Psalm 119:153-160

GOOD MORNING! We are reading, this morning, the twentieth portion of Psalm 119, "Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law. Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word.  Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes. Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments. Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from thy testimonies. I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word. Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness. Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."[1]

The New Testament often speaks of "supplications." Truly, this passage of Scripture is the supplication of a faithful child of God.

The Psalmist is making a double petition in which he pleads with the LORD to deliver him, and to quicken him; there is here a strong word of supplication: "Consider."

The Psalmist is asking the LORD to "Consider" his affliction, and to "Consider" how he loved the LORD'S precepts."

This petition is presented before God’s Throne of grace. "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, … Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." [2]

An old hymn of the faith recognizes our oftime failure to live up to our privilege: "O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer!" [3]

The LORD JESUS is our throne of grace. He is both the place and the means of our salvation. "Yes, there's One! only One! The blessed, blessed Jesus, He's the One! When afflictions press the soul, When waves of trouble roll, And you need a Friend to help you, He's the One!" [4]

The Psalmist uses this word, "quicken." Three times he uses it. To quicken is to revitalize, to revive, to make alive! "Quicken me according to thy word." … "Quicken me according to thy judgments." … "Quicken me, O LORD, according to thy loving kindness." Our LORD tells us that He came, "that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."[5]

To the woman at Jacob's well, our LORD said, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." [6] And, when she did ask, the Saviour told her, "I that speak to thee am he."[7] - the giver of living water.

Everything that our soul needs is found in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the sent of God, the Saviour, the One whom God made "to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." [8] … "For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." [9]

"All that I want is in JESUS,
He satisfies, joy He supplies,
Life would be worthless without Him;
All things in JESUS I find." [10]

This portion of the Psalm is closed with an exclamation. "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever." From Genesis to Revelation God's word is true. All of God's decrees, all of His commands, all of His promises; and all of His purposes are righteous, and as righteous, are everlasting.

This holy Bible is true, and trustworthy from its opening statement, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth;" [11] to its closing benediction, "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all."[12]

God's justice endureth forever, God's mercy endureth forever, God's faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds, Everlasting is God's faithfulness to His everlasting word.

AMEN.

[1] Psalm 119:153-160
[2] Hebrews 4:14, 16
[3] From "What A Friend" by Joseph Scriven
[4] From "He’s the One" by J. B. Mackay
[5] John 10:10
[6] John 4:10
[7] John 4:26
[8] 2 Corinthians 5:21
[9] Romans 10:13
[10] From "All Things in Jesus" by Harry D. Loes
[11] Genesis 1:1
[12] Revelation 22:20-21