OUR EYES LOOK TO THE LORD OUR GOD

Proclamation:

“As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to The Lord our God, till He shows us His mercy.”  Psalm 123:2 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Bible scholars do not agree on who was the human author.  This is another psalm of ascent, one of the songs which the children of Israel sang as they came out of captivity in Babylon.  As they journeyed towards Jerusalem, they lifted up their eyes to The Lord God in heaven. (Psalm 123:1)  Many believe that this referred not only to their physical eyes, as they could see Jerusalem in the hills in the distance, but to the eyes of their mind and heart to The Spirit of God to whom they looked for understanding, help, salvation, and mercy.  Although they had been freed from captivity, they looked to The Lord as a slave looks to his master for mercy.

Application:

We look to The Lord God for direction, protection, help, and provisions.  Not because we deserve it, but because we belong to Him and without His mercy we cannot make it.  In our weakness we look to His strength.  We are like empty clay vessels before a never ending source of living water, we are waiting to be filled.  In due time, when He is ready, He will bless us.  We are just to humbly pray and ask Him, and then wait upon Him. (Luke 18:1-5)  When we look to The Lord our God, we have hope for better days to come.

I PRAY THAT THE PEACE OF GOD BE WITHIN ALL OF YOU

Proclamation:

“For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’  For the sake of the house of The Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.”  Psalm 122:8-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  It is a psalm of ascent that the children of Israel sang rejoicing as they went up to Jerusalem to worship and for their feasts.  This is the third song of ascent.  In Psalm 120, the Jews were in distress because of their neighbors.  In Psalm 121, they were travelling to Jerusalem and could see it in the hills.  Now, in Psalm 122, they are within the gates of Jerusalem.  David rejoiced with the saints who said to him, “Let us go to the house of The Lord.” (Psalm 122:1)  He prayed for peace for Jerusalem and for the people who lived within the walls of the city. (Psalm 122:6-7)  He prayed for peace for his family and friends. (Psalm 122:8-9)  He also prayed for the good of the house of God and the people of God (Psalm 122:9) because of his zeal for God’s house. (Psalm 69:9)

Application:

Most people do not have to travel as far as the children of Israel did to go to worship in the house of The Lord.  However, most of us pass by many churches in order to get to our church to worship because we no longer live in the neighborhood where our church is located.  When we pray, we should pray for every church where they worship The Lord, our God.  We should also pray for all of the people of God, where ever they may be, that they would be blessed with the favor of God and that they will prosper.

MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains; where does my help come from?  My help comes from The Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”  Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Bible scholars do not agree on the human author.  This is a psalm of ascent, one of the songs which the children of Israel sang as they came out of captivity in Babylon and later by pilgrims as they travelled up to Jerusalem to worship.  As they looked up, they could see the hills of Jerusalem in the distance.  The psalmist asks a rhetorical question, and then proceeds to answer it.  He asks, where his help comes from, but he knows that his help comes from The Lord God.  He knows that The Lord guides his steps and watches over him while he sleeps. (Psalm 121:3-4)  He will not let any harm come to him. (Psalm 121:5-7)  He watches over him whether he is coming or going. (Psalm 121:8)

Application:

All believers know that their help does not come from the top of the hills but from The Lord God who made the hills.  The Lord God guides, preserves, and protects us day and night. (Psalm 121:3-4)  He watches over us as we go in and out of our homes, and while we are in our homes. (Psalm 121:8)  He keeps a hedge of protection around us all day, and every day. (Job 1:10)  For this, we ought to be truly grateful and we ought to thank Him for it along with thanking Him for all of the blessings that He has bestowed upon us.

LORD SAVE ME FROM LYING LIPS AND DECEITFUL TONGUES

Proclamation:

“I call on The Lord in my distress, and He answers me.  Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.”  Psalm 120:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God and have been credited to King David.  In this psalm he complains about those who have brought false charges against him (Psalm 120:2-4) and about his wicked neighbors. (Psalm 120:5-7)  In his distress he calls upon The Lord God and He heard him and answered him.

