Psalm 119:6-16 “The Blessings Received From The Word of God”
Psalm 119 that we read today is the longest chapter in the Bible and has 176 verses. The main subject of this chapter is the word of God and each verse and its content teaches the importance of the word of God. As we read Psalm 119, it expresses the word of God in many different ways. For example, it uses the law of the Lord, His Way, His testimonies, or His righteous judgment, etc. Likewise various names are used, but they mean the same, God’s word. I would like to read the whole chapter of Psalm 119, however with the short time we have we can’t, so read it at home and it will be a great blessing to you. There are so many blessings we receive from the word of God; however I just chose a few from which to share God’s grace. May our Lord’s great grace overflow in our hearts. Then what kind of blessings can we receive from God’s word?
First, we receive the blessing of being delivered from affliction. Reading verse 153 of today’s text we see, “Consider my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget Your law.” In this, we can find the way for the solution to our troubles. That is I am not forgetting God’s word in my heart, therefore consider my trouble and save me from it. What does this mean? In the phrase “For I do not forget Your Law” gives the meaning of not forgetting, presuming that we have the law of the Lord, otherwise God’s word in our hearts. If we do not have God’s word in our hearts from the beginning, is there anything to forget? No, nothing. Therefore a person who claims by saying “I have God’s word in my heart” means that the person believes in God’s word and emphasizes their privilege as God’s child. Let me explain this further, everyone living in this world has had the experience of going into the furnace of affliction at least once in their lives. This is the same for both believers and non-believers. However, the result of affliction between those who believe in God’s word and those who don’t believe in God’s word is totally different. The difference is like heaven and hell. Affliction sometimes is used as a tool of judgment for wheat and tares. The meaning of the word “affliction” is like what takes place at harvest time during the threshing. The farmer beats the crops with sticks causing the chaff to fly away and the husked grain to remain. Then the farmer gathers the grain in to the barn and burns up the chaff with fire (Matthew 3:12). It is hard to discern the wheat from the chaff unless it is beaten with sticks. It is the same with our physical bodies; it is hard to figure out who are with God’s word as wheat or who are without God’s word as chaff. Therefore God the farmer (John 15:1) cleans out His threshing floor (Matthew 3:12). Mental affliction, physical affliction, material affliction, affliction in disease, affliction in relationships . . . all of these God uses as a beating stick. At this time, those who do not forget God’s word in their hearts will say, “Dear God, consider our affliction and deliver us, for we have not forgotten Your word.” They will look to God in the midst of their suffering. Then God will save them with His strong and mighty hand for they are His wheat. Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-Nego, and Daniel in the Old Testament did that. So did Joseph, David and Job (Job 36:15) as it says, “He delivers the poor in their affliction, and opens their ears in oppression.” When God’s chosen people are in their affliction God delivers them from their affliction. I believe the time will come for the afflicted ones, that their affliction will bring much benefit to them. Verse 67 in today’s text says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.” And verse 71 says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.” This is a great and amazing confession. Beloved saints! To be afflicted is very difficult and hard for us; however we must believe it is a blessing for God is cleaning the husks from us. The husks of arrogance, the husks of jealousy and envy, the husks of overindulgence, the husks of disobedience, all of these which are not pretty in God’s sight are removed, after we are cleaned up we become wheat I believe we will go into God’s barn. Job says in Job 23:10, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” May this confession be our confession from our hearts.
Secondly, there is power for revival and life in the word of God. Let’s read verse 50 and verse 159 together (verse 50), “This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.” (159), “Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.” In this “Revive me” and “Given me life” the meanings are different. “To revive” means the person is not completely dead, that person was sick and near death but recovered. “To give life” means giving life to a person who was completely dead. Isn’t this right? We need to see the deep, spiritual meaning in this. This means to live again, to be resurrected. It means that God’s word will give life again to a human’s spirit and body. It will revive a dying body in sickness and suffering as well as give life to a dead spirit in sin. Beloved saints! Love God’s word. God’s word has the power of life. The power to give life to an individual’s spirit and body and the power to revive a sick home and sick society is all in the word of God. Whoever loves God’s word and believes will be revived and have blessings in his life.
Thirdly, there are answers in the word of God. Let’s read verse 145 of today’s text, “I cry out with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD! I will keep Your statutes.” We see the secret of the answered prayer. jCry out with your whole heart. We see people pray very lightly say “Hi God” in congregational prayer or meal time prayer. It is not like that. The prayer with the whole heart is holding on to God for life and death. Jacob’s prayer at the ford of Jabbok, in the Old Testament, was with his whole heart and he received an answer from God. Let’s look at Jesus’ prayer. Before the cross He prayed with His whole heart in the garden of Gethsemane and His sweat become blood. As a result of that prayer, He overcame the shame and the suffering of the cross. The outcome of that was for you and me to be able to be saved and opened the way of salvation to everyone. A saint who prays with the whole heart will receive answers. kAnother secret is to keep His statues. It means to obey. In God’s word it says to do and do and don’t do and don’t do. This is to keep His statues and the secret for the answer for our prayer. For example, in Chapter 5 of 2 Kings we see Naaman the army commander of Syria. He was a commander but he was a leper. When he was suffering with this sickness he heard about Elisha. So he went to see him in Israel. However Elisha did not even come out of his room but sent a messenger to him and said go and wash in the Jordan River seven times (2 Kings 5:10). When General Naaman heard this he felt bad since his pride was hurt and was about to go back to his country. He thought that Elisha would come out and call on the name of God and would wave his hand over the place and he would be healed of the leprosy (2 Kings 5:11). At that time his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?” (2 Kings 5:13) This means even if the word is not right with our thoughts and our understanding it must be obeyed. Then our prayer will be answered. Finally General Naaman obeyed the word of God from the mouth of God’s servant and dipped seven times in the Jordan. His flesh was restored.
Beloved saints! I am going to finish with these words. God’s word has the power of life to save us. How do we have victory and a peaceful life in this rugged world? I believe that is only in the life which stands firm on the word of God. May God’s blessing overflow in our hearts.
By: Rev, Samuel Choi