Psalm 119:169-176

Psa. 119:169 Let my cry come before You, O LORD;

Give me understanding according to Your word.

Psa. 119:170 Let my supplication come before You;

Deliver me according to Your word.

As we finish this Psalm of David, he shows us one more time that he is still working this thing out. He has not attained to everything he reads in God's Law. Usually, a cry comes when we are desperate for something. We need help, and we know that we are at the end of our rope. A pastor friend said: "If you are desperate for God, then you lack the right relationship. I am never desperate for my wife." We used to sing that song: "I am desperate for you." It has little to do with our relationship and everything to do with our lack of being able to help ourselves. O that the Church will begin to cry out to God again. In Israel's history, there are a few times when they cried out to God. They were in a place of desperation for God to save them. 

In our country, we are in that same place. We need God to step into our space and save us. When pastors start to meet to discuss whether the resurrection was even real, we need God. When the Church looks like the world, we need God. When the Church is powerless and more concerned about men's feelings than the heart of God, we need God. So why do we always wait until things go wrong before we cry out to God? Where are the watchmen on the wall, those that will remain and pray for the nation until God turns this thing around?

Psa. 119:171 My lips shall utter praise,

For You teach me Your statutes.

Psa. 119:172 My tongue shall speak of Your word,

For all Your commandments are righteousness.

Praise comes when we realize who God is. Did you know that God does not have to do anything to deserve honor and worship? We have new mercies every morning before we start our day. 

Lam. 3:22-23 Through the LORD'S mercies, we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

There is enough in these two verses to worship God without Him doing anything for us ever again. Our worship must be directed towards Him because He never changes - Heb 13:8. When worship only focuses on what God has done, we have directed our worship towards the gift and not the giver. Is God enough to be worshipped?

Psa. 119:173 Let Your hand become my help,

For I have chosen Your precepts.

Psa. 119:174 I long for Your salvation, O LORD,

And Your law is my delight.

The hand of God is very symbolic in scripture. It speaks of God's ability to provide and protect. The hand and the heart are always closely connected. When the hand gives or protects, it is because it is in the heart to provide and protect. When you see how God has provided for you, you will learn to know His heart for you. 

Isaiah 41:10, 13-14 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you." Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Psa. 119:175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;

And let Your judgments help me.

Psa. 119:176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep;

Seek Your servant,

For I do not forget Your commandments.

David ends this Psalm with one more request. Let my soul live, and let your judgments help me. After all, he is still prone to wander off like a lost sheep, but he knows God will look for him. Jesus assures us that God will come looking for us when he tells the parable of the lost sheep - Luke 15. 

There is no other answer to our problem. God's law is what we need to keep us safe and successful. Joshua affirms this for us when he says:

Josh. 1:7-8 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then, you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalm 119:161-168

Psalm 119:161-168

Psa. 119:161 Princes persecute me without a cause,

But my heart stands in awe of Your Word.

Psa. 119:162 I rejoice at Your Word

As one who finds great treasure.

Throughout this psalm, David refers to the people persecuting him. First, he has mentioned the unrighteous, then his enemies, but now he even identifies the princes or some rulers. It is a reminder that most of the time, persecution comes from the ones that are in a rulership position. In Jesus' day, he warns his disciples that they will be persecuted and handed over to the rulers and kings - Mark 13:9.

Another time we read that the ruler of the synagogue was indignified because Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath - Luke 13:14. It was the rulers that sneered at Him and mocked Him when he was hanging on the cross - Luke 23:35.

When we get persecuted by someone who carries little authority, it is easy to brush it off. It is not such a big deal. However, it is different when someone that has the power to do something about a threat to our wellbeing or life starts persecuting us. Do we stay strong? David still finds his strength in the Word of God. There are so many stories about people that gave up on their faith and walked away in a time of distress or trouble. What will keep us when we face a similar situation? Will we remember His Word and stand firm?

Psa. 119:163 I hate and abhor lying,

But I love Your law.

Psa. 119:164 Seven times a day I praise You,

Because of Your righteous judgments.

David loves praising God. All the psalms David wrote testify to his ability to worship God in song. But, does David really do it seven times a day? In the Hebrew culture, seven is a sacred number. It represents perfection. It is a number that is used to represent God. In essence, David is saying that he praises God until it feels perfect. How many times do we think we are missing it and then give up. When the worship on Sunday feels off, do we still keep praising until we feel we have done it the best way we could do it? The key he gives us is the fact that he doesn't praise God because of something he did. If that is true, we must always wait until God does something, and then we get to judge if it was Him. No, he praises God because of His judgments, His Law, His Word. Because that never changes, David always has a reason to worship and praise God. Never based on our circumstances but always based on who He is!

Psa. 119:165 Great peace have those who love Your law,

And nothing causes them to stumble.

Psa. 119:166 LORD, I hope for Your salvation,

And I do Your commandments.

What a powerful statement. When you have God's Law, nothing else can make you stumble into fear and anxiety. In the midst of the storm, you can sleep, just like Jesus did. Outside factors do not influence the peace that God gives. He is bigger than your circumstances. When peace is more than what you simply know, and you begin to understand that peace is a person, then events fade in the reality of what He can do for you during your experience. There is a peace that surpasses our understanding.

Phil. 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

It is His peace. It is Him guarding your heart and your mind. When everything looks like a mess and like there is no good outcome, that is when His peace shows up. 

Psa. 119:167 My soul keeps Your testimonies,

And I love them exceedingly.

Psa. 119:168 I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,

For all my ways are before You.

Another key that David is giving us here is that faith is more than believing. I can believe for a great pension one day when I retire, but that is not happening if I don't work. I can sit on my blessed assurance all my life and pray and believe, and I will not see it happen. Faith is taking action. Do something and watch your faith in action. David says: My soul keeps your testimonies, and I keep your precepts. Can you see how he is co-laboring with God? Faith without works is dead - James 1.

David loves God's Law. It is almost his whole focus in life. When he is struggling, he remembers God's Law. When he is persecuted, he remembers God's Law. When he wakes up, he remembers God's Law. When he goes through his usual daily stuff, he remembers God's law.

We know that David is a man after God's own heart. I wonder if it were because David had such value for God's Word and commandments? 

In North Korea, people are shot not for their faith but for simply having a Bible. They love the Word of God. Do we value the written Word we have and the freedom to read and study it?

Psalm 119:153-160

Psalm 119:153-160

Psa. 119:153 Consider my affliction and deliver me,

For I do not forget Your law.

Psa. 119:154 Plead my cause and redeem me;

Revive me according to Your Word.

Psa. 119:155 Salvation is far from the wicked,

For they do not seek Your statutes.

Psa. 119:156 Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD;

Revive me according to Your judgments.

Psa. 119:157 Many are my persecutors and my enemies,

Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.

Psa. 119:158 I see the treacherous, and am disgusted,

Because they do not keep Your Word.

Psa. 119:159 Consider how I love Your precepts;

Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.

Psa. 119:160 The entirety of Your Word is truth,

And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

This week I want to look at the verses together and talk about one thing that stands out for me. Three times in these verses, David asks to be revived. 

1. Revive me according to Your Word.

2. Revive me according to your judgments.

3. Revive me according to Your lovingkindness.

It might shock you, but I am not a huge fan of past revivals because it mainly started with a move of God but ended up focusing on a person. The very phrase stirs up a lot of questions for me. Studying revivals in church history, I came to the conclusion that none of them lasted. We had the Brownsville revival, the Azusa Street revival, and many more. Their impact on people was significant and good, but the question remains: Why does the Church need revival when we are supposed to live as a people with power and authority? When did we lose the life God gave us when we got born again? Why are cathedrals in Europe built to God's glory in the past places where people today have yoga classes and antique stores?

You only try to revive something that is dead. The Church is not supposed to be dead but pulsating with the life of Christ. The Church is not supposed to be an organization or a religious affiliation but a body of whom He is the head, and we are the body - Eph 1:22-23, 3:19, 4:15. 

Why does the Church look like the world in so many ways? You can find all these symptoms in Church today!