Application:

We have all been lied on, lied to, and deceived by family, friends, colleagues, co-workers, associates, acquaintances, and people we trusted.   It does not feel good to be in that position.  However, we have all also told lies to others, on others, about things, and we have thought about lying even when we did not do it.  All men are liars. (Psalm 116:11)  We are quick to point out the sins and shortcomings of others but we ignore or don’t address our own.  “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.” (Author unknown)  As we sow, so shall we also reap. (Galatians 6:7)  We want God’s help to protect us from the effects of the lies that we told to us and on us, but we should also pray and ask to be forgiven for lying, and for His help to stop lying to and on others.  Lying is the result of the influence of the devil who is the father of lies. (John 8:44)  There is a price to pay for lying. (Psalm 120:3-4 and Revelation 21:8)

MAY MY LIPS AND MY MOUTH PRAISE THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“May my lips overflow with praise, for You teach me Your decrees.  May my tongue sing of Your word, for all Your commands are righteous.  May Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.”  Psalm 119:171-173 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is the twenty-second and last part, Taw, of this twenty-two part psalm.  David ends this conversation with The Lord God with a series of personal requests.  He asks that God would hear his cry, give him understanding, hear his supplications, and deliver him according to His promises. (Psalm 119:169-170)  Then he asks that The Lord would help him praise God, that his lips would overflow with praise and that his mouth would sing songs of praise. (Psalm 119:171-172)  Then, recognizing that he would need help, he asks that The Lord God would be ready to help him to follow His word. (Psalm 119:173)  He asks that God would let him live so that he could give Him praise. (Psalm 119:175)     

Application:

David essentially ends a very long prayer by asking The Lord to help him praise God.  As believers we know that we need God’s help in all that we do.  However, if we are honest with ourselves, we also know that we do not pray, praise God, or thank Him enough or as often as we should.  He has done so much for each of us, most of which we take for granted and we appear to be ungrateful.  We should not need to be told to praise and thank The Lord.  In Psalm 107 the words “O that men would praise The Lord for His goodness and His wonderful works to the children of men” are repeated three times. (Psalm 107:15, 21, and 31)  Let us pray that He will help us to praise Him and to thank Him more often that we are presently doing.  Every breath, every heartbeat, every movement, and the fact that we are aware of who we are, where we are, and that we can respond to those around us, are all blessings that we sometimes take for granted.  Let us remember to praise Him and thank Him for all that He has done.

PRAY AND PRAISE THE LORD GOD SEVEN TIMES A DAY

Proclamation:

“Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous laws.  Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”  Psalm 119:164-165 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is the twenty-first part, Shin, of this twenty-two part psalm.  David continues to tell The Lord God how much he loves His laws.  He states that he praises Him seven times each day because of His laws.  Seven times may be a literal translation or it may mean very often each day. 

Application:

I believe that most believers pray several times each day.  Most of us pray in the morning when we wake up, in the evening before we go to sleep, and before we eat each meal.  That would be four to five times each day but not seven times.  The Bible says that we ought to always pray, (Luke 18:1 and 21:36) and His praise should continually be in our mouth. (Psalm 34:1)  In order to pray seven times in a day, we would have to pray at least two or three times more than the traditional or habitual prayer times.  There are those who say that they pray when they get in their cars before they drive on these dangerous streets and freeways.  I would suggest that we also pray before we engage anyone in a conversation, before we answer a question, and before we make a decision.  Before we do or say anything, we ought to pray and ask for God’s help and guidance.  If we did that, maybe we would have great peace in our lives, and maybe we would not stumble into sin as often as we do.

