Psalms 119:113

Psalms 119:113  says, SAMECH.  After the dividing letter, verse one-thirteen says, I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.  David said he hated vain thoughts, but the loved God's law.  We probably spend more time on vain thoughts, thoughts about things that are really of no importance, than we do thinking about God's law.  Verse one-fourteen adds, Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.  Like David, God should our hiding place and shield, or source of security.  All our hope as Christians should be placed in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse one-fifteen declares, Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.  As David did then, we should tell those who do evil to depart from us because we are going to keep God's commandments.  We must also acknowledge that something may sound good and even appeal to us, but if it is not in accordance with God's word it is still evil. Verse one-sixteen adds, Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.  David asked God to uphold him according to God's word, so that he might live without shame in his hope of God's deliverance and protection.  As followers of Christ,  God will always uphold us, so we should never doubt Him or be ashamed of our faith.  Verse one-seventeen continues, Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.  As David asked of God, when we are held up by our faith in God, we will always be safe and therefore should always have respect for God's statutes.  Faith in God should not be a part time thing, but should be just as strong if we are materially blessed or if we are barely getting by.  Veree one-eighteen states, Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.  This will not happen until the return of Jesus Christ, but all those who have refused to accept God's salvation plan to follow the falsehoods of the world will be trampled down.  In this lifetime, evil doers may often prosper, but their time of prosperity is limited.  Verse one-nineteen adds, Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.  One day, as David said, all the wicked will be put away like dross, or rubbish, so like David we should love God's testimonies, or laws.  Verse one-twenty concludes, My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.  As Christians, I don't believe that we should tremble in fear of God or be afraid of His judgments, unless we have stopped following His laws.  I believe that as followers of Christ, we are forever saved, but we are not given a license to sin with no consequences for our actions.

Psalms 119:105

Psalms 119:105  says, NUN.  After the dividing letter, verse one-hundred-five says, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  I believe that David was actually saying that God's word lit his way in the darkness of the world, and not just during actual darkness.  God's word will do the same for us today, if we follow it.  Verse one-hundred-six adds, I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.  It is not enough to just swear that we are going to keep God's word if we don't follow through in keeping it, as David said he did. Verse one-hundred-seven states, I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word.  David said that he was very much afflicted and asked God to heal him. If wecare suffering physically, we should ask God to heal us, and He may, but more importantly, if we are suffering spiritually and ask God to heal us, He always will.  Verse one-hundred-eight adds, Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments.  David said he would freely offer his words of thanks to God for God's healing him and asked God to teach him His word.  We should always offer God our thanks simply because if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are God's people forever.  We must also rely on God to teach us His word.  Verse one-hundred-nine declares, My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.  David said that even though he was often fighting for his life that he would not forget God's law.  God did not remove all the threats to David, who was called a man after God's own heart, so why do we claim that God will give us what we want today simply to keep us happy?  Like David, even if our life is threatened because of our faith, we must always keep God's commandments.  Verse one-ten adds The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.  The wicked, those who do not believe in God or His word, will continually set snares for God's people.  Some snares will be so subtle that if we do not really know what God's word says we may easily fall into them.  This is why we must rely on the leadership of the Holy Spirit at all times.  Verse one-eleven continues, Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. David said God's word  was his heritage and brought rejoicing to his heart.  As Christians, our heritage is built on Jesus Christ, the Living Word, and this should bring rejoicing to our heart.  Verse one-twelve concludes, I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.  Like David, as followers of Christ, our heart, or mind, should be set on following God's statutes. 

Psalms 119:97

Psalms 119:97 says, Again we have the identifier, MEM, then verse ninety-seven says, O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.  David said he loved God's law and meditated on it all day.  We as followers of Christ should feel the same way, but often we seem to look at God's law as a burden and meditate on everything but it.  Verse ninety-eight adds, Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.  God's commandments should make us wiser than our enemies and His commandments should be with us forever.  Verse ninety-nine continues, I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.  I don't believe that David was bragging about his own brilliance, but was speaking about the superiority of God's teachings over man's teachings.  There are some brilliant people today whose teachings are wrong because they do not acknowledge or they even deny God's existence.  Verse one-hundred states, I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.  David said his understanding was based on God's precepts and was greater than the knowledge of those who based their knowledge on the teachings of the ancients, who would at best be limited in their knowledge, even if it were based on God's law.  We need to look to God's law itself for our best understanding of what it means to be a Christian, and not just to other Christians, past or present.  Verse one-hundred -one adds, I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.  Though David said he had refrained from following every evil way, we know this was not true, since at times he did go against God's law or commandments.  We have all sinned at times, both before and after we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, but hopefully not too often afterwards.  Verse one-hundred-two continues, I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.  As just discussed, we know this was not always true.  David could not stand before God by his own innocence, and neither can we.  Verse one-hundred-three says, How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  David declared God's words to be sweeter than honey.  I believe too often we act as though God's word leaves a bitter taste in our mouth, robbing us of joy instead of bringing it into our life.  Verse one-hundred-four adds, Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.  We like David should get our understanding from God's precepts, or laws, and we should hate everything that goes against His laws.  We should never attempt to mix God's truth with the truth of the world.