2Tim. 3:1-5 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,

traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Is it possible that Churches are preaching a dead theology, void of the life of the Gospel? Preaching messages that soothe the ears of people instead of calling them to repentance - We have encamped around a doctrine or a theological viewpoint and excluded those that are searching for the truth, the truth we think we only have. We have made it our responsibility to convict people with our judgment of their behavior and think we can do a better job than the Holy Spirit. We have accommodated the things that break the heart of God, all in the name of love. We have excused sin and facilitated a mixture of humanism and spirituality. 

We have become inward-focused and need-oriented. We worship our experience more than we worship God for who He is. Worship songs elevate our struggle instead of singing about His glory. Instead of evangelism conferences for the lost, we get caught up in dream interpretation and prophetic conferences for the saved. While we facilitate our own needs, we run from one meeting to the next to get a quick spiritual fix. In the meantime, the world is lost, and we don't give one thought that they are the ones on God's heart - 2 Pet 3:9.

Do we need revival? 

Yes, we do, but one that will change people, not just satisfy their flesh. God promised that He would pour out His Spirit on all flesh, and I pray He does it again. So what will this revival look like? Read the book of Acts, and you will understand.

Revival happens when we do what the Word tells us to do.

The command is to go and make disciples. Go and tell what great things God has done for you. Teach them to uphold all the things Jesus taught about the kingdom. Love people the way God loves them. An unconditional love that is not afraid to demand repentance. Lay down your life for the Gospel instead of fighting for your survival. Serve the ones that persecute you and pray for your enemies. Live holy and be separate from the world. Shun the very appearance of sin and do what is righteous. Pray without ceasing and give to the poor. Remember the widows and the fatherless and visit the people in jail. Stop trying to find the splint in your brother's eye when you have a beam in your eye. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Be kind to one another and restore the ones that have fallen into sin. Repent from dead works and bless, don't curse.

Revive us, O Lord, not for us but for the world that you love, and that needs you!

Psalm 119:145-152

Psa. 119:145 I cry out with my whole heart;

Hear me, O LORD!

I will keep Your statutes.

Psa. 119:146 I cry out to You;

Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.

What does it look like to follow God with your whole heart? The battle has always been for the heart of man.

The enemy is not after your finances, your business, or anything else but your heart. If it is money, he will give it to get to your heart. Your money does not impress him. Your children don't impress him. He is after your heart because he knows that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he - Prov 23:7. If he has your heart, he has all of you.

If you want to know what is in a man's heart, give him something. Whether it is money, position, or authority, these things will reveal the real issue. God is also after your heart.

Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted - Luke 4:18-19. He states that out of man's heart comes all the things that defile a man - Mark 7:21-22. Solomon said that out of the heart of man comes all the issues of life - Prov 4:23. 

God wants us to surrender our whole heart and life. It starts with trust. Most people do not trust God. Ask anyone you know, and if they are honest, they will admit that it is a struggle. The reason I believe is that we tie our trust to our experience. If things are good, we trust God. If things get complicated, we question God's goodness. It is hard to surrender your heart to someone you don't trust. 

Psa. 119:147 I rise before the dawning of the morning,

And cry for help;

I hope in Your word.

Psa. 119:148 My eyes are awake through the night watches,

That I may meditate on Your word.

The proper way to learn to trust God is to know His Word. He reveals His will and His character through His Word. David gives us the key to getting to a place of trust. He spends time meditating on God's Word. The more we know what His Word says, the better we will be able to discern where God is working in our life. 

Joshua is another person that gives us insight into the effect of knowing God's Word. He says that if you meditate on it, do what it tells you to do, you will succeed and be prosperous. 

Josh. 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then, you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psa. 119:149 Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;

O LORD, revive me according to Your justice.

Psa. 119:150 They draw near who follow after wickedness;

They are far from Your law.

As always, David's enemies are somewhere in the background. They come close to him, but their ways are far from what the Word of God demands. So why does darkness feel closer to us? I hear people say: trouble always find me first. Is it just bad luck, or is it natural for some people? There are times when God seems to be just silent. However, the silence does not mean He is not present. 

On the contrary, silence from heaven is an invitation to seek Him. When Aninka was small, we used to play hide and seek in the house. Once she finds me, she will go back there every time to see if I am hiding in that same spot. Sometimes I will move to another place really close. She didn't stop looking. Not finding me in the same place made her look elsewhere. Silence is saying God moved. Look for Him elsewhere. He is still there. 

Psalm 103:17 His faithfulness is from everlasting to everlasting. His mercy is from generation to generation - Luk 1:50.

Psa. 119:151 You are near, O LORD,

And all Your commandments are truth.

Psa. 119:152 Concerning Your testimonies,

I have known of old that You have founded them forever.

David says it. YOU ARE NEAR, O LORD. The question begs to be asked. How do I know He is always near? His faithfulness. The one thing you can bed all your money on is that His faithfulness guarantees that He will never leave you or forsake you, or even walk away from you. When Adam sinned in the garden, he hid himself from God. God never left him alone. No, God went looking for him and Eve so that He could restore them. That is His faithfulness. When we are unfaithful, He stays faithful. He can never deny himself. 

2Tim. 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself.

Psalm 119:137-144

Psa. 119:137 Righteous are You, O LORD,

And upright are Your judgments.

Psa. 119:138 Your testimonies, which You have commanded,

Are righteous and very faithful.

How righteous is God? First, we must establish what righteousness is. The Word means to be "right" or "just," both morally and forensically. Forensics is the scientific tests or techniques used to detect crime to the molecular level. If you have to investigate God, you will find no unrighteousness in Him.

Righteousness is one of the chief attributes of God - Leviticus 19:36; Deuteronomy 25:1; Psalm 1:6; Proverbs 8:20). It is His character and His essence. It guarantees us that His dealings with us will always be right and fair. God cannot make a mistake. He is not partial or unfair. His Word is truthful and powerful and brings things to the light. Because He is righteous and always right, He is also faithful.

God will never go against His Word. God will never violate His promises. His faithfulness endures to all generations - Psalm 119:90.

Psa. 119:139 My zeal has consumed me,

Because my enemies have forgotten Your words.

Psa. 119:140 Your Word is very pure;

Therefore Your servant loves it.

Again David brings our attention to the Word of God. In Psalm 119, David mentions the Word of God 42 times. This is interesting because when Israel left Egypt, delivered from slavery, they had 42 stops from Egypt and into Canaan or the promised land.

The Word of God is pure. The only way to get purity is to burn it with fire. Countless times God tells Moses to overlay the furniture of the Tabernacle with PURE gold. The refiner's fire burns away any impurities to be able to present pure gold. We all know the baptism of water and the baptism of the Holy Spirit but remarkably, what John the Baptist tells everyone is that He will baptize them with the Holy Spirit and Fire.

Matt. 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Jesus also says that everyone will be seasoned with fire - Mark 9:49. He came to send fire on the earth - Mark 12:49. He takes vengeance on his enemies with fire, those that do not obey the Gospel of God - 2 Thess 1:8. He makes his Angels and his ministers a flame of fire - Heb 1:7. God is a consuming fire - Heb 12:29. Your faith is tested by fire - 1 Pet 1:7. He has eyes like flames of fire - Rev 2:18 and He invites us to buy gold from Him that is refined in fire - Rev 3:18.

His Word is pure. There is no impurity in what God speaks. David pities his enemies because they have forgotten the Word of God.

Psa. 119:141 I am small and despised,

Yet, I do not forget Your precepts.

Psa. 119:142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,

And Your Law is Truth.

David has already shown us that the Word of God is righteous and pure. Now he adds another understanding for us about God's Word. Your Law is Truth. We have already seen from previous verses that Truth is not just something we believe. Truth is a person, and His name is Jesus. He is also the Word of God, made flesh - John 1:14.

The Truth is that which is seen from God's perspective. Jesus is the express image of God, and he is the express character of God. He came to make Truth known to us and all who would believe. He is the only way to the Father. Therefore, Truth does not need to be defended, and Truth is not subjective. Your opinion is not the Truth; His Word is the Truth. Truth is always parallel with God's righteousness. They walk hand in hand.

Psa. 119:143 Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,

Yet Your commandments are my delights.

Psa. 119:144 The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting;

Give me understanding, and I shall live.

