Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 129

Within Psalm 129 are lessons about how to handle the days of persecution that will come to the American Christian. No country nor its people have ever been persecuted throughout history, like the Jewish people have. Yet, they are God’s chosen nation and He has blessed them and preserved them throughout time. And Christians, can also stand in full confidence, that even in persecution, God will protect and provide everything we need.

Psalm 129:1-4

"Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up," Let Israel now say,  "Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up; Yet they have not prevailed against me.  "The plowers plowed upon my back; They lengthened their furrows."  The LORD is righteous; He has cut in two the cords of the wicked.

Jesus was clear about what we would face if we are His.

John 15:18-20
"If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.  "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.  "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”

God chose Israel, and if you are a Christian, God chose you. And when God chose us, we were grafted into the family of God. We received the spiritual promises of God.

Psalm 129:5-7
May all who hate Zion Be put to shame and turned backward;  Let them be like grass upon the housetops, Which withers before it grows up;  With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Or the binder of sheaves his bosom;

We keep looking to the world for our blessings, but the world will not bless us.

Psalm 129:8
Nor do those who pass by say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you; We bless you in the name of the LORD."

As children of God, we will face persecution. It is one of the tests of our own faith. We must stand in the middle of it and trust our Father. We must become the light of the world, so that we become the people whom the world, and even those who hate us, see the love of Christ. We must say to the world, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you; We bless you in the name of the LORD." We must say that, even when they are trying to kill us.

May the blessing of the Lord be upon you.

Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 119

How To Find Happiness

The world seeks happiness. It turns to sex, drugs, alcohol, and a wealth of other things, in an attempt to find that missing element that will finally bring them true happiness. Even religion is man’s attempt at finding a happy state through his own efforts. So, man makes up his own standards for life and for eternity. Psalm 119 provides the answer to this quest. The answer is God and the way to real happiness is through knowing Him. The way to know God is through His Holy Word. Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible. If we read it, if we pray through it, and if we apply it to our lives, we will be blessed. We will know happiness.

Psalm 119:1-5

How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD.  How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart.  They also do no unrighteousness; They walk in His ways.  You have ordained Your precepts, That we should keep them diligently.  Oh that my ways may be established To keep Your statutes!

Think about this; the early church did not have the New Testament writings, they only had the Old Testament. They led people to Christ through the Old Testament. They used the law. You see God hasn’t changed, that’s not even possible. His precepts did not become obsolete. They are still the right way to live. They are still the mirror by we can see how little we resemble the Holiness of Christ. If we cannot preach the Gospel using only the Old Testament, then we have not studied it in the right way.

No, we are not saved by the law. But we are saved unto it. Jesus did not abolish the law. He actually raised it up to a new level, the level of it now being a spiritual law. Jesus told us that even if we don’t stoop to a place of literal debauchery, if we even entertain sin in our hearts, then we have committed that sin. God’s Word is God’s law. Psalm 119 finds the psalmist in love with God’s Word, with His precepts, and His commandments. Psalm 119 is for each and every Christian.

Psalm 119:6-8
Then I shall not be ashamed When I look upon all Your commandments.  I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.  I shall keep Your statutes; Do not forsake me utterly!

We should be thankful God loves us so much that He wants us to be safe. The only safe way to live is by following God’s statutes.

How can we live a pure life in the midst of this evil and perverted world?

Psalm 119:9

 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.

Listen to how we must live.

Psalm 119:10-11
 With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments.  Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

Can we say this? With ALL our heart do we treasure His Word? Or do we just like those nice Psalms and the other scriptures that comfort us? We are supposed to treasure His Word and that is so we will not wander from His commandments and so we will not sin against Him. How can we know what is sin and what’s not, unless we read His law that tells us?

Psalm 119 is long. But so is eternity. Is God not worth the time to read, study, and pray through this psalm? Read the whole psalm. It is full of treasure. It explains what the Word of God is to us. If you struggle to read your Bible, you need this reminder. If you are faithful to God’s Word, you will be encouraged in seeing the blessings you are receiving and it will make you more thankful.

God’s Word is the most important thing we have in our lives and we need to give it more attention than we give our TVs, our phones, our books, and anything else that we give our time to.

I leave you with the final eight verses. I hope they wake up a desire in you to read the rest of this psalm today. I pray they awaken in your very soul, a desire and a love for God’s Word that changes your life.

Psalm 119:169-176

 Let my cry come before You, O LORD; Give me understanding according to Your word.  Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word.  Let my lips utter praise, For You teach me Your statutes.  Let my tongue sing of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.  Let Your hand be ready to help me, For I have chosen Your precepts.  I long for Your salvation, O LORD, And Your law is my delight.  Let my soul live that it may praise You, And let Your ordinances help me.  I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.

I’m with the psalmist on this one. How about you?