Psalm 119
older folks, change is a threat. We like to relax in our comfort zone and resist the dramatic changes going on around us and within us. But if we do, we fail to grow spiritually and we miss the opportunities God gives us to reach others with the gospel. The psalmist made some wonderful affirmations, which if heeded, will anchor us to the eternal and enable us to be used of God during these turbulent times.
decrees are perfect and they come from His loving heart (33:11), so we have nothing to fear.
When all else fails, read the instructions.
Kaph (vv. 81–88)—Faith and Patience The focus is on the responses of the believer while he waited for the Lord to judge his enemies and deliver him from persecution and danger. His oppressors were also the enemies of the Lord and of Israel, so his concern was more than personal. Satan has been seeking to exterminate the Jews (v. 87) since the time the nation was in Egypt, and he will continue until the end times (Rev. 12). The Christian life is a battleground, not a playground, and we must expect tribulation (John 16:33). Fainting but hoping (vv. 81–83). His inner person was exhausted from longing for God to work. His eyes were strained from watching for some evidence of His presence (Lam. 2:11). He felt like a dried-up wineskin that had been thrown aside as useless. However, he never gave up hope, for no matter how dark the hour, the future is our friend because Jesus is our Lord. "It is always too soon to quit" (V. Raymond Edman).
God's Word is settled (v. 89). Ever since Satan asked Eve, "Indeed, has God said …?" (Gen. 3:1), the enemy has been attacking the Word of God. Atheists, agnostics, philosophers, scientists, and garden-variety sinners of all kinds have ignored the Bible, laughed at it, and tried to do away with it, but it still stands. Though born in eternity, God's Word is rooted in history and speaks to every generation that will listen. The Word is "founded forever" (v. 152) and will endure forever (v. 162). (See Matt. 24:34–35.) Build your life on the Word of God and you will weather all the changes of life!
God is faithful (v. 90a). Pause and read Psalm 90 and see what Moses had to say about the eternal God and the changes of life. From generation to generation, He is God, and we can commit ourselves, our children, our grandchildren, and our great-grandchildren to His care. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were three decidedly different kinds of men, but God was the "God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob."
Questioning but waiting (vv. 84–85). "How long?" he asked in verse 84, and "When?" in verses 82 and 84. These questions have often been asked by suffering saints (see on 6:3), even by the martyrs in heaven (Rev. 6:9–11), because they are the natural response of people who are suffering. (See Jer. 12:3–4; 15:15; 20:11–12.) It is difficult for most people to wait for the things they can see—a traffic jam to end, a checkout line to speed up, an important letter or e-mail to arrive—and it is even more difficult to wait for our unseen Lord to work out His will. It is through "faith and patience" that we inherit what God has appointed for us (Heb. 6:12; see Rom. 15:4). Our trials will produce patience if we trust in the Lord (James 1:3–4). The enemy may be digging pits, but the Lord will see to it that they fall into them first (9:15; Prov. 26:27).
God's creation is established (vv. 90b–91). Until that last day when God's fire purifies all things and He ushers in a new heaven and earth (2 Peter 3; Rev. 21— 22), this present creation will stand. The laws that He built into creation will also stand, whether scientists understand them or not. People may abuse and waste the earth and its resources, but God's creation will continue to serve the Creator. Everything in creation serves the Lord except human beings made in the image of God. What a tragedy! This is still our Father's world, and we can trust Him to manage it wisely.
God's peace is available (vv. 92–95). We do not go to the Bible to escape the realities of life but to be strengthened to face life and serve God effectively. We may not be able to delight in what is going on in the world, but we can delight in what God says in His Word. The Word equips us to deal with the changes of life and the crises that come. The verb "sought out" in verse 94 means "to consult, to inquire, to beat a path, to read repeatedly." Here is a believer who beat a path to the Bible, read it over and over, studied it, and when he had to make a decision, consulted it carefully. Philosophies change, political expedients fail, promises and contracts are broken, but the Word of God still stands.
Trusting and reviving (vv. 86–88). Is the enemy spreading lies about you? God's Word is dependable and can be trusted (vv. 128, 142, 151, 160). Do you feel like your defeat is very near? Rest on His promises and rely on His love. When the Father allows His children to go into the furnace of affliction, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat. He knows how long and how much. To walk by faith will bring unrest and weakness, but to meditate on the Word will bring peace and power. Once again, the psalmist prayed for new life (see v. 25) and the Lord revived him. "Your Father in heaven loves you too much to harm you, and He is too wise to make a mistake" (Robert T. Ketcham).
God wants us to get out of our rut (v. 96). So much truth is buried in this verse, you could meditate on it for hours. Whatever mankind does will never reach perfection, because our human work comes from our limited mind, strength, and ability. Perhaps the psalmist was reading the book of Ecclesiastes, for the
Lamedh (vv. 89–96)—Change and the Changeless The familiar hymn "Abide with Me" says, "Change and decay in all around I see." If that was true in 1847 when Henry Lyte wrote those words, how much truer it is today! To younger people, change is a treat, but to