thecrump

"My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation and Your righteous word. Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, and teach me Your statutes. I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies. It is time for You to act, O Lord, for they have regarded Your law as void. Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate ever false way." Psalm 119:123-128

Yesterday at work after working on various projects and finding a moment I opened up God's word to read a Psalm or two. I opened up God word and began reading in the middle of one of my favorite chapters. Not only is chapter 119 one of my favorites, but it is also the longest chapter in scripture racking up 176 verses. The reason I am partial to this Psalm is because it focuses on God's word, it's authority and the writers love for it.

In this section of 119 the author says that his "eyes fail" from seeking God's salvation and His word. As I read that I was struck by the focus it would take to lose one's eye sight while seeking after God. Now, I'm sure this is poetic language describing the passionate seeking of the author, but I still have to ask the question "do I seek His word like that?" Am I willing to lose even my vision for the truth of God's word and his salvation? Does it consume me? Do I cherish it above all things? While I do love His word and desire to know it...I often take it for granted. After all, which do spend more time with; my TV, my computer or my Bible? Do I sit down in the evening and say, "well it has been a hard day at work, I really need to rest in the eternal words of my heavenly Father where we are promised rest and peace" OR do I say "I'm really tired tonight, all I wanna do is veg out." Several years ago I made a pact with myself to spend twice as much time in God's word than watching TV. During that time (which I need to reinstitute) I found myself challenged and blessed by sacrificing TV for His word.

The passage in Psalm 119 continues with a plea from the author asking God to deal with him "according to His mercy." This is key, because if God did not deal with ALL OF US with mercy we would simply be destroyed because of our sin. It is His mercy that keeps us alive and His mercy that keeps this earth on it's axis and His mercy that sent Christ to earth to die in our place. He is an incredible merciful God. The author continues to cry out for help in understanding God's word and His statutes (laws). This goes back to his desire to know God's word and His salvation.

The next verse is a prayer for God to act upon the unrighteous who "regard Your law as void." It seems to me that this verse may have well been written in this day and age where people regard the Bible as "just another book" and laugh and scoff at anyone who dares believe it. From angry atheists who are simply rebelling against God or deceived church goers who have traded the truths of God for teachers who "tickle the ears", the world now proclaims God's word as void. They may stand on college campuses and rally's in the streets and reject the laws of God and the truths of his word, but the TRUTH remains. The Bible is indeed the words of God given to man by divine inspiration and completed in the man Christ Jesus. No amount of denying the truth will change it.

Remember: "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." 1 Peter 1:24-25

Finally the author of 119 finalizes his thoughts with a comparison of God's word and pure gold. Gold was and is one of the most precious metals on earth and yet the author says that he values God's commandments above it. He even specifies that he is not just talking about your normal gold but "fine gold."  Because of their preciousness and who they come from the author has submitted to them and considers them to be right.  They are correct and good and his life desires to be conformed to the statutes of God.  This is what a Christian does.  We do not conform to the word of God because we are trying to earn our righteousness or heaven, but because we LOVE God and His word is precious to us...therefore we follow it.  Conversely, the psalmist also HATES every false way.  What is a "false way?"  It's anyway that is contrary to scripture.  Anything that stands against God and His word.  ANYTHING that demeans and blasphemes the name and authority of God and His word.