David adds one more thing for us to this paragraph of Psalm 119. His Word is everlasting. God is from everlasting to everlasting - 1 Chron 16:36. His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting Psalm 103:17. His Kingdom is everlasting - Psalm 145:13. His righteousness is eternal. From before time and long after time stops to exists, God will be, His Word will be, His Truth will be, His righteousness and mercy will be.

Is. 40:28-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Psalm 119:129-136

Psalm 119:129-136

Psa. 119:129 Your testimonies are wonderful;

Therefore my soul keeps them.

Psa. 119:130 The entrance of Your words gives light;

It gives understanding to the simple.

The testimonies of God are what make us remember what ability God has. But, in Hebrew, it also means: Do it again. Keeping the testimonies is a reminder that God is intricately involved with our lives. Do we realize that the Lord orders all our steps? This is a strange concept because it doesn't mean we are puppets on a string. He has given us free will, but he promises to lead us as we make decisions so that our walk will bring glory to Him - Rom 8:14

Psa. 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,

And He delights in his way.

The entrance or realization of His words gives us light. It brings us understanding about God and his ways. Without his word, we are like blind men trying to lead other blind people - Mark 15:14. Without insight from God, we have no understanding. Only He sees it all and knows it all.

Psa. 119:131 I opened my mouth and panted,

For I longed for Your commandments.

Psa. 119:132 Look upon me and be merciful to me,

As Your custom is toward those, who love Your name.

Again David tells us how much he wants God's law in his life. HE says he is panting, desiring it with passion. How much do we still prefer the Word of God? In China, they sometimes have only one page of a book in the Bible, and they treat it like gold. Everyone in a group would memorize the verses on that page. In our homes, Bibles lay around and never get read.

David also asks God to deal with him as God's custom is in dealing with people. What a great statement if you remember that a custom is something that is widely accepted and practiced in a culture. In South Africa, we barbeque a lot. In America, you do tailgating. It is your custom. David states that it is God's custom to be merciful to people. What a statement!

Psa. 119:133 Direct my steps by Your word,

And let no iniquity have dominion over me.

Psa. 119:134 Redeem me from the oppression of man,

That I may keep Your precepts.

The one purpose the enemy has is to have dominion over people and to enslave them. So Paul clarifies that whoever we obey or give our members or bodies to, we become slaves of that Rom 6:12-16.  

The original mandate was for man to rule and reign - Gen 1:26-28. However, because of the fall of man, when man rules, he uses manipulation, resources, and evil intentions to rule over other people. 

Before Cain kills Abel, God warns him about sin. Cain's countenance or face was cast downwards. God tells him that if he does well, he will be accepted. The fact that we face temptation does not mean we lose the acceptance of God. 

Gen. 4:6-7 So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

Sin wants to rule over us, but we have the power to overcome it and not allow sin to have dominion - 1 Cor 10:13.

Psa. 119:135 Make Your face shine upon Your servant,

And teach me Your statutes.

Psa. 119:136 Rivers of water run down from my eyes,

Because men do not keep Your law.

David asks God to make His face shine on him. It was part of the blessing that God commanded Moses to have the priests bless Israel. So, where Cain's countenance was cast down, God's face shines on us.

Num. 6:22-27 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: "The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."

In the end, David is heartbroken because he understands the power of God's law. If people can understand how much it can bless them. It also highlights that David shares the heart of God for people. 

When was the last time we wept for our generations? When was the last time we prayed so earnestly that God would make His face shine on the nations and give Christ what he died for? So David prays prophetically in Psalm 2 about how God sets up the kingdoms of the earth for Jesus to rule.

Psa. 2:8  Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.

Psalm 119:121-128

Psalm 119:121-128

Psa. 119:121 I have done justice and righteousness;

Do not leave me to my oppressors.

Psa. 119:122 Be surety for Your servant for good;

Do not let the proud oppress me.

This week we see David making a statement. "I have done justice and righteousness." Is it proper for him to say this when we know that he failed many times in his life, as we all do? There is a difference between saying something to justify yourself and be self-righteous and saying something because you remember the times you did get it right. 

In the Book of Isaiah and 2 Kings, we read the story of Hezekiah. King Hezekiah was a great king and had done much to turn back the heart of Israel to God after his father, King Ahaz, had let idolatry and sin run amok. He started to strengthen Israel's military, but he also had some counselors who wanted to attack Assyria for their own gain. The Assyrians were defeated, but not without significant loss. King Hezekiah either was oblivious to his advisors' bad decisions or chose not to see it, but things turned sour after the losses. Hezekiah fell ill, and he was then visited by the prophet Isaiah, who let Hezekiah know that he would soon die and that he needed to get his house in order. Hezekiah wept and prayed to God, asking him to let him live. The Lord heard Hezekiah's prayer and allowed him to live 15 years longer. Listen to his prayer:

Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed to the LORD, and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And the Word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, "Go and tell Hezekiah, "Thus says the LORD, the God of David, your father: 'I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years.

We see that God accepted Hezekiah for what he prayed. We never get it right because of our own strength but because He gives us the grace to do it right sometimes.

Psa. 119:123 My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation

And Your righteous Word.

Psa. 119:124 Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,

And teach me Your statutes.

Just like David, even if we get it right, we never step away from God's mercy. We never stop searching and seeking truth from His Word. David is telling us how much he pursued the Word of God. Spending time meditating on His Word gives you an understanding of God's mercy. It's easy to ask God to deal with you according to what you saw in His Word. 

Today that applies just as much to what we believe and knows. Years ago, I was driving to a lady's meeting in Jacksonville, FL. I left early and was praying about what I needed to share with them. The Spirit spoke to me and said: 'Tell them that you can not expect anything less from God than what He has shown you in His Word." That excited me.

If we know God can save us, we can not expect anything less. If we know God can heal the sick, raise the dead and fight for us, we can not expect anything less from Him. His Word gives us an understanding of what He is capable of doing. But, apart from that, He can still do abundantly above anything we can ask or even think - Eph 3:20. 

Psa. 119:125 I am Your servant;

Give me understanding,

That I may know Your testimonies.

Psa. 119:126 It is time for You to act, O LORD,

For they have regarded Your law as void.

We can never ask for enough understanding. For example, it is impossible to understand God with our finite brain. So likewise, spiritual things can not be understood by the natural. The problem with religion and atheism or science is that they try to explain a Spiritual God naturally. The natural reveals God but are not God. His invisible attributes are seen and understood by the seen things - Rom 1:20.

1 Cor 2:13-14 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.

Psa. 119:127 Therefore I love Your commandments

More than gold, yes, than fine gold!

Psa. 119:128 Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things

I consider to be right;

I hate every false way.

How often do we value earthly things above spiritual things? Growing up, we had hope that one day when we make it to heaven, we would walk on the streets of gold. What about his presence, being redeemed from eternal damnation? Our best thing to hope for was gold. Really?

Ephesians 1 talks about how God has blessed us with spiritual blessings. He mentions fifteen things that are part of that blessing. But, unfortunately, none of them includes gold. Instead, David found something better than anything the world can ever offer. His commandments are better than anything earthly.

All of God's precepts are right, justified, and holy. Therefore, all things that God gives are good. 

What grabs your attention? What has your loyalty? What does it profit a man if he wins the world but loses his soul? Any Gospel that offers you stuff is nothing better than what satan offered Jesus when he tempted Him - Matt 4. We are not in this for what we can get but because of who He is.

Psalm 119:113-120

We continue looking at what David prays in Psalm 119.

Psa. 119:113 I hate the double-minded,

But I love Your law.

Psa. 119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield;

I hope in Your Word.

A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways and is like a wave of the sea, tossed to and fro - James 1:8. James repeats this command when he asks sinners to wash their hands and purify their hearts, you double-minded people - James 4:8. The reason for double-mindedness is because people don't stand for what is right or wrong. Someone said: If you don't stand for anything, you will be persuaded by everything. 

To fully understand what David is saying here, we must look at some of Israel's history with the law and what God commanded them. When God delivered them from Egypt, he commanded them not to marry the daughters or give their daughters in marriage to the foreign nations. God wanted them to stay separate as a nation. They were also commanded not to plant two kinds of seed in their fields, wear wool and cotton together, or plow with an ox and a donkey simultaneously. The point is that God hates a mixture. 

