let’s be revitalized and flourish! Obeying God’s regulations, knowing His promises will cause a renewal of our minds and bring devotion to our hearts.
In 119:150 our passage turns to the “lawless person,” this verse says,
“Lawless people are coming to attack me; they live far from Your instructions.”
When we surround ourselves with people who do not believe in the Word of God and choose not to follow its decrees, we risk the possibility of their lawlessness rubbing off on us. To consort with those whose rebellion towards the Word of God is obvious, puts us in a very precarious place. If someone is living a life without the regulations of the Lord to govern their decisions and their actions, as believers, we need to be exceedingly careful to what our involvement is with a person who disregards the truth, the promises of God. In verse 150 is says, “Lawless people are coming to attack…” Sometimes their “attack” may not be all that straightforward, but their lack of obedience to the Word of God will be evident. We must remain on the defense, standing firm on the truths found in the Word of God, so the lawlessness of others does not cause us to fall. Is the lawlessness of others causing us to repeatedly cry out for help? Are we caught in the middle and don’t know which way to turn? God Word leads the way. Lastly, let’s look at verses 119:151 and 152,
“But You are near, O Lord, and all Your commands are true. I have known from my earliest days that Your laws will last forever.”
When we keep our hearts and minds in a state of obedience to the Word of the Lord, HE IS NEAR. His presence is felt. We recognize His regulations, His commands, His Word as truth. We can have full confidence, that studying the Scriptures, knowing the Scriptures, obeying the Scriptures is essential for living a life fully pleasing to our Almighty God! God’s Word never changes. God’s Word Never Fails!
Thank You Lord!!
~AMEN~