Psalm 119:137-144

Psalm 119:137-144

In God We Trust

I.                    To trust in God is to walk obediently in His unchanging Word; so we must trust in God’s righteous Word by walking obediently in it, no matter what the world does (Vv. 137-141)

a.       God is utterly righteous and just. His righteous and just nature are two of his transcendent character traits which flow from His unmatched and unchanging holiness which sets Him apart from all other things. Therefore, God’s Word, which comes from Him and which testifies to Him and His promises, is equally righteous, equitable, faithful, and unchanging. God alone is the only object and source of all rightness, so likewise His Word is the essence of that which is right. So the Psalmist is rightly zealous for God’s Word, but he says that his zeal has consumed him, or he’s worn out and exhausted from proclaiming and advocating God’s Word to people who just won’t listen. But even worse, his reward for being faithful to proclaim God’s Word seems to be others either ignoring him completely or acting contemptuously towards him. However, the Psalmist understands that humankind and their actions are only temporary, but God’s righteous and faithful Word is eternal. Therefore his feelings of weariness aren’t motivated by considering how others in the world are acting towards him, and how those actions impact his life, but he’s motivated by his deep desire to see others draw close to God through trusting in His Word for true, lasting, and faithful salvation and edification. The Psalmist’s feelings in response to the actions of those in the world towards him and God’s Word didn’t terminate in considering how those actions did or didn’t impact him wrongly or unfairly, they terminated in heartbroken concern for the world’s disregard and dishonor of God’s Word. When people look down on us and treat us with contempt, our inclination is usually to defend ourselves, but the one who truly trusts faithfully in God’s Word is less concerned for themselves and more inclined to feel burdened for the one who is moved to treat others with contempt because of their lack of understanding and relationship with God. How does the Psalmist maintain this type of outlook and heart attitude, and how do we do it? It’s not by trusting in humanity or ourselves, but by trusting faithfully and completely in God’s Word. The Psalmist declares God’s Word to be “very pure”, which is to say that it’s tried and proven to be completely true and faithful in the refining fires of his life. Thus the Psalmist loves God’s Word and does not “forget” His Word no matter what the world does or doesn’t do to him. No matter the circumstances in which he finds himself or the actions of others, the Psalmist is wholly motivated to obey God’s Word. We only respond properly to life and to others when we continue obediently in God’s Word, because only there do we find true understanding, true righteousness, true revelation of God, and true deliverance from oppression through the victory over sin by the mercy, grace, and love of Christ! (Vv. 137-141; Ps. 12:6-7; 18:27-36; 69:9; Isa. 53:3-12; Jer. 20:7-9; Matt. 5:10-16, 43-48; 19:16-30; Luke 6:20-23, 26-28; John 8:30-36; Rom. 10:17; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Pet. 1:3-9; 2:15-25; 4:12-19; 1 John 1:5-7)

II.                 To trust in God is to walk obediently in His unchanging Word; so we must trust in God’s eternal Word  by walking obediently in it, above and beyond how we feel (Vv. 142-144)

a.   Life is constantly changing. No human system of government, customs, knowledge, opinions, or truths remain constant, and this constantly shifting world produces chaos, feelings of overwhelming uncertainty, frustration, and even crippling pressure on peoples’ lives. None are exempt from the feelings of affliction and anguish which result from this shifting sin broken world, and those who desire to live and walk obediently in God’s righteous Word by His grace, often feel particularly burdened in life. The Psalmist is feeling this anguish and trouble common to our ever shifting world, but the circumstances we experience in life, and the feelings which they produce, don’t reflect the reality of the absolute truth of God’s promises in Christ. Our circumstances and feelings will change, but God’s Word never changes. So the Psalmist declares that even though trouble and anguish have overtaken him, he’ll delight in God’s Word as the only source of truth, righteousness, and understanding. Only the promises of God in Christ are yes and amen, and they’re the only firm foundation for life today and for eternity. We must not trust the world, its promises, or the feelings of our hearts because we’ll be continually let down and led astray. Only trusting obediently in God’s unchanging Word and promises, produces abundant, purposeful, and eternally impactful lives today, no matter our circumstances. (Vv. 142-144; Ps. 90:1-2; 119:89, 160; Prov. 3:1-8; Matt. 5:3-9; 7:24-29; 24:35; John 6:68; 14:6, 27; 16:33; 17:17; Rom. 8:18-39; 2 Cor. 1:20; 4:5-10, 16-18; 1 John 2:15-17; 5:1-6)