When we mix things up, we blur the lines, and discerning becomes harder. The commandments of God are clear on what is right and what is wrong, what is righteous, and what is sin. There is no commonality between light and darkness. Sin does not exist in holiness. 

In the book of Revelation, God says: because you were not hot or cold, I have spit you out of my mouth - Rev 3:15. Paul reminds us not to be unequally joked - 2 Cor 6:14-18, but instead come out from them and be ye separate. God hates a mixture. Jesus says that we cannot serve two masters, God or mammon - Matt 6:24. God hates a mixture!

When you were Born Again, you are redeemed, justified, and set apart. We have the mind of Christ - 1 Cor 2:16. My old nature was crucified with Christ, and I am a new creation - 2 Cor 5:17. We can no longer serve God and the flesh. I must daily crucify my flesh because I cannot live by the Spirit and the flesh. God hates a mixture.

Psa. 119:115 Depart from me, you evildoers,

For I will keep the commandments of my God!

Psa. 119:116 Uphold me according to Your Word that I may live;

And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

David commands the evildoers to depart from him because they cause him to stumble. He would rather keep the commandments of God. You cannot meditate on God's Word and be double-minded. Again David asks God to help him stay faithful to God's Word. The Word he uses "uphold" means to prop up but also to lay hold off. David is not just asking God to hold him up, but he is also grabbing onto the Word of God. We must do more than ask God. We must also act on his Word. Faith is not always passive. Every great person of faith in the Bible did something, and God honored that. Only when we are totally unable to do anything can we have faith without works. We can still pray.

Psa. 119:117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe,

And I shall observe Your statutes continually.

Psa. 119:118 You reject all those who stray from Your statutes,

For their deceit is falsehood.

David introduces a new thought here. God rejects those that stray from His statutes. We struggle to reconcile a God of love with Him rejecting someone. Is that biblical? Jesus clarifies when He says: Depart from me, I never knew you - Matt 7:23. The five virgins that run out of oil were not allowed into the wedding feast - Matt 25. God rejects the goat nations. The Gospel is not God loves you just the way you are. No, God loves what He can redeem if you receive His sacrifice. The Gospel is not universal in the sense that God redeems everyone. God can save anyone that comes to Him with a repentant heart. 

Man was created perfectly in Eden. Unfortunately, Satan introduced man to a mixture of good and evil instead of the Tree of Life. God rejects any effort by any man to be self-righteous. Living a life apart from God is the pinnacle of falsehood because it contradicts God's original plan for us. 

Psa. 119:119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross;

Therefore I love Your testimonies.

Psa. 119:120 My flesh trembles for fear of You,

And I am afraid of Your judgments.

How does God deal with wickedness? More than that: the question should be how do we respond when we see God dealing with the wicked?

Job said: Fear came upon me, and trembling, Which made all my bones shake - Job 4:14. 

The Prophet Habakkuk describes in detail what happens when God shows up to punish the wicked:

When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice;

Rottenness entered my bones, And I trembled in myself,

That I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people,

He will invade them with his troops Hab 3:16.

Do we still tremble in fear of God? Have we lost our understanding of how Holy He is? Do we even understand how powerful God is? The fear of the Lord keeps us from sinning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. God will judge every one of us one day. Does that make us stop and think how many times we think we got away with something? What a sobering thing to be reminded that no flesh will glory in His presence 1 Cor 1:29.

If God puts away the wicked from the earth, where will we stand?

Psalm 119:105-112

Psalm 119:105-112

Psa. 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path.

Psa. 119:106 I have sworn and confirmed

That I will keep Your righteous judgments.

Light is a reality that finds its origin in God. From the beginning, we see that God said: "Let there be light!" God is light, and there is no darkness in Him - 1 John 5:1. Therefore, light finds its source in God. Light reveals and helps us to discern what darkness is. Jesus says: Bring it to the Light - John 3:20-21. 

God is also Truth. Light and Truth are companions and show who God is. Truth is understood and revealed through His Word. Jesus is the Word of God - John 1:1. Jesus, the Word of God, made flesh states: "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life" - John 8:12. 

The word for "light" in Greek is "phos." Think about phosphorus, that substance that lights up in the dark. The word for voice in greek is "phone," pronounced phonei. So the root of "phone" is "phos, the same as the root word for light. So light and voice come from the same meaning. That is why we read in Genisis, and God said: LET THERE BE LIGHT! Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path!

David makes this remarkable statement: 

Psa. 119:130 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

He makes an oath to keep God's commandments. As long as you walk in the light of His Word, you will never stumble, and the darkness does not influence you.

Psa. 119:107 I am afflicted very much;

Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.

Psa. 119:108 Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD,

And teach me Your judgments.

We have seen in previous verses that David said it was good that he experienced affliction. However, this is because he understood the purpose of the process he was going through. He is asking that God will revive him during this time. More than that, during the time of affliction, he is still offering praise and worship with his mouth. 

A freewill offering was something that they could give. It was not an offering that was required from God. It is giving when you don't have too. David says he will use his lips to give a freewill offering. Paul tells us to give our bodies as a sacrifice - Rom 12:1-3. It shows a heart that is willing to sacrifice.

What do we do when we are feeling the affliction? Paul and Silas were singing in jail, locked up in the worst part of the jail - Acts 16:24-33. What is astounding is that the other prisoners heard them worshipping and praying. During that time, an earthquake shook all the prisoners' chains and opened all the doors. No one left the prison even though they were free from the chains. When was the last time that your worship so captivated people that they didn't want to go? When was the last time your worship in the most challenging circumstances set the other prisoners free?

Heb. 13:15 Therefore, by Him, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Psa. 119:109 My life is continually in my hand,

Yet I do not forget Your law.

Psa. 119:110 The wicked have laid a snare for me,

Yet, I have not strayed from Your precepts.

We know that our lives are not in our own hands. David knew the scriptures, so he must have known what Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 32:39.

"See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me;

It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I who heal,

And there is no one who can deliver from My hand."

So his statement about having his life in his own hands shows us he realizes how fragile his life is. Yet, despite being that vulnerable, he finds comfort in the Law of God. His Words are forever and bring life and light.

David tells us again that his enemies are trying to trap him. But, nevertheless, he keeps remembering the Law of God and makes sure he does not stray from it. What an incredible peace to know that God protects us from the snares of the enemy. David makes this clear in another Psalm when he says: Surely He shall deliver you from the snares of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence Psalm 91:3.

Psa. 119:111 Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever,

For they are the rejoicing of my heart.

Psa. 119:112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes

Forever, to the very end.

Heritage is what is passed down from generation to generation and includes culture, history, and nation. Inheritance is assets passed down from one generation to the next generation. David is not talking about inheritance but his heritage. The testimonies of God are what he claims to be his heritage. He could have claimed his defeat over Goliath, his time as King of Israel, his riches, his wives and children, but he chooses God's Word. 

When we got born again, we were cut off from our sinful heritage and placed into the family of God - 1 Pet 2:9. He hath delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son - Col 1:13. He is our heritage and our inheritance.

When we talk about heritage today, we use the word legacy. What is your legacy? What will people remember about you when you are gone. For David, it was his love for the Word of the Lord.

I would love for people to remember me as someone who loved His Word, Loved His people, and preached the Kingdom's message. I want to be recognized as one who gave more than he asked, had more grace than judgment, and lived to make others great.

Psalm 119:97-104

Psa. 119:97  Oh, how I love Your law!

It is my meditation all the day.

Psa. 119:98  You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.

I remember when I met my wife the first time. I was smitten and in love. All I could think of all day long was her. I talked about her. I dreamed about what our lives could be like together, the happiness and the joy of spending time together. Love has a way to get you to do that. It is precisely what David is saying here. His passion for the Word of God makes him think about it all day long. So whatever has your love, has your thoughts as well. When we fall in love with the Word of God, we will not struggle to read it, meditate on it or even pray it. There are more advantages to just being in love with the Word of God. 

His commandments make you wiser than your enemies. The Bible is full of stories where God's wisdom outmaneuvered the enemies of God. The best one is where Paul states that even the rulers of this world, satan, and his demons, were too stupid to know what God was doing in Jesus.

