Psalms 119:169

Psalms 119:169 aays, TAU.  After the separating letter, verse one-sixty-nine says, Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.  We, like David, need understanding according to God's word.  It is not enough to be highly educated if we do not believe God's word.  We must understand Who God is and who we are in respect to Him.  Verse one-seventy adds, Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.  David asked that his supplications, or prayers, come before God and that God deliver him according to God's word.  The only way to be saved is to ask God to deliver us according to His word.  This means we must put our faith in the Living Word, Jesus Christ.  Verse one-seventy-one states, My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.  Like David, if we know God's statutes and believe them, then we need to speak our praise of Him to the world.  Verse one-seventy-two adds, My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.  We speak God's word not because of our righteousness, but because of His righteousness.  What we may believe is not the key, but what God has said is.  Verse one-sevenry-three declares, Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.  David asked for God's help, because he had chosen God's precepts.  If we have chosen God's precepts, which must begin by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, God is always ready to help us if we call on Him in faith.  Verse one-seventy-four adds, I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.  We should long for God's final salvation, even as we delight in His law now.  This does not mean that we just sit back and look to die, but that even as we live life to its fullest, we look forward to the day that we will be in our heavenly home forever.  Verse one-seventy-five continues, Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.  Our soul will live, but whether we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord will determine where our soul will live, and God's judgments will help us along the way.  Verse one-seventy-six concludes, I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.  David concluded this segment and this psalm by stating that he had gone astray and asking God to seek Him like a lost sheep.   God will always seek the lost sheep, people who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and if we stray from His commandments as Christians, He will seek us to call us back to obedience. 

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. 

Psalms 119:153

Psalms 119:153 says,  After the separating letter, RESH, verse one-fifty-three says, Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law.  David was somehow afflicted and asked God to consider his affliction because he never did forget God's law.  If we as followers of Christ are afflicted with some problem today, we should ask God's help, but we should never forget His law no matter what happens.  Verse one-fifry-four adds, Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word.  David asked God to plead his case for him before his enemies.  We may at times feel so overcome that we no longer know how to even plead our own case, but God always will if we as Christians look to Him.  He always gives us life according to His word, which means that we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse one-fifty-five declares, Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes.  David said that salvation was far from the wicked because they didn't seek God's statutes.  I believe that salvation is really always as close as accepting Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior and Lord.  Of course, once we do accept Him, we will want to keep God's statutes.  Verse one-fifty-six adds, Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments.  God's tender mercies will always be great, and we can only be made spiritually alive by His judgments.  Verse one-f8fty-seven states, Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.  Like David, no matter how many people persecute us and are our enemies because of our faith in God, we must not decline to follow God's laws.  Verse one-fifty-eight adds, I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.  David said he was grieved by those who did not keep God's word.  We should be grieved as Christians for those who do not follow God's word today.   We should not feel superior waiting impatiently for them to get what they deserve, because we all deserve God's punishment, and faith in Jesus Christ is all that makes us different from them.  Verse one-fifty-nine says, Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness.  We will be quickened, or made spiritually alive, only if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord,  but once we do, we should love God's law.  Verse one-sixty adds, Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.  David said that God's word was true from the beginning and that His righteous judgments would endure forever.  God's law never has and never will change, and His righteousness will indeed endure forever. 

Psalms 119:145

Psalms 119:145 says, KOPH.  We have the identifying letter, then verse one-forty-five says, I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes.  We need to wholeheartedly call out to God to hear us and promise to keep His statutes as David did.  Verse one-forty-six adds, I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.  After asking God to hear him, David the asked God to save him and then said he would keep God's statutes.  We must first accept God's salvation, and then keep His laws.  Attempting to find salvation by keeping God's law without accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord will never work.  Verse one-forty-seven continues, I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.  David said he prayed to God throughout the night and put his faith in God's word.  If we awake in the night, the best thing we can do is pray.  Verse one-forty-eight continues, Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.  David repeats basically what he had just said, but adds that even during the night he meditated on God's word.  I believe this tells us that when we are awake that we need to be meditating on God's word as Christians.  Verse one-forty-nine states, Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: O LORD, quicken me according to thy judgment.  Just as David did then, we must ask God to hear us because of His lovingkindnesses, and not because of our goodness.  Then, if we hear God's call to salvation and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, God will quicken us, or make us alive, spiritually.   Verse one-firty adds, They draw nigh that follow after mischief: they are far from thy law.  David said that people who were far from the law and followed after mischief were all around him.  We may be surrounded by people who do not believe in God, but this should not alter our belief in Him.  Verse one-fifty-one declares, Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth.  God is always close and His commandments are always true.  We do not serve an absentee God whose word is sometimes true and sometimes not.  God is always with us and His word is always true.  Verse one-fifty-rwo adds, Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever. As David said,  God's law is old and He has founded them forever.  We will not come up with a new law of God. 

