Psalm 119
meditating on His Word (vv. 55, 62, 147–148), fellowshipping with God's people, or taking a walk in God's glorious creation, we love God, listen to Him, and thank Him. "All who fear you" is a fine description (vv. 63, 74, 79, 120 nkjv), for the fear of God ought to mark the people of God. In spite of the disobedience of mankind and the ravages of sin that destroy God's creation, the earth is still full of God's lovingkindness, and though we are pilgrims and strangers on this earth, God is our home (90:1) and we have nothing to fear.
this image again in verses 127 and 162. David used it in 19:10. The person of faith does not live by the priorities and values of the world (Heb. 11:24–27) but puts the will of God ahead of everything else. When we find the good treasures of truth in the precious Word of God, we rejoice in the goodness of the Lord and have no desire to wallow in the things of this world. No matter what our situation may be, we can affirm from our hearts, "God is good—all the time!"
Yodh (vv. 73–80)—Read the Instructions Led by God's Spirit, the author wrote this long psalm to convince us to make knowing and obeying the Word of God the most important activities in our lives. In the previous section, he reminded us how necessary God's Word is when we are experiencing difficulties, but it does not stop there. We need God's Word for all of life. He mentioned several ministries of the Word that are necessary in the life of the faithful child of God.
Teth (vv. 65–72)—God Is Good, All the Time The emphasis in this psalm is on what is good in the life of the believer. The Hebrew word tob is used six times in these eight verses and can be translated good, pleasant, beneficial, precious, delightful, and right. God does what is good because God is good and because what He does is "according to his word" and His Word is good (v. 39). Neither His character nor His Word will ever change, so, "God is good all the time."
We learn about ourselves (v. 73). When you purchase a new appliance, you take time to read the owner's manual. The Bible is the owner's manual for God's people. It is the only book that tells the truth about where we came from, why we are here, what we must do to succeed in life, and where we are going. God made us (139:13–18) and knows us better than we know ourselves, and He shares this knowledge in His Word. As we read, we "see ourselves" in the people and circumstances described in the pages of the Bible. We do not see "past history" but present reality! Unbelievers have no idea what the world and its people are really like, for the "real world" and the "real people" are presented in the pages of the Bible. The Bible is a mirror in which we see ourselves—and do something about what we see (James 1:22–27).
God does what is good (v. 65–66). The phrase "according to" is used frequently in Psalm 119 to relate a request or a fact to the Word of God. God acts according to the precepts, promises, and principles revealed in His Word, and we should pray and act accordingly. To ask God for something that is not according to His will and His Word is to ask ignorantly and selfishly (James 4:3), and if He gives the request to us, we will be sorry and wish we had not prayed. This happened to Israel when they asked God for flesh to eat (106:15; Num. 11:31–35). Therefore, we should pray the prayer of verse 66, for the better we know God's Word, the better we can pray in God's will and obey God's will.
God overrules evil and from it brings good (vv. 67–71). The psalmist had disobeyed the Word and gone astray. His sin was probably not a flagrant act of rebellion but of ignorance (Lev. 5:17–19; Num. 15:28), and God in His love sent affliction to discipline him (Heb. 12:1–11). At the time, this discipline was not pleasant, but it brought God's servant back to the place of obedience, so it was worth it (vv. 71, 75). However, there are times when we are obedient and we still experience suffering, but God uses that suffering to mature us and teach us His Word. Spurgeon said that the promises of God shine the brightest in the furnace of affliction. There are times when suffering comes from the enemies of God, whose hearts are insensible ("covered with fat"; 17:10; 73:7), but the Lord can even use godless opposition for our good and His glory (Rom. 8:28; 1 Peter 1:6–9; 4:12–19). The most evil act ever performed on this earth was the crucifixion of the Lord of glory on a cross, yet God used that to bring His salvation to the world.
We become a blessing to others (vv. 74, 79). When we hope in God's Word, we have joy in life, and this helps us to encourage others. "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle" (Plato). Are people happy to see us arrive or are they happier when we leave? When our friends and acquaintances have burdens, do they turn to us for help, or do we add to their burdens? We are commanded to bear our own burdens courageously and to help others bear their burdens (Gal. 6:2, 5).
We receive God's best in our afflictions (vv. 75–78, 80). Life is difficult and we must accept from the hand of God both the pleasant experiences and the unpleasant (Job 2:1–10; Phil. 4:10–13). In the dark hours of life, the Word is a light that shows us the way (v. 105), and we do not go stumbling down the wrong paths. We have the love of God to comfort us and the promises of God to encourage us. We may not delight in our circumstances, but we pray that God will use them to spread the gospel and glorify His name (Phil. 1:12–16). The enemy attacks us, but we turn to the Word and find the help that we need. Our determination in Christ is that we shall not be ashamed. God's
God uses the Word to show us good (v. 72). The word better ("precious," niv) is tob in the Hebrew. This is the second time in the psalm that the writer has compared God's truth to treasure (v. 14), and he will use