Slices
Prepare
Be still. If you have a special place to pray, go there now, away from distraction. Be prayerful as you read today’s verses, pausing every time any words or phrases prompt you to pray.
Bible passage
Resh
153 Look on my suffering and deliver me,
for I have not forgotten your law.
154 Defend my cause and redeem me;
preserve my life according to your promise.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek out your decrees.
156 Your compassion, Lord, is great;
preserve my life according to your laws.
157 Many are the foes who persecute me,
but I have not turned from your statutes.
158 I look on the faithless with loathing,
for they do not obey your word.
159 See how I love your precepts;
preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with your love.
160 All your words are true;
all your righteous laws are eternal.
ש Sin and Shin
161 Rulers persecute me without cause,
but my heart trembles at your word.
162 I rejoice in your promise
like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and detest falsehood
but I love your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
for your righteous laws.
165 Great peace have those who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.
166 I wait for your salvation, Lord,
and I follow your commands.
167 I obey your statutes,
for I love them greatly.
168 I obey your precepts and your statutes,
for all my ways are known to you.
ת Taw
169 May my cry come before you, Lord;
give me understanding according to your word.
170 May my supplication come before you;
deliver me according to your promise.
171 May my lips overflow with praise,
for you teach me your decrees.
172 May my tongue sing of your word,
for all your commands are righteous.
173 May your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, Lord,
and your law gives me delight.
175 Let me live that I may praise you,
and may your laws sustain me.
176 I have strayed like a lost sheep.
Seek your servant,
for I have not forgotten your commands.
Explore
In these verses the terms ‘law(s)’, ‘decrees’, ‘statutes’, ‘your word’, ‘precepts’ and ‘commands’ all reflect different aspects of God communicating himself and his will. For us, this is the Bible or Scriptures. It seems that, the tougher life gets for the psalm-writer, the more he relies on God and his promise-giving, love-expressing, joy-inducing, peace-spreading, delightful Word (vs 154,159,162,165,174).
Could I say the same thing of myself? And could you? Take a moment to reflect on this.
Three times the psalmist calls out to God to save his life (vs 154,156,159), waiting and longing for the salvation that only God can bring (vs 166,174). In other words, the psalm-writer’s heart is made for heaven.
So, this part of Psalm 119 reflects Habakkuk’s declaration of trust in God (Habakkuk 3:16–19). He and the psalmist both say, in effect: ‘I don’t know what may happen in the future. It may be full of good things, or really bad news. But, either way, I trust in God and in the end he will make everything work together for good.’ A great thought as we go into the new year.
Respond
Turn this thought into prayer as you commit the coming year – and yourself – into the Lord’s safe, reliable hands. Happy new year!
Deeper Bible study
Pray before you read God’s Word today: ‘Let my cry come right into your presence, God; provide me with the insight that comes only from your Word.’1
Our readings from Habakkuk have revealed the disastrous effects of forgetting and flouting God’s law. When human beings defy God’s directions for living, becoming ‘a law to themselves’,2 violence is unleashed, justice is perverted, human life is trampled upon instead of treasured, a nation’s dreams are destroyed.3 In contrast, today’s passage begins and ends with this declaration: ‘I have not forgotten your law [commands]’ (vs 153,176). Between these bookends of remembrance lie confident affirmations about the blessings of hearing, honouring and humbly obeying God’s law: peace (v 165), understanding (v 169), deliverance (v 170), help (v 173), delight (v 174) and divine sustenance (v 175).
Does ‘law’ evoke images of loveliness in our minds? Or are we more likely to associate ‘law’ with ‘legalism’ and ‘limitations’? Somehow, we tend to see laws – not just oppressive ones but even good laws – as restrictive and limiting, and such a perception warps our view of God’s law. The psalmist, however, loves God’s law and considers it lovely: it is given to preserve his life (vs 154,156,159), not to spoil his fun. It is not a fence that hems him in but one that protects and safeguards peace (v 165), not a burden to rebel against but a blessing to rejoice in (v 162), not a drag but a delight (v 174)! Yet, despite asserting how much he ‘loves’ God’s law (vs 159,163,167), the psalmist closes with humble confession. Delving deep into God’s Word has made him keenly aware of his tendency to stray. Even in his lostness, however, it is this law that he has ‘not forgotten’ that nudges him back on track – like a goad or shepherd’s crook! – prompting a plea, ‘Seek your servant’ (v 176).
‘I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.’4 What words from God’s Word will you carry into and throughout the year ahead?
1 Ps 119:169, The Message 2 Hab 1:7 3 Hab 1:2–4 4 Ps 119:11
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Malachi 3,4; Revelation 22
Pray for Scripture Union
Praise God for the publication of the SU Canada Family Prayer Calendar. It provides a daily scripture and a prayer, as well as a monthly fiveminute adventure to encourage families to grow in faith together.
