Psalm 119:49-56 – The Word brings comfort in times of affliction

Remember that Psalm 119 is an Acrostic Psalm with 22 stanzas. Each stanza begins with a Hebrew Alphabet. The seventh stanza, verses 49-56, begins with Zayin, the seventh Hebrew Alphabet. In these verses, the Psalmist had hope in God because he remembered God’s word to him. And thus he was comforted even in his affliction because he was revived by God’s word to him. The Word of God always gives hope and is the one thing we can rely on in life. The life of the patriarch Abraham is a classic example of how the word of promise from God gave him great hope. The Bible tells us that he did not waver in hope but trusted God to fulfil all that he was promised. Thus fortified by God’s word, he was able to endure great affliction.  

Verse 52 indicates that the Psalmist had to endure scoffing from proud people who came against him, yet he was not derailed by them. He remained steadfast to the instruction given by God. Living and working among non-believers, we do come across profane and proud people who would jest about our faith in God. We must not be unsettled by their scoffing. Like the author, we must continue to make a habit of applying God’s word and make them the rule for our life. The Psalmist here also recalled the way God’s past dealings with the wicked, he was comforted. He could endure the time given him by those who jeered at him.  It is a good thing to constantly reminisce the things God had done for us and brought us through. They can fortify our hope in Him and comfort us in times of difficulty.

Again we see that the Word of God continues to comfort him. How quickly some forget the blessings of the past. It is good to look back and see the blessings of the past. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will still bless us, if we will only believe. In verse 53, the Psalmist tells us what horror would happen to God’s people who abandon His Word. It’s a warning not to turn away from God and His Word. For they can insulate us from the horror of sorrow and distress and unassailable storms of life. Those who have the Word of God and lay hold of its promises find themselves protected even though they had to face those storms. The Psalmist made the word of God his songs as he journeyed with God. Like him we can learn to sing scriptures in songs and find our hope in God greatly enhanced as we walk with Him. Not only did the Psalmist make songs out of the Word, he would also constantly ruminate over them and consider how to steadfastly apply them. He found great pleasure and delight just ruminating and recalling the principles of God.

The experience of Jeremiah affirmed these words. When he recalled God’s faithfulness he had hope even in the face of great afflictions. His experience was captured in Lamentation 3:19-23, where he said,

“Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.”

Let’s abandon ourselves to God and trust in His promises. We must constantly ponder God’s Word and promises so that they can be our guide and source of strength in time of great testing.