An Outcry Of Faith

May Your loving kindnesses also come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your word; So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word. And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your ordinances. So I will keep Your law continually, Forever and ever. And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts. I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings And shall not be ashamed. I shall delight in Your commandments, Which I love. And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.” Psalm 119:49-64 NASB “Remember the word to Your servant, In which You have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me. The arrogant utterly deride me, Yet I do not turn aside from Your law. I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O Lord, And comfort myself. Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked, Who forsake Your law. Your statutes are my songs In the house of my pilgrimage. O Lord, I remember Your name in the night, And keep Your law. This has become mine, That I observe Your precepts.”  “The Lord is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words. I sought Your favor with all my heart; Be gracious to me according to Your word. I considered my ways And turned my feet to Your testimonies. I hastened and did not delay To keep Your commandments.”  “The cords of the wicked have encircled me, But I have not forgotten Your law. At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You Because of Your righteous ordinances. I am a companion of all those who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts. The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes.” Psalms 119:41-48 NASB

The Lord’s kingdom plan for His beloved people is not simply that we learn His ways as instructed or that we understand His ways as taught, but that we walk in His ways as guided by Holy Spirit. Biblical knowledge is the answer, but knowing the Word of God and living the Word of God are two vastly different things. We must seek to walk in in the kingdom of God, remembering that God’s ways are totally contrary to the world’s way of operating. We may have to stand against the systems of the world, the advice of our well-meaning family and friends, and battle our own self-seeking flesh in order to be solely guided and led by God. This willingness to stand with Jesus comes at great cost. In order to follow Christ, we must lose our life for His sake. We must be willing to lay aside anything or disregard any person we fear more than God. We must be willing to turn our back on whatever and whoever we first turn to for comfort and security if it is not the Lord’s will. We must keep the eternal benefits and eternal joy of following Jesus forefront in our minds so that when we are tried, tested, and called upon, we will be able to hear well done good and faithful servant. 
It is often hardest for us to see the Lord and hear His Word when we are in the midst of troubling circumstances. We can be thankful that He has not left us alone.  Many of the verses in psalm 119 mention God’s Word in one line, and then in the second line connect it to God’s revelation to His people. Other words used to describe God’s revelation are: law, testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, word, and rules. Remembering how the Lord has delivered and rescued us through past hardships and difficulties helps to put us in a posture of gratitude, thankfulness and worship so that we can trust God no matter what circumstance we are in or will face….. And my friends, know too that Psalm 119 is a prayer that includes many different elements, including prayers of petitions for wisdom (verses 33-40) praise (verse 45-48), obedience (verses 57-64). 

Psalm 119 is actually not only about the topic of getting Scripture into our every moment, it is also the honest living raw word of God - that erupts within when the wisdom Holy Spirit teaches gets grafted into us. It’s not an exhortation to Bible study; it’s an outcry of faith! Hallelujah!