GREAT IS THE COMPASSION OF THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out Your decrees.  Your compassion, Lord, is great; preserve my life according to Your laws.”  Psalm 119:155-156 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is the twentieth part, Resh, of this twenty-two part psalm.  As David continues his conversation with The Lord God he ask Him to be delivered from suffering, to have his cause defended, to be redeemed, and to have his life preserved. (Psalm 119:153-154)  He has many enemies who want to kill him but he is not afraid because he has faith in God’s word. (Psalm 119:157)  He states that he loves God’s word and he loathes those who do not obey The Word of God. (Psalm 119:158-160) 

Application:

Today there seems to be a growing interest in The Word of God but there are still a large number of people who are lost because they refuse to accept it, believe it, or read it.  As believers it is our job to spread The Word of God to the non-believers in the world.  We are just to tell them about it and about Jesus, The Christ.  It is not our job to make them believe it.  The job of The Holy Spirit of God is to convict, convince, and convert them.  The Lord is very compassionate and it does not matter what sins they have committed, if they come to believe and accept Jesus as their Savior, then their sins will be forgiven just as our sins were forgiven.  We should pray that His word will be revived within each of us.  If we love The Lord and His Holy Word, we should share it with others.  So, during our many conversations, we should make sure that all of our friends and family members have been exposed to The Word of God, at least once.  When we tell them we have done our part, and hopefully they will see a living example of God’s word when they observe and listen to us.

THE LORD GOD IS ALWAYS NEAR TO US

Proclamation:

“Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from Your law.  Yet You are near, Lord, and all Your commands are true.”  Psalm 119:150-151 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is the nineteenth part, Qoph, of this twenty-two part psalm.  Here David appears to be bargaining with The Lord.  He basically says if He does something for him, then he will obey His laws.  David says answer me and I will obey, (Psalm 119:145) and save me and I will keep Your statutes. (Psalm 119:146)  He says that he has been up all night thinking about the promises that God gave him and he asks Him to hear his prayer and preserve his life. (Psalm 119:148-149)  David is aware that those evil people who would do him harm are nearby but he is also aware that The Lord God is nearby and he wants His protection.

Application:

This world is full of people who plan and develop schemes to take advantage of the innocent, unsuspecting, and the naïve.  Most of the “do-gooders” can’t imagine the lengths that people will go to in order to deceive them.  People will tell convincing lies in order to take advantage of others.  They offer tempting promises of great rewards to lure in their victims.  We need to stay “prayed up” and wrapped up in The Word of God in order to be protected from the evil wicked people in this world.  The Lord said that He would never leave us or forsake us, but if we want His help we must believe in Him and ask Him. (Hebrews 13:5 and John 15:7)  We do not have to stay up all night long and pray, but it is better to lose a little sleep and pray each night.   We need to ask for His help and to thank Him for that which He has done, is doing, and will do.

THOUGH I AM LOWLY AND DESPISED I ESTEEM GOD'S WORD

Proclamation:

“Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget Your precepts.  Your righteousness is everlasting and Your law is true.” Psalm 119:141-142 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the eighteenth part, Tsadhe, of this twenty-two part psalm.  David starts this part by praising The Lord God and His word. (Psalm 119:137-138)  Then he puts himself down and states the even though he is insignificant, he will remember God’s law because God is righteous and His law is true.

Application:

It has been said that the true test of our faith in God is if we can praise Him when we are down and in the midst of adversity.  King David passes that test. (Psalm 119:143)  We should love and praise The Lord God in good times and bad times because all things work together for the good of them who love Him and work according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)  We should have a zeal, a burning desire and love for The Lord God and for His Holy Word. (Psalm 119:139)  It does not matter how low we are, with respect to our position or state in life, or if others do not esteem us, if we love The Lord God, then He will value us.  A person is not usually held in very high esteem by those who know them or who are close to them. (Matthew 13:57 and Mark 6:4)  In the end, all that matters and is truly important is what The Lord God thinks of us. (Matthew 25:21 and 25:23)

DIRECT MY FOOTSTEPS ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD

Proclamation:

“Turn to me and have mercy on me, as You always do to those who love Your name.  Direct my footsteps according to Your word; let no sin rule over me.”  Psalm 119:132-133 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the seventeenth part, Pe, of this twenty-two part psalm.  David begins this part by praising The Lord and then he asks The Lord God to have mercy on him, to direct his footsteps and not allow any sinful habit to have rule over him.  He ends this part by asking that The Lord would let His presence shine upon him and states that he is saddened by the disobedience to God’s law.

