Psalms 119:73

Psalms 119:73 says, JOD.  After the identifying letter, verse seventy-three says, Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.  David acknowledged God as his Creator and asked that God give him knowledge so that he could understand God's commandments.  We must acknowledge that God is the Creator of us and all things, and ask Him for the ability to understand His commandments and all His laws.  Verse seventy-four adds, They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word. Like David said of others who believed in God then, our fellow believers today should be glad when they see us because they know that we have put our hope in God's word.  Verse seventy-five declares, I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.  David said that he knew that God's judgments were right, and that even in his affliction he knew that God was faithful.  If afflictions do come in life today, we cannot allow them to cause us to question God's faithfulness.  Verse seventy-six adds, Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.  God's merciful kindness, which lead to His sending Jesus Christ to redeem all who will accept Him as their personal Savior and Lord, should always bring us comfort as Christians.  Verse seventy-seven states, Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.  David asked for God's tender mercies to come to him, and said that he would delight in God's law.  As Christians, we have everlasting life because of the tender mercies of God, and we should delight in His laws always.  Verse seventy-eight adds, Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.  David asked that those who were full of self pride and who dealt perversely with him to be brought to shame, and that he would continue to meditate on God's word.  One day, all those who are so full of self pride that they do not believe in God will be brought to shame.  We do not need to be concerned about them today, but need to simply continue to follow God's word.  Verse seventy-nine states, Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.  David asked that his fellow believers turn to him so that they could be united by their faith and said that they knew his testimonies to God.  We as followers of Christ today need to be united in faith and share our testimony with others.   Verse eighty adds, Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.  If we are not to be ashamed of our faith, it must be based on God's statutes and firmly embedded in our heart, or mind.