Psalm 119:113-120

Psalm 119:113-120

Overcome

I.                    We must continually seek God in His Word to overcome life’s difficulties; because God protects those who are devoted to Him (Vv. 113-115)

a.       Because everyone has to deal with the difficulties which life presents, there are nearly endless voices from every direction calling our attention to some remedy or choice we must make if want to successfully navigate life. Many people respond by shifting and vacillating between all these voices, never realizing any true relief. This is the natural state of humanity when we rely on our own strength and understanding in life, and it’s especially exposed in times of greatest difficulty and fear. The Psalmist indicates that the first step in successfully dealing with life’s difficulties and the constant bombardment of voices, is the resolve to be fully devoted to God’s way revealed in His Word. Devotion to God’s Word will lead us to simultaneously hate the “double-minded” and love God’s Word. To be “double-minded” means to be “two-hearted, two-opinioned, or uncommitted”. Throughout God’s Word humanity is called to a crisis of faith and choice. As we continually resolve to seek God’s provision in His Word, it will continually prove to be edifying for our lives, and we’ll grow to hate the way of the double-minded, especially those who try to hold to part of God’s Word and His Name, but deny Him through their reliance on their own strength, and lead others away from His grace and mercy. But we’ll also despise double-mindedness because we see that quality surface in us from time to time if we’re exposed too deeply to the voices of the world without being committed and emersed in God’s Word. We’ll be vulnerable to seek safety, security, satisfaction, and hope in places other than God. The Psalmist isn’t calling us to completely cut ourselves off from the world, but he’s acknowledging the draw and impact that the constant bombardment of worldly voices can have on our lives and choices, and the desperate need to be fully devoted to God and His Word. How we respond in times of great difficulty and uncertainty is the result of what we’re committed to and how we’ve equipped ourselves beforehand. God alone provides us with a shield to protect us from the flaming arrows of life and hiding place of refuge in our weakness, when we’re completely devoted to Him and trusting faithfully in His promises. (Vv. 113-115; Gen. 3:1-19; Numb. 13:27-14:2; Josh. 1:6-9; 24:14-15; 1 Kgs. 18:21; Ps. 3:3; 27:5-6; 28:7-8; 31:20; 32:7; 33:20; 46:1-2; 61:4; 84:11-12; 91:1-10; 97:10-12; 101:3; 118:7-9; John 11:25-26, 39-45; Acts 14:22; 1 Cor. 15:33; Eph. 6:10-17; 2 Tim. 3:1-17; Jas. 1:5-8; 4:8)  

II.                 We must continually seek God in His Word to overcome life’s difficulties; because God upholds those who walk obediently in Him, and rejects those who reject Him (Vv. 116-120)

a.       Now the Psalmist calls on God to hold him up, renew him, and refresh his strength. This support and renewal in God’s truth and promises is fully realized in Christ, and the hope which we have in Him alone, never disappoints. True support, rest, aid, refreshment, life, hope, and fruit in life, especially in life’s difficulties and challenges, are only found in continually seeking and trusting in God’s promises revealed in His Word and realized in Christ. Only the supernatural hope in Christ through repentant faith in Him for new life, and the desire to pursue a deeper relationship with Him through the revelation of God’s Word and prayer, produce a peace and hope in life which transcends any set of difficulties, and circumstances. This peace, hope, rest, and renewal is unavailable to those who reject God’s Word. For those in Christ, trials and difficulties in life only serve to strengthen us, grow us in steadfast devotion to His Word, and refine us in His likeness. For the world apart from Christ, their struggles against the difficulties of life only produce fruitlessness, yield lies that deceive themselves and others, and ultimately lead them into eternal judgement. The fear of the uncertainty, weakness, lack of control, purposelessness, and valuelessness in life, overwhelms us and defeats. We all face these fears and difficulties; but the Psalmist points us to the reality that the fear of the Lord is the only fear which conquers all other fears. Fear of God renews us continually to be in awe of His holy, righteous, and just nature, continually desire Him, His live giving and life sustaining Word, and to submit to Him so as to live pleasingly and obediently for Him, and experience the fullness of His grace, mercy, love, and victory in life. (Vv. 116-120; Deut. 10:10-21; 31:6; 2 Chron. 20:1-15; Ps. 18:1-3; 34:4-14; 37:4-5; 46:10-11; 115:13; 118:6; Prov. 1:7; 3:5-8; 25:4; 26:23; Isa. 1:22-25; 26:3-4; 41:10; 48:22; Micah 6:8; Matt. 22:36-40; John 14:27; 16:33; Rom. 5:1-11; 8:18-39; Phil. 1:6, 21; 3:7-16; 4:4-8; Heb. 10:26-39; 11:1, 6; 12:28-29; 13:5b-6; 1 Pet. 1:6-9; 1 John 4:13-19)