Saturday, 3 June 2017

Psalm 119:153-160 – God’s Word and a vibrant life

Psalm 119:153-160 start with “Resh,” the twentieth letter of the Hebrew Alphabets. Clearly the author knew that God was able to rescue him from his affliction. And this was the reason he boldly came to Him pleading for deliverance. The basis for his supplication was the fact that he did not forget the law. In saying that he did not forget God’s law he was saying that he had applied them in his living. The confidence he had that God would hear and answer his plea was because he had lived a right relationship with God by keeping His law. God hears the people who obey His Word and living their life according to His instructions. They who have experienced salvation trust in the instruction of God’s Word. However, it would not be so for those who would not heed God’s Word.

Three times the Psalmist used the word “revive.” The circumstance that surrounded his asking to be revived in verse 154, 156 and 159 was the affliction that he was facing. He knew that the affliction he was facing could make him susceptible to react and be tempted to become misaligned with God’s Word. The Psalmist did not want to end up there, so he asked God to revive him and keep him aligned with His Word. Fully aware that if he did not have any consideration for the Word he would have acted viciously and would end up where he did not want to go. So for him keeping the statutes of God was of primary importance.     

The second time he asked to be revived him was in verse 156. He wanted to be in line with His Word, and to remain steadfast in the face of his adversaries and persecutors. And he was confronted with many of them. He refused to move even an inch from what God had ordained in His Word. Hence he asked to be revived as God had ordained and prescribed in His Word. He added that he intensely disliked those who blatantly disregarded the Word and treated it with contempt. Such people could never be counted to keep the Word.  Let’s remember hold the Word of God in high esteem.

In the last two verses, he implored God to revive him according to His mercy. Here he cited the fact that he loved the Word. He realized that in himself he did not deserve the favour, but for the fact that God is merciful. He was assured that God would look kindly at him because he loved His Word. He was sure the Word of God is true and has never changed and every one of God’s act had been and will always be right and true. To stay alive and full of spiritual vibrancy, we need to emulate the Psalmist. We must stay focus on God’s Word. As we do that we then be able live a life, walking uprightly and in total alignment with God’s Word. 

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