Application:

We need to pray and ask The Lord God to order our steps. (Psalm 37:23)  We are sinful because of human nature and we need to pray that He will not let any sin control us.  We frequently have sinful thoughts and make sinful choices.  Only with His help can we resist sin and the devil. (James 4:7)  We are at war with sin and the devil and we need to put on the whole armor of God in order to stand up during his attacks. (Ephesians 6:11-13)  It should hurt us to the point of tears when we see The Word of God being disobeyed, especially by a child of God, and we should pray for them.

GIVE ME DISCERNMENT SO THAT I MAY UNDERSTAND

Proclamation:

“Deal with Your servant according to Your love and teach me Your decrees.  I am Your servant; give me discernment that I may understand Your statutes.”  Psalm 119:124-125 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the sixteenth part, Ayin, of this twenty-two part psalm.  David reminds The Lord God that he is His servant and he requests His protection (Psalm 119:121-122) and His mercy. (Psalm 119:124)  Then he repeats his request for The Lord God to teach him and to give him the discernment so that he can understand His Holy Word.

Application:

It is possible for people to read The Bible and not understand it.  Some people may understand the literal words but not have an appreciation for the spiritual heavenly implications behind them.  U.C.L.A. used to offer a course entitled “The Bible as Literature” which analyzed and compared the various writing styles it contained.  This was not a course in religion and it did not address the spiritual implications of the written words.  Jesus, The Christ, often spoke in parables which He frequently had to explain to His disciples.  We need to understand that we need His help in order to grasp the full meaning of His Holy Word.  Additionally, once we develop an appreciation for and an understanding of His Holy Word, we need to live by it and become doers of His word. (Romans 2:13 and James 1:22)

PUT YOUR HOPE AND TRUST IN THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word.  Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God.”  Psalm 119:114-115 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the fifteenth part, Samekh, of this twenty-two part psalm.  While David is continuing his conversation with The Lord God, he interjects a comment to the worldly evildoers telling them to leave him alone. (Psalm 119:115)  He did not want anything to hinder him from keeping The Word of God.  Then he asked God to sustain him and help him keep His commands. (Psalm 119:116-117)

Application:

We cannot serve to masters. (Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13)  We cannot walk God’s way and walk worldly at the same time. (John 8:12 and Ephesians 2:2)  People who try to do that are referred to as double-minded.  Double-minded people are unstable in their thoughts and their ways. (James 1:8)  They are divided in their thoughts and they are inconsistent in their beliefs.  The Lord God made it very clear that He did not like “wishy-washy” people and referred to them as “lukewarm”, they were not hot or cold. (Revelation 3:15-16)  Believers are not perfect, we occasionally fall into sin.  However, when we give in to our sinful nature, we do not change our belief in God and we know that sinning is wrong.  We pray and ask Him to forgive us, and to help us walk the right straight and narrow path.  Because of our faith and trust in The Lord, we know that if we humble ourselves and ask Him, He will forgive us and help us. (2 Chronicles 7:14 and 1 John 1:9)

THE WORD OF GOD LIGHTS OUR PATH AND DIRECTS OUR WAY

Proclamation:

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”  Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the fourteenth part, Nun, of this twenty-two part psalm.  Here David states that The Word of God is a light which directs him in the choice of the right way.  His son, Solomon, says the same thing and uses the same analogy. (Proverbs 6:23)  David had made his choice and he reaffirmed it. (Psalm 119:106)  He was glad that he did and he was committed to follow God’s law as long as he was alive. (Psalm 119:111-112)

Application:

The Word of God provides guidance for all aspects of our life, our work, our family, our fellowship, our direction, our behavior, and our conversation.  It is a light for us in a dark world.  It can show us the path which is the right way to go when we have choices to make.  It can strengthen and encourage us when the journey is difficult.  We just have to make up our mind to follow it.  Unfortunately, some people will prefer to stay in the darkness rather than walk His way in the light. (John 3:19)

