Psalms 119:161

Psalms 119:161 says,  SCHIN.  We again have the separator, then verse one-sixty-one says, Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word. If we feel that we as Christians are being persecuted without cause, we are not the first to feel this way.  David said he was, yet he stood in awe of God's word.  We don't need to focus on how the world treats us, but need to stand in awe of God's word.  Verse one-sixty-two adds, I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.  Like David, we should rejoice in God's word more than we do the riches of this world.  Yet, we too often seem to want the riches of this world more than we want to serve God.  Verse one-sixty-three continues, I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.  David said that he hated and abhorred lying, but that he loved God's law.  We must love and live by the word of God, and abhor anything that is not His truth.  Verse one-sixty-four states, Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.  David said that he praised God seven times a day because of God's righteous judgments.  How often do we as Christians truly praise God each day?  We know even more about God's righteous judgments than David did, because Jesus Christ has already come to sacrifice Himself for the sins of all mankind.  Verse one-sixty-five adds, Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.  David tells us that as Christians, those who love God's law, should be at peace in the world and that nothing should offend us because of our faith in God.  Verse one-sixty-six declares, LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.  David said he hoped for God's salvation and had kept His commandments.  As followers of Christ, we live with the assurance of God's salvation and should therefore keep His commandments.  Verse one-sixty-seven adds, My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.  We like David should keep God's testimonies, or laws, because we love them exceedingly.  We cannot find salvation by trying to keep God's laws, but once we have salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, we should love God's laws exceedingly.  We should not view them as a burden to bear, but as a joy to keep.  Verse one-sixty-eight continues, I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.  David said he had kept God's precepts and testimonies, and that all his ways were before God.  We know that at times David failed, and so will we.  We also know that all our ways are before God, so we must do our best to follow God's laws, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.