1Cor. 2:8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

They thought that killing Jesus would stop the Kingdom of God. Killing Him was the key to their total defeat, and Jesus stripped satan of every authority, power, or right he thought he had to drag men to eternal doom.

The weakest Christian is wiser than the enemy because they have the Word of God planted in their hearts. 1John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

Psa. 119:99  I have more understanding than all my teachers,

For Your testimonies are my meditation.

Psa. 119:100 I understand more than the ancients,

Because I keep Your precepts.

Again David reminds us that the wisdom of God far exceeds the understanding of man. The prophet Isaiah says the same thing in Isaiah 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Job, also speaks of the wisdom of God and how man was absent when God created everything. How can a man even know unless God reveals it to him? Job 38:4-42:6.

Paul adds his understanding when he says: "For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength" - 1 Cor 1:25-30.

Psa. 119:101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way,

That I may keep Your word.

Psa. 119:102 I have not departed from Your judgments,

For You Yourself have taught me.

There is a vast difference between believing something and living it. Unfortunately, too many times, people toil with sin and think they will be okay. Living in the kingdom of God means you act on it daily. He promised that all who accept Him, He will give the power to BECOME his children. We are in the becoming stage. Believing did not make you perfect in your walk; you were made perfect in His righteousness - 2 Cor 5:21. We learn to walk it out daily. For some, like Paul, we die daily. For some like David, we restrain our feet from any evil way. We give our bodies daily as a living sacrifice so that the life of God might be made manifest through His body, the Church - Rom 12:1-3. 

Psa. 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste,

Sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psa. 119:104 Through Your precepts I get understanding;

Therefore I hate every false way.

Lastly, David tells us that the words of God bring flavor to our life. Taste and see that the Lord is good - Psalm 34:8. What does he mean? I believe that David is reminding us again that we must be partakers of His Word. The only way food affects us is if we eat it. I can look at a T Bone all day and will never experience the nutritional value it has for me unless I eat it. So likewise, staring at the Word of God means nothing unless I start meditating on it and acting on it. Then it flavors my life to the point where Paul says we are a sweet-smelling fragrance, His fragrance to God and to the world - 2 Cor 2:14-16.

Paul also admonishes us that our words should be flavorful.

Col. 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Lastly, David states that understanding brings clarity so that you will end up hating what is false. If not for the Word of God, how will we discern? The truth is that what is understood from God's perspective. He is the only one that has the complete picture. Everything else can mislead us.

We need His word, and we need His truth!

Psalm 119:89-96

Psalm 119:89-96

Psa. 119:89  Forever, O LORD,

Your Word is settled in Heaven.

Psa. 119:90  Your faithfulness endures to all generations;

You established the earth, and it abides.

What a statement? His Word will never change. His Word is eternal, all-sufficient, and does not need correction. The writer of Hebrews says it like this: "Upholding all things by the Word of His power - Heb 1:3. Jesus says that Heaven and earth will pass away, but His Word will never pass away - Matt 24:35. Peter says that the Word of the Lord endures forever - 1 Pet 1:25. Therefore, David knows that God's Word can be trusted. More than that, God's faithfulness is the same as His Word.

The root meaning of the word faithfulness means to be steady, build-up, to be permanent, Truth, or turn to the right hand. Interesting to think what the Word says about God's right hand.

The right hand of God represents His power - Ex 15:6, His Law Deut 33:2, His provision - Psalm 16:11, His loving kindness - Psalm 17:7, His saving strength - Psalm 20:6, His righteousness - Psalm 48:10, Victory - Psalm 98:1, Where Jesus is seated - Matt 22:44, Eph 1:20.

The right hand was also the hand used to bless your children. When Israel(Jacob) blessed Joseph's two sons, he placed his right hand on the younger brother's head, and Joseph protested. The priesthood also had to have their right toe and right thumb anointed with blood and oil to be able to minister in the Tabernacle. 

God's faithfulness is enduring to all generations, just as His Word is settled in Heaven.

Psa. 119:91  They continue this day according to Your ordinances,

For all are Your servants.

Psa. 119:92  Unless Your Law had been my delight,

I would then have perished in my affliction.

Everything God created is His servants. All of the universe functions because of His ordinances. Even the powers and the principalities, devils, and demons are at His bidding. People struggle to understand this, but the Word clearly states it; HE is the head of everything created in Heaven and in Earth - Eph 1:20-21, Col 2:10. That does not mean they do His will, but God uses their rebellion for our good. He makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28-29.

David already established how eternal God's Word and His faithfulness are. Now he shows us that unless he delighted in those things that are eternal, he would have perished a long time ago. 

Psa. 119:93  I will never forget Your precepts,

For by them You have given me life.

Psa. 119:94  I am Yours, save me;

For I have sought Your precepts.

David makes another great statement. I believe David lived years ahead of his contemporaries with his relationship with God. God's Law and commands have given him life. To most, it was just something to identify their sin. To David, it was life. Jesus says in John 6:63:

It is the Spirit that gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit and are life.

Did David find something others have missed. What do we experience when we read His Word. Is it just stories, or do we find the Spirit that carries the life of His Word? Reading the Bible is a spiritual experience the enemy does not want you to have. 

If you abide in my Word, you will be my disciples, and you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free - John 8:31-32. 

His Word is life and Truth. So forever, your Word(Life and Truth) are settled in Heaven.

Psa. 119:95  The wicked wait for me to destroy me,

But I will consider Your testimonies.

Psa. 119:96  I have seen the consummation of all perfection,

But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

The enemy is still waiting to execute their plans, but David is focused. He has seen the end of all perfection. Everything man plans comes to an end, but His Law is still abiding. 

Solomon says that to everything, there is a season. So to man, the plans of man, wickedness, and all flesh, it has a beginning and an end. Wickedness has an expiration date, while the faithfulness of God endures forever. His Word stands for eternity and is our only anchor to live in the hope of better things to come.

Psalm 118:81-88

Psa. 119:81  My soul faints for Your salvation,

But I hope in Your word.

Psa. 119:82  My eyes fail from searching Your word,

Saying, "When will You comfort me?"

In this part of the Psalm, David is looking for righteousness and justification. He is at a breaking point. David gets honest with himself. His soul - mind, will, and intellect are failing and in need of salvation. However, he recognizes that when we fail, and our efforts fail, there is still one place you can always get hope again: His Word. So he is not giving up yet. 

The reality is that we all have been in that place before. We tried everything in our own strength to realize that we always end up short. The answer will never be ourselves but God and His Word. Even if it takes time to see His salvation, we should never lose focus. 

In times like these, we can ask questions. When God, will I see your salvation? David asks lots of questions. When will you punish the unrighteous? When will you arise and deliver me from my enemies? We have an invitation from God:

Come now and let us reason together - Isaiah 1:18. 

Put Me in remembrance, let us content together, state your case that you may be acquitted - Isaiah 43:26.

Psa. 119:83  For I have become like a wineskin in smoke,

Yet I do not forget Your statutes.

Psa. 119:84  How many are the days of Your servant?

When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?

David continues to describe how desperate his situation is. In Biblical times the wineskins were hung in the smoke of the fire. The steady heat of the smoke helps to quicken the process of maturing the wine. David knew this and understands that he is in the process with God. However, he does wonder how long the process will last and how long he can last. 

He wants to see justice on those that persecute him and adds to his difficulty. We feel the same way. If we see others suffering, we don't feel so bad about our suffering. 

There are two things Jesus guarantees us. First, we will be offended, and we will suffer if we live godly lives - Luke 17:1 with Matt 5:10. I love what Paul says:

2Cor. 4:9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed

The process of God is not to kill us but to kill our flesh or old nature. We don't want to crucify the things of our flesh and allow them to die; God has a process to help us. In John 12, Jesus says: "Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it cannot bring forth much fruit."

Psa. 119:85  The proud have dug pits for me,

Which is not according to Your law.

Psa. 119:86  All Your commandments are faithful;

They persecute me wrongfully;

Help me!

Pits in biblical times spoke of hard times, difficult times, and even struggling. It represented the wilderness experience for Israel on their way to the Promised Land. Remember Joseph? His brothers threw him in a pit. He ended up in prison(hole) before he was restored to rule in Egypt. Paul and Silas in jail were in the pit or inner cell where all the waste was collected, yet singing and praising God - Acts 16-16-40. 