GAIN UNDERSTANDING FROM THE WORD OF GOD

Proclamation:

“How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.”  Psalm 119:103-104 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the thirteenth part, Mem, of this twenty-two part psalm.  Here David states that he meditates on The Word of God because he loved it and then he loved it more because he meditated on it.  He gained wisdom, insight, and understanding by meditating on God’s Holy Word. (Psalm 119:98-100)  David actually enjoyed reading and reflecting on The Word of God, stating that to him it was sweeter than honey. (Psalm 119:103)

                                           

Application:

A good man carries The Word of God with him, if not in his hand, it is always in his head and in his heart.  That which we love, we think about often.  The more we meditate on God’s Holy Word, the more we gain an understanding of it and the less likely we are to think about sinful things.  “The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and knowledge of The Holy is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)  “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.” (Proverbs 3:13)  If we truly love The Word of God, it will be reflected in our behavior and in our conversation.  Out of our mouths comes that which is in our hearts. (Matthew 12:34 and 15:18)

THE WORD OF GOD IS ETERNAL AND UNCHANGEABLE

Proclamation:

“Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.  Your faithfulness continues through all generations … Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve You.”  Psalm 119:89-91 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is the twelfth part, Lamedh, of this twenty-two part psalm.  Here David glorifies The Lord God and His Holy Word.  He proclaims the immutable nature of The Word of God and the unchanging faithfulness of God Himself. 

Application:

The Lord God has not changed and He will not change.  He is the same today as He was yesterday, and all of the yesterdays before that, and He will be the same tomorrow, and for all of the tomorrows to come.  His promises are eternal and apply continually from generation to generation.  The Word of God is permanent.  “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)  There will be a new heaven and a new earth, (Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22, and Revelation 21:1) but The Word of God shall continue unchanged.   Put your hope in things that are eternal. (Titus 1:2)  We all should trust, worship, praise, and serve The Lord, for He is worthy.

THE LORD'S UNFAILING LOVE WILL PRESERVE MY LIFE

Proclamation:

“In Your unfailing love preserve my life, that I may obey the statutes of Your mouth.”  Psalm 119:88 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is the eleventh part, Kaph, of this twenty-two part psalm.  Here David recounts some of his suffering and physical problems (Psalm 119:81-86) and states that nothing that he has gone through could cause him to lose faith in God’s word. (Psalm 119:87) 

Application:

Our physical illnesses, disabilities, afflictions, and suffering can affect us so much until we mentally lose our focus on that which is really important.  By focusing on our situation and our circumstances we take our eyes and our focus off of our goal which is pleasing The Lord God.  Even the most miserable of situations, failing health, poor finances, the death of loved ones, or whatever, should not cause a true child of God to turn away from Him.  When we take our eyes off of Him, we start to sink as Peter did. (Matthew 14:28-31)  We need to press on towards the mark of our high calling (Philippians 3:14) and not let the afflictions of this life cause us to become as useless as dried out wineskins. (Psalm 119:83)  The Lord God can protect us and preserve us from whatever if we keep our focus on Him and His Holy Word.

MAY THOSE WHO FEAR YOU REJOICE WHEN THEY SEE ME

Proclamation:

“May those who fear You rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in Your word.”  Psalm 119:74 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is the tenth part, Yodh, of this twenty-two part psalm.  After acknowledging his creator, (Psalm 119:73) David asks The Lord God to let the believers be truly happy to see him when they meet.  He wants to be, and to be seen as, one who believes in and trusts in The Lord.  He knows that God’s punishment of him was just.  He asks for The Lord’s tender mercies and His loving kindness in the forgiveness of his sins. (Psalm 119:76-77)  There were some good men who turned away from him because of his sinful affair with Bathsheba and he wants them to return to him again that he may enjoy the favor of their company. (Psalm 119:79)

Application:

There is value in the good will of the saints and it is good to maintain fellowship with them. (Psalm 133:1)  But we must first get right with God before we can get right with each other.  If we have a problem with one of our brothers, we ought to resolve it and restore the fellowship with them. (Matthew 5:23-24)  The saints should be able to come together in Christian love and truly enjoy one another’s company.  Before that can happen, we must be in Him and He must be in us. (John 6:56 and 15:5)  Believers should be glad when they see us coming.