Psalms 119:137

Psalms 119:137 says, TZADDI.  After the alphabetical separator, verse one-thirty-seven says, Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments.  David pronounced God to be righteous and upright in His judgments, and He still is and always will be.  Verse one-thirty-eight adds, Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.  Not only is God righteous, but so are His testimonies, or laws, righteous and faithful.  God and His law will never change, but He will always be faithful to do what He says He will do.  Verse one-thirty-nine declares, My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.  David said his zeal for God's word grew because his enemies, those who fought against him, had forgotten God's words.  As followers of Christ today, we must have a zeal for God's word, because the lost people of the world have forgotten it or never knew it.  Verse one-forty adds, Thy word is very sure: therefore thy servant loveth it.  As Christians, we like David must recognize the surety of God's word, and we must likewise love God's word.  What God's word says will always be true, and we should never dread what it says, but should instead love His word.  Verse one-forty-one states, I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.  David may have been seen as a powerful man by the world, but he said he was small and despised compared to God.  When we compare ourself to God, we will always be small, and until we accept forgiveness for our sins by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, our actions will be despised by God.  Verse one-forty-two adds, Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.  As David said,  God's righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and His law will always be the truth.  The righteousness and truth of God do not change over time, nor with the situation.  Even if everyone were to agree that God's word has changed, it will still be true.  Verse one-forty-three states, Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.  We may sometimes think that as followers of Christ everything in life should be good, but just as it was with David, we may be surrounded by trouble and anguish, but we must still delight in God's commandments.  Verse one-forty-four adds, The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.  If we are to have everlasting life, we must understand God's laws, beginning with the fact that the only way to truly understand them is to first put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Then, the Holy Spirit will guide us to a better understanding of God's word.

Psalms 119:129

Psalms 119:129 says, PE.  Again, there is the dividing letter, then verse one-twenty-nine says, Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.  David said God's testimonies were wonderful and that he would keep them with his soul, his very utmost being.  God's testimonies have not changed and are still wonderful, and we as followers of Christ must also keep them with our soul.  Verse one-thirty adds, The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.  David said when someone allowed God's light into his or her life it gave understanding, even to the simple.  God's light can only give us understanding if we let it in, and we are all simple minded before God.  Verse one-thirty-one continues, I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.  David said he panted after the word of God.  We likewise should be so desirous of the word of God that we are left breathless without it to guide us in life.  Verse one-thirty-two states, Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.  David asked God to look on him in mercy as he had done with people who put their faith in Him in the past.  God's mercy is always available to those who look to Him in faith.  Just as God has been merciful to those in the past, He will be merciful to anyone who calls on Him today.  Verse one-thirty-three adds, Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.  Just as David asked God to order, or guide, all his steps so that sin might not have dominion over him, so must we.  We cannot just follow God part of the time, but must follow Him every step of the way.  Verse one-thirty-four continues, Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.  David knew that God alone had the power to deliver him from the oppression of people,  and this will always be true. We must always look to God for deliverance, no matter how powerful we may be in the world.  Verse one-thirty-five says, Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.  As David asked of God then, we today must ask God to shine His light on us and to teach us His statutes.  This can only happen if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse one-thirty-six adds, Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.  David said he cried like a river when people did not keep God's law.  As Christians, if we allow sin back into our life we should be just as broken-hearted as David said he was.  We should never take even the smallest sin lightly.  We should also be broken hearted that people refuse to accept God's law, which begins by accepting Jesus Christ as one's Savior and Lord. 

Verse 119:121

Verse 119:121 says, AIN. After the dividing letter, verse one-twenty- one says, I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors.  David said he had acted with good judgment and justice and asked God to not leave him to those who oppressed him.  We as followers of Christ must act with good judgment towards others, which is based on following God's law and guidance, and we must act with justice in all that we do.  If we are oppressed because of this, we need to leave it up to God to deal with those who oppress us.  Verse one-twebty-two adds, Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me.  David asked God to be his assurance that he would do good, because he could not base his goodness on his own ability, and neither can we.  Verse one-twenty-three declares, Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness.  David said he had long looked for God's salvation, but he had not seen it yet.  He was looking for God to fulfill His word of righteousness.  We really cannot see God's salvation through faith in Jesus Christ physically, and at times it may seem that the world is defeating us, but we must never lose faith in God.  Verse one-twenty-four adds, Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes.  As Christians, we can know that God will always deal with us out of His mercy and will teach us His statutes, as David asked God to do with him then.  All we have to do is to always look to God in faith.  Verse one-twenty-five continues, I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.  David may have been an earthly king, but he was God's servant and asked for God to give him understanding.  As followers of Christ, no matter our status in the world, we are servants of God, and we need to ask Him to give us an understanding of His testimonies, or laws.  Verse one-twenty-six states, It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law.  David said it was time for God to act, because the people of the world who opposed David and God had made God's law void.  There are many people today who have made God's law void, but we simply need to rely on God to deal with them in His time and way.  Verse one-twenty-seven adds, Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.  David said he loved God's commandments more than fine gold.  We likewise must value God's law above anything in this world, no matter how valuable it may seem.  Verse one-twenty-eight continues,  Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. David said he considered all of God's precepts to be right and that he hated every false way.  God's precepts will always be right whether we consider them to be so or not, but as Christians, we must always believe them to be so and hate anything that goes against God's precepts, or laws.