Jer. 2:6  Neither did they say, "Where is the LORD,

Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,

Who led us through the wilderness,

Through a land of deserts and pits,

Through a land of drought and the shadow of death,

Through a land that no one crossed

And where no one dwelt?

The afterlife or abode of the dead was also described in these terms. My soul goes down into the pit. David says that He will not leave my soul in the pit. David compares the plans of the proud to those that have only one thing on their minds, to destroy him. He knows that the Law of God is good - Psalm 19:7 and keeps one from the snares of the enemy. The law is not like the proud.

Psa. 119:87  They almost made an end of me on earth,

But I did not forsake Your precepts.

Psa. 119:88  Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,

So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

David keeps having hope. If God revives him, he will have a testimony to tell. The enemy almost succeeded but could not get him to turn his heart away from the precepts of God. The word David uses here for "precepts" carries the meaning of one who has a mandate or the authority to appoint.

The mandate he has from God is to honor His Word above all else. So if he gets through this, if God revives him according to what he knows is God's character, then he will keep the testimony of God's mouth, His Word, as his mandate.

We all get to a place where we are desperate. We all get into a place of feeling overwhelmed. We all have those "pit" seasons where we feel alone and abandoned. What about those times when it seems like God is not speaking?

Silence is just silence, never abandonment. He never leaves us or forsakes us.

Psalm 119:73-80

We continue looking at what David writes in Psalm 119.

Psa. 119:73 Your hands have made me and fashioned me;

Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.

Psa. 119:74 Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,

Because I have hoped in Your word.

A prevalent phrase in Jewish prayer is: "Blessed are thou O Lord God Almighty, MAKER of Heaven and Earth." It is an acknowledgment of God's power and ability. Prayers start by focusing on the source of the existence of all things in Heaven and on Earth. John declares that without Him, nothing was made that was made - John 1:3. The premise of the Bible is never to prove God's existence or His ability. Instead, it states it as factual. 

David acknowledges that God created him. But, more so, the fact that God was personally involved with our creation as human beings.

Psa. 139:13-18 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

David asks to understand. When we know, it brings appreciation and thankfulness to God for making us His marvelous creation.

Psa. 119:75 I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right,

And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.

Psa. 119:76 Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,

According to Your word to Your servant.

Not only does David show us God's ability, but he also shows us God's motive. God is a God of righteousness. His judgments are never wrong, and He will always act based on His character. Even when God's dealings are painful and afflicted, it is done in our best interest. Therefore, David finds no place to complain against God or even accuse God. 

Weekly I deal with young people that say: I am mad at God. They are more hurt because they didn't get their way but don't want to admit it. It is easier to blame God for my mess. Satan is the accuser of the brethren and the accuser of God. He accuses God to men and accuses man to God. Think what spirit are you stepping into when you become the accuser?

David stays away from that. Even if he doesn't understand the "why," he will remain humble and trust God.

Psa. 119:77 Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;

For Your law is my delight.

Psa. 119:78 Let the proud be ashamed,

For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood;

But I will meditate on Your precepts.

The Bible says that His mercies are new every morning - Lam 3:22-23. Mercy is different from grace. The prophet Habbakuk prays and asks God: "In wrath, remember mercy." Mercy is extended when God has the reason and the ability to punish us but doesn't. Grace is not getting away with our sin; grace is the ability not to just sin again. Grace empowers us and makes us God-conscious. 

The opposite of God-consciousness is sin consciousness. Mercy is the character of God that focuses us on His goodness. His goodness leads people to repentance - Rom 2:4. When I understand the way He treats me, I will understand the way I should treat others. Do unto others as you want them to do unto you, but also do unto them what God has done unto you - Matt 6:12. By this shall all people know you are my disciples if you have love one for another. Mercy is sourced and empowered by love.

So David prays that the ones doing him wrong would be shameful for their actions. He didn't mistreat them, but they persist in treating him with falsehood and doing him wrong. 

Psa. 119:79 Let those who fear You turn to me,

Those who know Your testimonies.

Psa. 119:80 Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,

That I may not be ashamed.

David asks that his companions will be the same people that fear God. We have looked at some verses about the fear of the Lord. I want to add this one:

Ex 20:20 And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin."

Is it possible that we sin so quickly because we have lost our fear of God? We just talked about grace and mercy. Because God is gracious and does not strike out at us when we sin, some have taken that to mean that sin is okay. If we understand what sin does to us, we will not treat it lightly. 

Paul said that we must rebuke people in the open so that others might fear as well. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and to resist sin and stay away from it is very wise. 

How shall a man keep his way? 

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path - Prov 3:5-6.

Psalm 119:65-72

We continue looking at what David shares with us.

Psa. 119:65  You have dealt well with Your servant,

O LORD, according to Your word.

Psa. 119:66  Teach me good judgment and knowledge,

For I believe Your commandments.

Don't you just love David? The statements he makes come from experience. He is not playing a guessing game or saying something that is not true for him. "You have dealt with our servant according to Your Word," David confirms that the Word of God is True.

God is a God of truth. There are hundreds of scriptures that confirm that. For example, Moses encountered God on the mountain when he took the two new stone tablets up for God to write on - Ex 34:4-5. What is impressive is what God reveals about himself.

The Lord. the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth....... - Ex 34:6.

We have seen that God is truth, but there is another dimension to it. The Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth - John 14:17, 15:26. More than that, the Spirit IS Truth - 1 John 5:6.

I wonder if that is the reason David prays: "Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me - Ps 51:11.

David can ask with assurance: Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe Your commandments.

Psa. 119:67  Before I was afflicted, I went astray,

But now I keep Your word.

Psa. 119:68  You are good, and do good;

Teach me Your statutes.

Affliction is something we hate and avoid at all costs. It almost sounds like David is saying that affliction caused him to return to God. While it is true that we have many stories of people going through affliction, God indeed uses affliction to get our attention. Think about Israel and all its history. Most of the affliction we have is caused by ourselves. No good father will afflict a child just to teach him a lesson. God is a good Father. We must not equate the consequences of our own decisions as God's character. 

There are millions of people that are struggling all over the world not because of their own making. Millions of people suffer because of other people's decisions. Other people's choices caused the genocide in Rwanda or during WW2. We can't explain everything that happens, and questions are good to ask. Always remember that your circumstances do not equate to who and what God is. 

David comes to a great conclusion. We know he experienced affliction, but he understands that God is good and does good. God's goodness overpowers any affliction he might have experienced.

Psa. 119:69  The proud have forged a lie against me,

But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart.

Psa. 119:70  Their heart is as fat as grease,

But I delight in Your law.

What do your enemies think when they see how God treats you? Because they don't know the process God is taking you through, their opinions are just that, opinions. Opinions can be used against you. God's Word is not an opinion, and it is truth. So David chooses to stay with what God says. 

Their hearts are as fat as grease does not make sense until you understand that the word fat can mean thick or stupid. The lies they are telling about David are making them look stupid. Grease speaks of abundance, so in essence, stupidity is overflowing in their lives. 

Lies always lead to more lies. The truth will always lead you to more truth. Lies can never lead you to truth, and the truth will never lead you to lies. David knows what path he wants to take. He keeps delighting himself in the law of God.

Psa. 119:71  It is good for me that I have been afflicted,

That I may learn Your statutes.

Psa. 119:72  The law of Your mouth is better to me

Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.

David again sees the purpose for the pain. Nothing teaches us faster than pain. It is not God's preferred method; obedience is. We know we don't always hear right, or we don't always respond with obedience. Even in the New Covenant, it is made clear that if we are really children of God, He will correct us. 

Heb. 12:5-11 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Psalm 119:57-64

Psa. 119:57  You are my portion, O LORD;

I have said that I would keep Your words.

Psa. 119:58  I entreated Your favor with my whole heart;

Be merciful to me according to Your word.

David starts with a strong statement. God is his portion. To understand this statement, we must remember that when Israel got to the promised land, each tribe received an allotment of land Joshua 13-22. This land was to be their inheritance. It was to stay in the family - Num 36:7-9, and God instituted the "Jubilee Year" every 50 years where the property would return to its original family or owner. All the tribes received land except the tribe of Levi - Duet 10:9. That was the tribe that God chose to be the priesthood. God was their inheritance. 