I WENT ASTRAY I WAS AFFLICTED AND NOW I OBEY

Proclamation:

“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word.  You are good, and what You do is good; teach me Your decrees.”  Psalm 119:67-68 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the ninth part, Teth, of this twenty-two part psalm.  David is continuing his conversation with The Lord God and is still asking Him to teach him.   He admits that he strayed from God’s word through weakness of the flesh, by yielding to temptation, and by careless, needless neglect.  He also admits that because of this he has suffered afflictions, probably referring to mental and physical, in addition to familial and financial.  However, he affirms that God is good, and that He made his afflictions work out to his good. (Psalm 119:71)

Application:

David was a man after God’s own heart.  He messed up, he confessed, and he got back to that which was right.  He suffered for his mistakes but he admits that his punishments made him a better man. (Psalm 119:71)  God knows that we are sinful by nature. (Romans 3:23)  We all like sheep have gone astray. (Isaiah 53:6)  We all occasionally exercise bad judgment, give into temptation, and fall into sin.  The difference is that the believer does not stay there.  We are convicted by our beliefs, we pray, we confess, and we ask for help and forgiveness.  We know that if we are sincere when we ask, that He will forgive us and cleanse us from our unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)  We know that all things, including our punishment, will work for our good. (Romans 8:28)  Blessed is the man whom The Lord God chastises and teaches. (Psalm 94:12)

AT MIDNIGHT I WILL RISE UP AND GIVE YOU THANKS

Proclamation:

“At midnight I rise to give You thanks for Your righteous laws.  I am a friend to all who fear You, to all who follow Your precepts.”  Psalm 119:62-63 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the eighth part, Heth, of this twenty-two part psalm.  Here David is continuing his conversation with The Lord God and telling Him that he has committed to obeying His words. (Psalm 119:57-60)  Here he states that not only will he offer a prayer of thanksgiving before going to bed but he will wake up at midnight and pray again.  When men of God are undergoing difficulties, they rise us and pray at midnight as Paul and Silas did. (Acts 16:25)

Application:

It is up to each one of us to dedicate our lives to The Lord God.  We each must decide for ourselves to follow His Holy Word and to obey His laws.  Offering prayer and praise to The Lord God is appropriate at any time and at all times.  However, sometimes a sacrificial prayer at a personally difficult time is in order.  Giving up an hour of sleep in order to pray and thank God may be more beneficial to us than the sleep would have been.  We give up our sleep for worldly and sinful pleasures, why can’t we lose a little sleep for The Lord.  And when we are awake during the day, let us spend a little more time hanging out with and encouraging other believers.

THE WORD OF GOD GIVES US HOPE

Proclamation:

“Remember Your word to Your servant, for You have given me hope.  My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”  Psalm 119:49-50 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the seventh part, Zayin, of this twenty-two part psalm.  Here David is asking The Lord God to remember His promise to him. (1 Chronicles 17:23-27)  Although he is suffering at that time, he knows that he has a promised blessing which he has yet to receive and that gives him hope.

Application:

The Word of God contains His promises to us.  There are promises to the afflicted, to the children, to the orphans, to the widows, to the penitent, to the righteous, and to those who seek Him.  There are also promises of blessings, comfort, and compassion.  Believers know that The Lord God is true to His word and He keeps His promises. 

