The Lord is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words. I sought Your favor with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to Your word. I considered my ways and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I hastened and did not delay to keep Your commandments. The cords of the wicked have encircled me, but I have not forgotten Your law. At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You
because of Your righteous ordinances. I am a companion of all those who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts. The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes.
Message: Not Forgetting God's Law
Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.
What the Lord is Saying:
The previous section of Psalm 119 focused on God's comfort in times of trouble and how He comforts us through His commands and Law. In some ways this section begins with a response. Psalm 119:49-54 was all about what God does for us and then in 55-56 there begins a response to this: O Lord, I remember Your name in the night, and keep Your law. This has become mine, that I observe Your precepts. The Psalmist is responding and saying Lord, your promises, your words, they affect me. I remember You. I keep Your Law. I observe Your precepts. And now the Psalmist continues.
Immediately, there is something interesting in this prayer. As I have looked at and studied Psalms, I have noticed that it is tutoring me on how to pray. In these verses, what stands out to me is how when I pray I don't talk about myself and how I am keeping God's promises. It's interesting, but all my praying is fairly focused on "God, you are great; God, I am bad; God, fix these people's lives." But, what is not there is:
"God, I am following You; I am keeping your commandments. I have turned myself to Your ways and following after You and I have kept your commandments. People try to attack me and distract me from you, but I seek after you. I am friends with those that follow You. You are loving. Teach me Your statutes. Teach me Your ways."
Wow, those words are almost difficult to even voice, even put together. It seems very odd to even put those words on paper; that those words would even come out of my mouth more than once. But, this is what is written and maybe should be a guide for me in praying. They are odd words, because so little of my praying is what I am doing to follow the Lord and instead my praying is what I need to do better or what I am not doing. But, that isn't right. I have the Lord living in me and it is His power in me, enabling me to do good works. The Holy Spirit is present and working and I should rest not on my ability, but on God through me, in Christ.
One more note: This Psalm begins with The Lord is my portion. This is a phrase I see often, but never am real sure what it means. Portion to me is a segment or a piece of cake or a serving when talking about food consumption. So, to say the Lord is my portion seems odd. But, the Lord is mine. The Lord is my inheritance. The Lord is my sustenance. The Lord is my everything. He is all I need. In a world of trouble and discouragement, God is who I need and all I need.
Promise: Be confident in the Word of God. Be confident in the Gospel and Gospel alone to save lives and change people and change the church.
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