Psalms 119:89

Psalms 119:89 says, LAMED  Again there is the separating letter, the verse eighty-nine says, For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.  As David said then, God's word is forever settled in heaven, and we can add on earth as well. Even if people don't believe God's word, it is settled, or true forever.  Verse ninety adds, Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. Gods faithfulness to those who trust Him by putting their faith in Jesus Christ will always remain.  Verse ninety-one continues, They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.  David said that God's laws and faithfulness continued to his day, and they do to ours as well.  Of course, even though they apply to everyone, they only have meaning for those who are God's servants, those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse ninety-two declares, Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.  David said that had he not delighted in God's law he would have perished, and so will anyone spiritually who does not delight in, or accept and live by, God's law.  Verse ninety-three adds, I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.  We, like David, must never forget God's precepts, or laws, because by them we are quickened, or made alive spiritually.  Verse ninety-four states, I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.  David declared himself to be God's because he had sought God's precepts.  We as Christians today are God's because we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and once we do we are to follow God's precepts, or laws.  Verse ninety-five adds, The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies.  Even if the wicked wait to destroy us today, we must always follow God's testimonies, or His laws.  Verse ninety-six continues, I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.  David said he had seen an end to everything the world considered perfect, but that God's word was true in all cases.  God's word will never end nor be proven wrong.

Psalms 119:81

Psalms 119:81 aays, CAPH.  Again, the dividing letter, then verse eighty-one says, My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.  David said that even as his soul fainted due to all the oppression he was under, his hope was still in God's word and salvation.  We may sometimes feel that life is hard, but if we do, as Christians we must put our hope in God's word and His salvation of those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse eighty-two adds, Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me? David said that when he looked around, he didn't always see proof of God's word, and asked how long it would be before God comforted Him.  We as followers of Christ may sometimes ask the same thing, but we really shouldn't.  We should simply put our faith in God's salvation plan.  Verse eighty-three continues, For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.  Matthew Henry says that this refers to a bottle being weathered and cracked when being in a smoke filled room.  David was feeling old and beaten and battered physically, but he said he still did not forget God's statutes.  No matter how beaten down we may be by life, we also must never forget God's statutes.  Verse eighty-four asks, How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?  David asked how much longer he would live and how long it would be before God executed His judgment on those that persecuted him.  Today, there seems to be a lot of emphasis on the second coming of Christ with an almost joyous feeling of the wicked being punished, but I don't believe that should ever be our reason.  We should be in despair at all the people who will go away into everlasting punishment.  Verse eighty-five adds, The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law. David said those full of self-pride had dug pits, or created traps to harm him, because they did not believe in God's law.  There are many people today who would create pitfalls for Christians, but we need not be in despair.  Verse eighty-six states, All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.  As in David's day, all of God's commandments are still faithful, and sometimes we are wrongly persecuted if we keep them, but God is always there to help us.  Verse eighty-seven adds, They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts. David said that the wicked had almost destroyed him, but he still put his faith in God's precepts.  No matter how bad things get in life, as Christians we must never forsake the precepts of God.  Verse eighty-eight continues, Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth. David asked God to quicken him, or make him alive, so that he might keep God's testimony.  As followers of Christ, we have been made spiritually alive, and our purpose is to follow Christ, keep God's testimony, and witness to the lost people of the world about God's salvation plan. 

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.

Psalms 119:65

Psalms 119:65 says, TETH.  After the divider, verse one says, Thou hast dealt well with thy servant,  David said God had dealt well with Him, according to God's word.  If we are truly following God, we should always believe that no matter what is happening in life that God is treating us well, in accordance with His word.  Verse sixty-six adds, Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. As David asked God then, we need to ask God to teach us good judgment and knowledge, based on our believing in His commandments.  We are not to rely on our own judgment and knowledge, but are to look to God's instead.  Verse sixty-seven states, Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.  David said before he was afflicted because of his following his way instead of God's, but now he was keeping God's word.  We will be spiritually afflicted as long as we go our way instead of following God's way.  Verse sixty-eight adds, Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.  We like David need to acknowledge that God is good all the time and ask Him to teach us His ways.  Verse sixty-nine declares, The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.  If we believe that the world is aligned against us today, we will not be the first to feel that way, because David felt the same way.  David also said he would keep the precepts of God with all his heart, and so must we even if the whole world seems to be against us.  Verse seventy adds, Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.  The hearts of those who are against us as followers of Christ may be filled with their own beliefs, but we are still to delight in God's law.  God's law should never feel like a burden to us, but should always be a delight.  Verse seventy-one says, It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.  David said being afflicted had been good for him, because it had caused him to learn God's statutes, or laws.  We too often complain to God when things go the least bit wrong in life,instead of seeing this as a time to learn more about God.  Verse seventy-two adds, The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.  If we would truly be rich, we must be like David and value God's word about the riches of this world.