NEVER TAKE YOUR WORD OF TRUTH FROM MY MOUTH

Proclamation:

“Never take Your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in Your laws.  I will always obey Your law, for ever and ever.”  Psalm 119:43-44 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the sixth part, Waw, of this twenty-two part psalm.  Here David ask The Lord God to bless him with tender mercies (Psalm 119:41) and then he requests that The Lord never take His Word from his mouth. (Psalm 119:43)  He delights in God’s laws and he loves them. (Psalm 119:47-48)

Application:

If The Word of God is not constantly on our mind and in our mouths, then we ought to pray that He would put it there.  We should love The Word of God so much until it crosses our minds several times each day.  By trusting in The Lord and in His Holy Word, we are able to answer correctly when we are questioned or challenged. (Psalm 119:42)  We should teach it to our children, we should talk about it in our homes and in the streets. (Deuteronomy 6:7)  It should come up in every conversation.  Where ever we go, we take The Word of God with us in our hearts and we should speak about it to all who will listen.

TURN MY EYES AWAY FROM WORTHLESS THINGS

Proclamation:

“Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not towards selfish gain.  Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your word.”  Psalm 119:36-37 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is the fifth part, He, of this twenty-two part psalm.  Here David is continuing his conversation with The Lord God and he requests that The Lord God would teach him (Psalm 119:33) give him understanding (Psalm 119:34) direct him (Psalm 119:35) and turn his heart and his eyes away from worthless things towards God’s statutes. (Psalm 119:36-37)  He asks for God’s help because he does not want to fall into dishonor. (Psalm 119:39)

Application:

It is necessary to have the right or correct orientation of the heart in order to appreciate God’s Word and that orientation is itself a gift from The Lord.  We must first be convicted, convinced, and converted before He can enlighten and enrich us with His Holy Word.  Most of the things that we put before our eyes for the sake of entertainment is worthless.  Think about how much time we spend watching television in comparison to how little time we spend reading and studying The Word of God.  His Word can add value, and meaning, and longevity to our lives if we would approach it prayerfully.  If we turn away from His Word towards worldly things, He can harden our hearts (Exodus 4:21 and 11:10) and turn us completely over to our reprobate minds. (Roman 1:28)  We should pray that The Lord God will turn our hearts towards His Word and that He will create within us a receptive mind, heart, and spirit so that we will delight in His Word.

PLEASE KEEP ME FROM MY DECEITFUL WAYS

Proclamation:

“Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me and teach me Your law.  I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on Your laws.”  Psalm 119:29-30 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is the fourth part, Daleth, of this twenty-two part psalm.  David is continuing his conversation with The Lord God and here requests that The Lord God keep him from his deceitful ways.  David has made a commitment to walk God’s way and he knows that he will need God’s help in order to do that.

Application:

We may read The Word of God on our own but we need His help in order to understand what we read. (Psalm 119:27)  If we truly want to walk God’s way, we will need to pray and ask Him for His help.  The more that we try to do things God’s way, the more we can expect to be attacked and tempted.  We need His strength so that we don’t grow weary. (Psalm 119:28)

OPEN MY EYES THAT I MAY SEE THE WONDERFUL THINGS IN YOUR WORD

Proclamation:

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.  I am a stranger on earth; do not hide Your commands from me.”  Psalm 119:18-19 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this the third part, Gimel, of this twenty-two part psalm, David is continuing his conversation with The Lord God.  David refers to The Word of God as God’s law (Psalm 119:18) God’s commands (Psalm 119:19) God’s statutes (Psalms 119:22) and God’s decrees. (Psalm 119:23)  Earlier he had also referred to them as God’s precepts (Psalm 119:4 and 15) and later he refers to them as judgments (Psalm 119:52) and testimonies. (Psalm 119:46)  One can only speculate as to why he chose to use so many different words to refer to one and the same thing.  Regardless, he begins this part by asking The Lord God to deal bountifully with him, to bless him with grace and mercy so that he can obey God’s Word. (Psalm 119:17)   He wants The Lord to increase his understanding and appreciation of God’s law and to enlighten him with respect to discerning the spiritual things contained therein.

