Look on my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law. Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise. Psalms 119:153-154 NIV
Two things to learn
B1 God’s blessings
C1 Come from obeying God’s law. Deuteronomy 28:2 NIV All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God.
D1 The Psalmist, as any good Jew, would know of God’s promises that are found in God’s laws. Blessings come from obedience and curses come from disobedience. So, in his plea to God, the Psalmist mentions his obedience and understands that God will help him.
D2 We learn from the Lord Jesus that obedience to His worldview, lifestyle, and rules is because we love him. John 14:23 NLT Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.
D3 We can’t expect God’s blessings unless we do what Jesus commanded by His teaching on life, rules, worldview, etc. These must be in thoughts, words, desires, and deeds in public and private. No one is sinless, but we can be blameless with God’s help.
C2 May be delayed, for example in the coming of Messiah, the deliverance of the Jews from Egypt, and the raising of Lazarus from death.
C3 God doesn’t guarantee our prayers will be answered according to our wishes. All His decisions are from wisdom, love, and holiness. He may decide to wait, or do differently.
B2 The Psalmist recognizes that true blessing comes from a standard. How can we know what is good and wonderful without an objective standard to judge it? Many have wonderful plans and visions for society, but how do we know if it is the best? Science can be manipulated, selfishness can corrupt (big business, etc.), and evil desires can override altruism.
Two things to remember
B1 God judges us by His standards. He is King of all kings and judge of all judges. Jeremiah 11:20 NIV But you, LORD Almighty, who judge righteously and test the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause.
C1 The heart is the motives of what we do. We can do what is right but for wrong reasons such as deception, manipulation, etc.
D1 Matthew 23:23 NIV Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
D2 Matthew 7:21 NIV Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
C2 The mind is the attitudes. We can do what is right but with a bad attitude.
D1 Luke 11:39 GW The Lord said to him, "You Pharisees clean the outside of cups and dishes. But inside you are full of greed and evil.
D2 Proverbs 20:6 AFV Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but a faithful man who can find?
B2 God is the only defender of our lives.
C1 Life is more than breathing. It is the essence of every human. It is our humanness.
C2 We can rest contentedly.
D1 Matthew 10:28 NIV Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
D2 Hebrews 13:5 NRSV Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you.
1 John 2:1 NRSV My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
John 14:16-17 GNB I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you.
