30 Days in the Bible, Day 9: Psalm 119:105-112

If you grew up in a Sunday school or children’s program at a church, you probably memorized Psalm 119:105 at some point. (If you didn’t, you can do it now!) The verse is a tremendous reminder of the fact that the Word of God serves to illuminate for us the correct way we should live. Without it, we could not find our way through the darkness that sin creates in our world.

The remainder of this section of Psalm 119 (the “nun” section*) shows us how that darkness can affect us even when we follow the Lord. These verses speak of the trials we may face in our lives. Verse 107 speaks of suffering, which affects everyone at some time. Many scholars believe that David wrote this psalm, and he certainly experienced suffering in his life, some of which came even though he did what was right in God’s sight. Christians can expect that we will face trials and troubles in our lives as we live in a world corrupted by sin. Yet we can hold up in suffering as we rely on what the Word tells us about our Father and about our Savior.

Verse 109 speaks of danger that even threatens his life. Whether this was a specific danger or just a general statement of the hazards of life, it is a reminder that each day our lives may be at risk. None of us is guaranteed another day. Some Christians today are at risk of being killed, imprisoned, tortured, or exiled for their faith. Even as we face the risks of each day, we must not forget what the Bible teaches us, and allow the Word to draw us to the Lord so He can bring us through.

The danger in verse 110 is different. Here it isn’t the dangers and risks of everyday life, but the challenge of those who oppose God and want to trap us into falling away from Him. By remaining true to the teaching that God has given us in His Word, we can avoid straying from the proper path that it illuminates. The world wants to pull us away from Jesus, and to silence our witness. By remembering the revealed truth given to us through the Word, we can stand in times of trial and temptation.

The Word truly is a light for us, but it isn’t just a light that shines when all is going well. It is a light that takes us through darkness. We certainly live in a dark world today, just as those who lived in David’s time did. That true Word of God, now fully revealing the Savior and Lord who is its central theme, is just as effective for us today as it was for those who first read it. We must continue to allow its light to shine on the paths of our lives so that we might walk in way that please and honors Jesus Christ.

*Psalm 119 is an example of an “acrostic poem,” in which the alphabet is used to give structure to the poem. This psalm is divided into 22 8-verse sections. Each verse of a section begins with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and the sections go through the alphabet in order. In this section, each verse begins with the Hebrew letter “nun.” If you ever wondered why your Bible has Hebrew letters at the head of each section of Psalm 119, here’s your reason.

What Israel forgot

In reading through the Bible, I have once again arrived at the Psalms. (Some years I use a system that reads an individual psalm each day, but this time I'm reading straight through.) By reading through the entire book over a few days, you can pick up repeated themes and phrases that the psalmists use, which can be very enlightening.

There are a number of psalms that refer to the events of Israel's past. These historical reminisces served as a reminder to Israel of what the Lord had done for them, both in blessing and in judgment. In a corporate setting, they would be a call to the congregation to pause and reflect on the relationship between Israel and God.

One word that struck e as I read through this time was the word "forgot." After recounting many of the awesome acts of God, several psalms note that Israel forgot what god had done and went their own way, chasing after other gods. As a result, they came under the Lord's judgment.

The psalmists don't dwell on why Israel forgot. They had the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, as well as the Law and the other extant scriptures. There were priests, Levites, and prophets to teach and remind the people of the Lord's work. I suspect there were two major reasons. First, that when they didn't need the Lord to do great and awesome things, they grew complacent and ignored the fact that God was active in their lives every day. Second, when they didn't see everything go their way, they were tempted to follow the latest "god" who promised to fulfill their desires.

These same reasons, complacency and selfish desire, are just as tempting today. My family is currently going through some struggles, and I'll admit I started wondering when God was going to do something about it. I forgot all the times that He had been faithful, and even beyond faithful, in bringing us through tough times before. As the situations are beginning to resolve, I freely acknowledge my own shame and embarrassment at my wavering faith.

To cure myself, I started doing what the psalmists did: writing down all that God had done for me and for my family in the past. As I recalled His faithfulness, I gained encouragement through the memory of His love, mercy, and faithfulness (as well as a stinging sense of rebuke at my own "forgetting"). It was an exercise well worth the time and effort, as it brought back my lapsed memory of the goodness of God.

So let me recommend this: if you're going through some hard times right now, stop and write down all the times you can recall that God brought you through the trials and into blessing. Think of how He has provided for you, how He has comforted you, and how He has blessed you even through the tough times. If you're like me, when you do this you will regain a sense of confidence and faith in the Lord, and be encouraged as you continue to go through whatever you are experiencing in your life.

Sunday sermon: "When Opposition Arises"

Many teachers have become popular by proclaiming that God wants every Christian to have success in life, with good health, material prosperity, and no conflict. That kind of teaching appeals to our fallen human nature with its self-centeredness, but it isn't consistent with what the Bible teaches. Jesus never promised us a life without opposition; in fact, He promises exactly the opposite. So how do we handle the inevitable opposition we will face in this life?

Nehemiah and the Israelites faced opposition in their task of building the wall of Jerusalem. What began with the provision of God and the enthusiasm of the people was seen by their enemies as a cause for fury. We read about the escalating opposition in chapter 4. The enemies of the Jews began by mocking them and their work. They essentially said the Israelites were wasting their time, that their work would prove to be worthless. Nehemiah handled this opposition by praying that the Lord would hear and deal with the insults, then the people simply ignored what their enemies said and kept on working.

This led their opponents to a stronger response. They met together and plotted to disrupt the work. This was more serious, and led to Nehemiah posting guards to watch for signs of trouble. The people would not be stopped from focusing on the work God had given them.

Israel's enemies then stepped up their opposition once again. Word came back to Nehemiah that the Jews would be under attack from their enemies. Their lives were in danger. This was a real threat, and required a serious response. So Nehemiah and the leaders of Israel took measures to watch for danger, planned for the protection of the people, and then kept right on working. While the need to guard against threats may have slowed the work somewhat, the response of the leaders and the people was to work even harder to finish the walls.

In our lives today we will face opposition. It may be simple mockery, belittling our faith and wondering how we could imagine such a thing to be true in our modern times. It may be distraction, seeking to divert our attention from what is important to what those around us consider important, in the process shuffling our faith off to one side. It may be actual threats against us, not necessarily against our lives but against our careers, our families, or our relationships. The world is not aligned with Jesus, and those who follow the ways of the world will seek to detach us from our connection with Him.

How do we handle this? The same way Nehemiah and the Israelites did. We first pray, seeking God's guidance and protection. Then we guard ourselves against whatever might challenge us, preparing to face the challenges in the strength of the God who has the power to guide us through our trials. Finally, we keep doing what He has called us to do, even as we prepare ourselves for whatever may come against us.

Jesus told us we would have tribulation in this world, but that He has overcome the world. (John 16:33) We do not have a Savior who is free from suffering Himself, but one who has suffered and died on our behalf. We can trust Him not only because of His power, but because He understands the tribulations of human life. As we rely on Him, we can stand against our opposition, and remain faithful even in times of trouble.