David was from the tribe of Judah. He had land that he inherited from his family. The word "portion" in Hebrew can mean inheritance or source. So David is making a declaration. More than claiming that God is his inheritance, he is also stating that God is his source. Most of the time, we see God as a source, but few understand that He is also our inheritance. 

It is not hard to entreat God's favor when He is your source. So David gets bold in Psalm 23 and says:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 

Psa. 119:59  I thought about my ways,

And turned my feet to Your testimonies.

Psa. 119:60  I made haste, and did not delay

To keep Your commandments.

It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance - Rom 2:4. So Paul asks the question before he makes the statement: "Do you despise the richness of His goodness, forebearness, and longsuffering?" David is simply doing the same thing. He is thinking about his ways and makes a decision. So I must turn my way around to your ways. I love that he states in Psalm 1:

Blessed is the man that walks not in the way of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the circle of the scornful. He does not linger in sin before he acts. Instead, he makes sure he acts quickly. 

Too many people flirt with sin and stay too long. You cannot play with fire and remain unburned. 

Psa. 119:61  The cords of the wicked have bound me,

But I have not forgotten Your law.

Psa. 119:62  At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You,

Because of Your righteous judgments.

David continues to identify the things that distract him. Yet, he knows that the answer to overcoming wickedness is the Law of God. Even if it means getting up at midnight, and he will do so to live in freedom. David starts his day with thanksgiving. 

Count your blessings one by one; we use to sing. Thankfulness is the antidote against greed and the lust of the flesh. Thankfulness is the posture of the heart that says: I am content, You are enough. God knows what we need before we ask. So can we start by thanking Him for what we have?

Psa. 119:63  I am a companion of all who fear You,

And of those who keep Your precepts.

Psa. 119:64  The earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy;

Teach me Your statutes.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - Prov 1:7. Soloman says that the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and the evil way - Prov 8:13. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death - Prov 14:27 and David says in Psalm 25:14 - the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. 

His companions are those with the same heart and mind as he has. Paul says that bad company corrupts good manners - 1 Cor 15:33. Who are your friends? Are you like David that was selective about who his friends were?

Psalm 119:49-56

Psa. 119:49  Remember the Word to Your servant,

Upon which You have caused me to hope.

Psa. 119:50  This is my comfort in my affliction,

For Your Word has given me life.

David starts immediately to tell us what the Word of God does. First, God's Word causes us to have hope, and it gives us life. This is because there are so many scriptures that talk about God's Word. One powerful scripture is Psalm 138:2:

You have magnified your Word above your name. 

We must remember that for David, it was the written Word of God. Therefore, we know that the statement he made is true because that Word would become flesh, and God will exalt Him and give Him a name above all names. If "Your Word" in Psalm 138:2 refers to the Incarnate Word, then it means that God has magnified His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, above every other manifestation of Himself. Consider the following Scriptures: The name of Jesus Christ is indeed the name "that is above every name" (Phil. 2:9).

We have the scripture that informs us, but we have Jesus that transforms us. Jesus gives us both hope and life - 1 John 5:11-13.

Psa. 119:51  The proud have me in great derision,

Yet I do not turn aside from Your law.

Psa. 119:52  I remembered Your judgments of old, O LORD,

And have comforted myself.

Next, David admits that outside influences sometimes got to him. He was confused by the proud, and he only has one constant in his life, the law of God. What saves the day for him every time is that he remembers God's judgments from the past. He has a history with God. He reflects on past experiences and declares:

Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses, but we will remember the Name of our God. They have bowed down and fallen, but we have risen and stood upright - Psalm 20:7-8.

Twice David uses the word "remember." The word "remember" literally means to be marked to be recognized. His past experiences with God marked his life, and he can trust God and comfort himself knowing that God always comes through and keeps His Word.

Psa. 119:53  Indignation has taken hold of me

Because of the wicked, who forsake Your law.

Psa. 119:54  Your statutes have been my songs

In the house of my pilgrimage.

So many times, you see people that are living ignorant lives. They have no awareness of other people. Just fly somewhere, and you will see them at the airport. Go to a restaurant, and you will see them. It is all about them with no regard for God or His Law. So David is angry, and rightfully so. But, the Law of God is good. But, unfortunately, the wicked and ignorant forsake the Law of God.

Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple

David chooses to focus on the statutes of God. Thus, he will sing about the goodness of God while the wicked forsake the Law of God.

Psa. 119:55  I remember Your name in the night, O LORD,

And I keep Your law.

Psa. 119:56  This has become mine,

Because I kept Your precepts.

A third time David talks about remembering, not just the Law but God's Name. The Name of God is what we can hope in. See how David says it elsewhere:

Psa. 124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

Psa 33:22-24 We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In Him, our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.

David started by saying God's word brings hope and life. Now, he confirms that his experiences with God have become his memories because he kept the Law of God. 

What memories are you making with God? We call it our testimonies. What do you have that you can remember when things get hard? 

Psalm 119:41-48

Psa. 119:41  Let Your mercies also come to me, O LORD — Your salvation according to Your Word.

Psa. 119:42  So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your Word.

David makes a connection for us and shows us that the mercy of God and the salvation of God is revealed through God's Word. Remember that David did not have the New Testament. We look back and understand the plan of salvation that God gave us through the shed blood of Jesus. David had to look forward and believe that the mercy of God included salvation for him. For David, the Word of God was enough. Remember how he says in other Psalms: The Lord is my Shephard, I shall not want. He restoreth my soul, and even if I go through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil - Psalm 23.

I am sure David was asked why does he still trust in the Lord. If we look at David's life, we know that his owns son, Absalom rebelled against him and threw him out of his palace. Saul chased him his whole life while he was still king. His people rejected him, so why should he still believe and trust a God that allows that. Despite all the reproach, David still knows the answer is only found with God and His Word.

Psa. 119:43  And take not the Word of truth utterly out of my mouth,

For I have hoped in Your ordinances.

Psa. 119:44  So shall I keep Your law continually, Forever and ever.

The Word of God is truth - 2 Tim 2:15. His precepts and ordinances are justice and righteousness. Moses says that God is a God of truth - Deut 32:4. Isaiah the prophet confirms what Moses says: He who blesses himself shall bless himself in the God of Truth - Isaiah 65:16. Paul admonishes Titus with these words: In the hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie promised before time began. 

Why would David want to keep God's law forever? The Word of God is eternal. So Jesus said it in Matt 24:35 - Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Word will not pass away. 

Did you know that God upholds all things with the Word of His power? His Word is what is making everything work and hold together - Heb 1:3.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

God's Word is Truth. Therefore, truth is never intimidated by a lie. On the contrary, in the presence of truth, the lie loses all its power and influence.

Psa. 119:45  And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.

Psa. 119:46  I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings,

And will not be ashamed.

How can you stay quiet? When you begin to understand the greatness of God, the majesty, and the glory of God, how can you not say something? So the heavens declare the glory of God - Psalm 19:1 - and one day declares to the next day and one night reveals knowledge to the next night - Psalm 19:2. If we don't say something, the rocks will start to cry out - Luke 19:40. Creation speaks of the greatness of God. So why do we, as the people of God, keep silent. David says that he will not be ashamed of God or what He has done, even if it didn't always look like his life was going well.

We struggle when God does not meet our expectations. He does not always show up the way we expect Him to show up. God is God and does not manifest Himself within our religious or denominational boxes. The question is never God's faithfulness but can we stay faithful to Him when He acts like God. How do we talk about the times God did not show up? Most people relegate that to God's sovereignty. It is an easy way to say I don't understand, but I might still be mad about it. The most honest way would be to say: "I don't know."

Psa. 119:47  And I will delight myself in Your commandments,

Which I love.

Psa. 119:48  My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,

Which I love,

And I will meditate on Your statutes.

Twice David that he loves the commandments of God. In Hebrew culture, to say something twice means you are establishing a truth. The number two represents a testimony or division. On the second day of creation, God separated or divided the land and the oceans. God also tells Moses that there must be two or three witnesses.

Duet 19:15 A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.

