As Psalm 119 has progressed, we have seen the author take his needs concerning his enemies to God again and again. In this stanza he does this once more, although his focus is less on his enemies and more on his reliance on God. Take a look at this passage in Psalm 119:145-148:
Frankly, the author of Psalm 119 has learned to rely upon God due to one major factor: his prayer life and his ability to use God’s Word within it.
In the author’s circumstances, he had enemies who were against him, and against his faith in God. So his prayers throughout this entire psalm have been for deliverance from them, and from the dangers and threats they pose.
For us, we probably don’t face physical enemies, in the form of other people, although it is increasingly possible in our culture. But we do face opposition to our faith. It can come in the form of physical persecution and ridicule, but more often in the form of spiritual attack, at least in my experience.
So what do we do in such circumstances? In this stanza of Psalm 119, the writer turns to his prayer life and how using God’s Word within it can help.
For the past two stanzas, the author of Psalm 119 has given six different reasons for why God’s Word is so powerful and wonderful. In the final half of this stanza, we find the seventh and final reason given. Take a look at Psalm 119:141-144:
Let’s run through a quick review of the first six reasons given by the psalmist in these two stanzas of Psalm 119. The first pair were found in verses 129-132. They were, first of all, that God’s Word gives understanding; and second, it displays mercy.
The second pair were found in the second half of that stanza: God’s Word gives us direction, and it contains God himself within the very words of Scripture.
In the next stanza, in Psalm 119:137-140, we saw reasons five and six: God’s Word is righteous, and God’s Word is reliable.
Now, we will look at the seventh reason the author gives us why God’s Word is so wonderfully impacting and so critical for our day to day lives.
The resurrection of Jesus is God’s answer to a hopeless world.
Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000)
Marriage is one of those areas of life that takes a lot of work. Don’t get me wrong, the rewards are well worth the effort, but marriages take a lot of work to maintain and to grow.
And, for the Christian, marriage takes on even more significance due to the parallels with the area of discipleship. In fact, that is the main thrust of Gary Thomas’ book Sacred Marriage. He poses the question, “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”
I firmly believe that one of God’s intentions in marriage is our happiness. And when we base our marriage on the foundation of Christ, happiness is one of the by-products. But I think Thomas may be correct in his statement that there is something deeper and more foundational than our happiness.
Paul uses the idea of marriage to communicate several key truths about Christ’s relationship with the church. And if Scripture exposes that symbolism, then it’s well worth our efforts to examine and understand as well.
So Sacred Marriage isn’t so much a book about marriage as it is a book about discipleship, within the context of marriage. As you seek to build a marriage upon the foundation of Christ, you’ll see how to discover and grow more in the character of Christ in the process.
And that is goal worth chasing.
If you are married, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. If even if you aren’t, there are several key principles of discipleship contained in these chapters. It’s well worth reading. You can find it on Amazon.
Sometimes, I am amazed by what God points out to me when I spend time in his Word. It is completely true that Scripture is living and vibrant. Every time you read it, you can find something new, something that you may have never noticed before. This happened to me recently, as I was researching some words for another study.
Our church is currently in a sermon series that we have called Upside Down, where we are looking at God’s view of money, finances and stewardship. What God gives us about this topic in his Word is completely flipped from most of what we hear from the world’s perspective.
I was studying a passage in Malachi 3, preparing for a sermon, and was digging into the meaning of the phrase “windows of heaven” or “floodgates.” As I dug into the passage, I determined that the idea of an “opening” was really what God was trying to convey to Israel, and to us. So I expanded my study, and began looking for passages that spoke of openings.
One of the passages I found is from the final chapter of Luke, where a couple of disciples have an encounter with Jesus on the road to a town called Emmaus. How many times have I read this passage? How many times have I wondered what it was like for those two disciples as they encountered Jesus? How many times did I miss this process by which we often learn more about God and his work and will in our lives?
Luke details the event, and right in the middle of it, there are three openings, which I think are progressive in nature, helping us to see know God wants us to understand. Luke explains three different actions, or openings.
Time for a Coffee Break! On this day in history: In 490 BC, the Battle of Marathon took place between the invading Persian army and the Athenian Army. The marathon race was derived from the events that occurred surrounding this battle. In 1776, the second Continental Congress officially made the term “United States,” replacing the previous term “United Colonies.” And in 1836, Abraham Lincoln received his license to practice law.
Today Is National Wiener Schnitzel Day!
It’s time to enjoy some traditional Austrian food!
Trade Coffee Subscription – I have not yet pulled the trigger on this subscription service, but I have been thinking about it for several weeks. Have you ever considered a coffee subscription? What were the benefits? One thing I love about this one is the variety of different roasters. One thing I question is the logistics involved in keeping it fresh from the roaster to my Chemex. What do you think? It would be perfect to drink while reading this Coffee Break!
Men’s Sunglasses – While I really don’t care whether or not my sunglasses make me “more attractive,” I do think that they are a critical part of my wardrobe accessories. As a result, I have three or four different styles that I utilize at different times. Here are some reasons why. Oh, by the way, my preferred sunglasses come from Smith Optics.
How Long Does It Take To Count To One Million? – I found this interesting. Based upon how quickly you can speak, this calculates just how long it would take you to physically and verbally count to one million. Or one billion…. Or one trillion. But I don’t think any of us have enough time to achieve it…
The Collection – A rare find in a thrift store in Omaha, Nebraska, turned out to be an extraordinary collection of movie memorabilia.
Over the past few verses, the psalmist has identified several ways by which God’s Word impacted his life. In this weeks passage, he gives us two more to add to the list. Take a look at this passage for yourself in Psalm 119:137-140:
A couple of weeks ago, we saw the first two reasons in Psalm 119:129-132. These were the first two of seven reasons for why God’s Word is so impactful. First, God’s Word gives understanding; and second, it displays mercy. All together, in this stanza and in the next, there are seven different reasons.
The second half of that stanza identified reasons three and four: That God’s Word gives us direction, and that it contains God himself within the very words of Scripture.
In this new stanza, we see three more reasons, two in the first half, and one final reason in the second half, which we will look at next week.