Application:

Many of us read things and do not get very much out them.  The Bible is not an easy book to read and many people get only bits and pieces out of it.  Believers should delight in The Word of God and should want to know more about it.  We need to pray that The Lord God will open our eyes and enlighten us so that as we read and meditate on His Holy Word that we will be enriched and our understanding increased.  We need to study The Word of God so that we can rightly divide the truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)  We should not rely solely on our own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)  Sunday School, Bible Study, and Bible courses are designed to enhance our appreciation of The Word of God.  Anything that is not growing is dead.  If we want God to reveal more to us, then we must ask Him and let Him show us the way.  Like David was, we are strangers on this earth, we are in this world but not of it. (John 8:23 and 18:36)  We are on our way to our heavenly home, this earthly journey is just part of our preparation.  Let us allow The Word of God to show us the way and be a light on our path. (Psalm 119:105)

DO NOT LET ME STRAY FROM YOUR COMMANDS

Proclamation:

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity?  By living according to Your word.  I seek you with all of my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands.”  Psalm 119:9-10 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm, the longest psalm in The Bible, were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this the second part, Beth, of the twenty-two part psalm, David appear to be having a conversation with The Lord God.  He begins by asking a rhetorical question, and then he answers it.  His focus was on the young but it applies to the old as well.  Keeping The Word of God in their heart (Psalm 119:11) on their lips and in their mouth (Psalm 119:13) on in their thoughts (Psalm 119:15) is the only way to live a life of purity. David ends this part by saying that he will not neglect God’s Word.

Application

None of us is perfect, all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)  One can only stay on the path of purity by living according to The Word of God, and we need God’s help in order to do that.  We will all be tempted, and we will all occasionally fall into sin.  However, as believers we will not stay down, we will confess our sinful shortcomings, ask to be forgiven, and The Lord God will pick us up, clean us up, and set us back on the right path. (1 John 1:9)  To walk His way, we need His help.  The more time we spend in His Holy Word and in prayer, the more likely we are to stay on the right path.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO KEEP HIS STATUTES

Proclamation:

“Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of The Lord.  Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart; they do no wrong but follow His ways.”  Psalm 119:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Most Bible scholars think that it was written for the benefit of his son Solomon who would be king.  It contains a collection of David’s observations on The Word of God and its precepts.  It is uniquely constructed to contain twenty-two parts, according to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and each part consists of eight verses.  The first part, Aleph, begins by saying that people who do that which is right, who obey The Word of God and His statutes, and who truly seek Him will be blessed.  Those who behave and walk in a Godly way will be blessed.

Application:

It is not good enough for us to read and know The Word of God, we must also live it.  We must be sincere and upright in the sight of God.  The Word of God contains His precepts for our behavior and they must be obeyed. (Psalm 119:4)  This is not about the rituals and religious traditions which we routinely do in our worship services, this is about the way we live our daily lives.  We should walk the straight and narrow path as Christ taught us. (Matthew 7:14)  For He is the way, the truth and the life, and He is the only way that leads to salvation and eternal life.  

TRUST IN THE LORD GOD AND NOT IN MAN

Proclamation:

“It is better to take refuge in The Lord than to trust in humans.  It is better to take refuge in The Lord than to trust in princes.”  Psalm 118:8-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

The name of the human author of this psalm is unknown, however, it is clear that it was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is the last of the “Hallelujah psalms” (Psalms 112 through 118) which was sung during the feasts celebrated by the children of Israel.  This psalm, sandwiched between the shortest psalm (Psalm 117) and the longest psalm (Psalm 119) is thought to be the song which Jesus and the disciples sang when they went out singing after their Passover meal. (Matthew 26:30)  There are a number of take-home points in this psalm but the most important one is that it is better to trust in The Lord than to trust in man.  Mankind rejected Jesus, The Christ, when He walked among them preaching and teaching.  However, that which they rejected was, and is, the most important of all.  “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” (Psalm 118:22-23)

Application:

In The Lord God we live, move, and have our very being. (Acts 17:28)  He gave us the breath of life. (Genesis 2:7)  He is our creator, our provider, our protector, and our sustainer.  We should all say as this psalmist said, “You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God and I will exalt You.” (Psalm 118:28)