Psalm 119:73-80

   No matter who you are, everyone experiences what the psalmist calls “affliction” in this life. We may call it pain, trouble, adversity, hardship, or suffering. It is never welcome and always difficult to face. Humanly, we tend to see some troubles as bigger and harder to bear than others. Everyone dreads the word cancer and loss of a loved one is worse than loss of a job which may be worse than losing your home or a cut in your paycheck. Then there are everyday afflictions such as friends that turn their backs on you, the dog getting sick, the car breaking down, your child breaking an arm, the flu, the electricity going off, and on and on.
 
In my lifetime, I have found that it is sometimes easier to bear the big troubles than the minor ones, and as I look back, I believe that is because in the big things, like cancer and the death of my husband, I have fallen on my face before the Lord, immersed myself in His Word, and given myself up to Him totally. But when the air conditioning fails on a 100 degree day, my dog needs a surgery, the car won’t start and I’m already late for an appointment, or my best friend tells me to “get over it”, I often am overcome by the pressure, become anxious, and work myself into a tizzy.
 
Why is that? It’s because in the more common everyday problems, I step up and try to carry the burden myself. I forget to humble myself before the Lord and cast all my cares upon Him. Are you ever like that? The psalmist reveals in this passage of Psalm 119, the Christian response to affliction.

73 Your hands made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74 May those who fear You see me and be glad,
Because I wait for Your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous,
And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76 O may Your lovingkindness comfort me,
According to Your word to Your servant.
77 May Your compassion come to me that I may live,
For Your law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me with a lie;
But I shall meditate on Your precepts.
79 May those who fear You turn to me,
Even those who know Your testimonies.
80 May my heart be blameless in Your statutes,
So that I will not be ashamed.
 
Learning what the psalmist teaches here, and his example, has been a huge help for me and it can be for you too. So lets see what he teaches us.
 
When trouble comes your way:
119:73 - Remember the One who not only made you, but gave you His Word (His commandments) to live by. He will give you understanding as well.
119:74 - When you live by God’s Word in the face of trials, you will be an encouragement to other believers.
119:75 - God is always faithful, even when your friends and family are not. He has a just and right purpose in the troubles you are going through.
119:76 - God’s Word is a comfort to His people. In it you will find His mercy and His kindness. So don’t neglect His Word when you are troubled or anxious. His Word is the first place to go!
119:77 - Delight in God’s Word (His law) for in it you find His life-giving tender mercies.
119:78 - When others treat you wrongly, let God take care of them. Stop thinking about how they have hurt you and meditate on God’s Word. He will bring them to shame.
119:79 - Be confident that living by God’s Word will attract other believers to follow the example you have set.
119:80 - Pray that God, through His Holy Spirit, will imprint His Word and His ways upon your heart so you may stand as a holy example to all.
 
So, before tackling problems on your own or giving in to stress and anxiety, go to God’s Word and remember the psalmist and his testimony here in Psalm 119.  Your mind will be diverted from yourself and directed to the One who created all things (including you) and who holds the world (and you) together by His power (Colossians 1:17).
 
Yes, we all have troubles - sometimes tragedies and sometimes just bad days. But we are all in this together under the loving and merciful care of God who sent His Son to live as one of us, and who empathizes with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). He does not call us to get through these days just “somehow” but triumphantly (2 Corinthians 2:14)! Faith triumphs in trouble. Read Romans 5:1-5.
 
Love you,
Suzie
 
 

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