Jesus constantly said: "Verily, Verily, I say unto you." He was establishing a truth. The words Jesus uses are: Amen, Amen. (So be it)

God's Word reveals His mercy, His salvation, and His truth. David loves everything about God's Word. 

Do you have a love for His Word?

Psalm 119:33-40

We continue looking at what David is praying.

Psa. 119:33  Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end.

Psa. 119:34  Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

David keeps asking that God will teach him. The word he uses in Hebrew is "Yaraw," which can mean flowing as water like rain or pointing something out. This is an excellent picture because we know that the water usually flows to the place of least resistance when it rains. You tend to learn better and faster when you stop resisting what you need to know. 

The law of the Lord does not have an expiration date. It is eternal, and His statutes are there to keep our way to the very end. David understands the importance of having a plumbline to keep him for the rest of his days.

He also asks for understanding. A person void of knowledge is still stuck in their ignorance. How many times do we say to people, "you don't understand." Understanding brings change. 

Anyone can know, the point is to understand - Albert Einstein.

Solomon wrote: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding - Prov. 3:5. He also wrote: Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding - Prov. 3:13.

Psa. 119:35  Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.

Psa. 119:36  Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness.

Make me walk in the path of your commandments. It reminds me of when Jesus "made" his disciples get into the boat - Matt 14:22. They knew that a storm was coming. Fishermen know the weather. What a dangerous prayer. I know I don't want to, but please don't let me have my way. 

David identifies why he is asking God to help him. Covetousness is a struggle for us all. Our heart, our motivation are still skewed and bent on selfishness. We must still realize what it means to die daily - 1 Cor 15:31.

Psa. 119:37  Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.

Psa. 119:38  Establish Your word to Your servant, Who is devoted to fearing You.

The enemy will get to us in some way. He knows what our weakness is. The eyes are a significant way he uses to get our attention. People say: "Have you seen what is going on in the world?" John talks about the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life - 1 John 2:16. Two of the three things John mentions are gateways the enemy uses. Jesus warned us as well. If your eyes are dark, your whole body will be dark - Matt 6:23. 

Job makes a strong statement when he states that he made a covenant with his eyes - Job 31:1. David knows that he needs to look at the Word more than at any useless things. The fear of the Lord is where wisdom starts. David already asked for understanding.

Psa. 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding has all those who do His commandments.

Psa. 119:39  Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your judgments are good.

Psa. 119:40  Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness.

Turn away my reproach. David's word for "reproach" comes from a word that means to expose or uncover. He is asking God to judge him and revive him instead of exposing him. Love covers a multitude of sins - 1 Pet 4:8. When God removes our sins, He removes our shame. When God works with us, He removes the iniquity and leaves righteousness. He judges the sin but redeems the sinner. His judgment saves us and revives us with new hope for doing it better next time. 

2 Cor 5:21 God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Father, I pray that we might see and acknowledge our need for your righteous judgments. Thank you that your heart is for my restoration and that you will revive us according to Your Word.

Psalm 119:25-32

Psa. 119:25  My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your Word.

Psa. 119:26  I have declared my ways, and You answered me; Teach me Your statutes.

David starts with his humanity. We are made of dust, and to dust, we will return. Dust represents our fallen nature, that which is temporal. Our soul is our emotions, will, and intellect. The Word is the only thing that brings separation between soul and spirit and discerns the intent and the thoughts of our heart - Heb 4:12. I love how David states that he has declared his ways. When Nathan the prophet confronted David about his sin with Bathsheba, he was quick to repent and take ownership - 2 Sam 12:13.

We have this incredible invitation from God to come and talk with Him about our sin. Isaiah 1:18 says:

Come now and let us reason together.... 

Isaiah 43:26 says: Put Me in remembrance, let us content together......

As David confessed his ways to the Lord, God answers him. What would God say, or how would God respond? David asks to understand the statutes of God.

Psa. 119:27  Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.

Psa. 119:28  My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your Word.

How will a young man keep his way pure? How can a baby Christian please God? When we understand the precepts, the requirements that God sets and expects from us, we will please Him. To understand means you have to search it out, think and meditate about it, and ask yourself the questions:

How does this apply to me?

How does this affect me?

Prov 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

Psa. 119:29  Remove from me the way of lying, And grant me Your law graciously.

Psa. 119:30  I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.

David has a great understanding here. We have already seen that he said that a person that lies approaches God. He asks God to remove any such things from him. He made a choice to seek the truth. If we do not deliberately create the right decisions, we might find ourselves struggling with something that robs us of energy and distracts us from what we want most. David asks God to remove it but also knows it happens when he starts making the right choices. 

What we choose has consequences that we can't blame on anybody but ourselves. If I take responsibility for my choices, I can enjoy a life of peace that will glorify God.

Psa. 119:31  I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame!

Psa. 119:32  I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.

David uses the word "cling," meaning literally to "catch by pursuit." People have lost the art of pursuing God. Paul admonishes Timothy by saying:

1Tim. 6:11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

What about your family, your friends, and your enemies? 

Heb. 12:14  Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.

Enlarge our hearts O God. Please help us understand your beautiful precepts and commandments so that we can be free from the dust that clings to us. Please help us to be more Christ-minded than sin-minded. Help us love people that are different and to pursue peace with all people.

Psalm 119:17-24

Psalm 119:17-24

This week we continue with our study of Psalms 119. 

Psa. 119:17  Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word.

Psa. 119:18  Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your law.

David is asking God to deal with him in a bountiful way. The natural tendency would be to think that he is asking for God to give him more things. In Psalm 13:16, David states:

I will sing unto the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with me.

He is asking for something more than stuff. The word "bountifully" comes from a word that also means to ripen or wean. We will get a greater understanding when we realize that it takes time to wean a child or ripen fruit. You cannot force fruit to ripen. It takes time. In essence, David is asking God to keep him in the process. Too many times, we want to shorten the process that God has us in. The enemy will always offer you a shortcut, an effortless way out, because he knows that process refines and purifies. Someone that skipped the process is a novice and can not help others that might need it too.

Next, he asks that God open his eyes to see the beautiful things from God's Word. Jesus said of Israel that they have become hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes lest they should see and understand and turn back to God - Matt 13:15. 

The very first temptation the enemy brings to man has to do with the voice of God - is it so that God said - and them being able to see like God sees - God knows that if you eat, your eyes will open up - Gen 3:5. He offered them to see it from their perspective instead. His plan is for you to have your own opinion. Question God's motive! Freedom of speech is a value we teach our children. 

Jesus also tells us that if our eyes make us stumble, pluck it out - Matt 18:9. We must see from God's perspective, and the only way you will see it from His perspective is to see it from His Word. 

Truth is everything seen from God's perspective. Your opinion might be true, but it will never be the truth. 

Psa. 119:19  I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.

Psa. 119:20  My soul breaks with longing for Your judgments at all times.

Next, David acknowledges that our time is short. Our life is but a blip on the chart of eternity. In the short time we have, we need His commandments to keep us on track. The word for "commandments" literally means: to govern. If we are left up to our own devices, we will not just fail but get very prideful in the few times we might get it right. Anything we do in life without input from the One that created us is an act of pride, and God hates a prideful person.

Psa. 119:21  You rebuke the proud—the cursed, who stray from Your commandments.

Psa. 119:22  Remove from me reproach and contempt, for I have kept Your testimonies.

There are seven things that God hates - Prov 6:16-19. The first one mentioned is a proud look. Pride is that voice that says: "I don't need God." In another scripture, Solomon says: Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to God - Prov 16:5. David is even more robust by saying that God curses the proud person. Pride is the enemy's character trait, while the children of God are known for being humble and meek. God resists a prideful person - James 4:6.

Psa. 119:23  Princes also sit and speak against me,

But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.

Psa. 119:24  Your testimonies also are my delight

And my counselors.

David chooses to be different. While others talk about him, he focuses not on what they say and do but on God's Word. We care too much about what others say and think. While his enemies speak words against him, he chooses to hear what God is saying instead. Think how much your life can change the day you decide to ignore people's opinions about you and exchange their words with the Word of God. You know that God will have good things to say. Why do we place more value on what people say than on what God has said?

Jer 29:11 I know the thoughts that I think towards you says God, thoughts of good and not evil.