Psalm 119 - 3 - Gimel - Living Righteously in an Unrighteous Land

"(Gimel) Be good to Your servant
that I may live and obey Your Word.
Open my eyes to see
the wonderful truths in Your instructions.
I am only a foreigner in the land.
Don't hide Your commands from me!
I am always overwhelmed
with a desire for Your regulations.
You rebuke the arrogant;
those who wander from Your commands are cursed.
Don't let them scorn and insult me,
for I have obeyed Your laws.
Even princes sit and speak against me, 
but I will meditate on Your decrees.
Your laws please me;
they give me wise advice." 
(Psalm 119: 17-24)  

Dear friend,

Notes from "Gimel": Living Righteously in an Unrighteous Land:

• The Psalmist asks for God's blessing, so that he can live and obey His Word;
• The Psalmist asks for God's illumination, so that he can see (and know, understand, apply) the wonderful truths contained in His Word;
• The Psalmist admits to being a "foreigner"--an outcast rejected by others, and the cause seems to be his commitment to God's Word; 
• The Psalmist remembers God's judgment: those who reject God's Word will themselves be rejected by God;
• The Psalmist asks for God's protection (or advocacy) in regard to their common enemy: those who would reject God's Word;
• The Psalmist reiterates his commitment to God's Word in all situations/circumstances; he will meditate on it, use it as his guide, and find his joy in it. 

     Here we face an uncomfortable truth: if we love God's Word and live according to it, we will have a common enemy--those who reject God's Word and insist on living their own way. However, even as "foreigners" among those around us, we will have joy when we make God's Word the focus of our minds, hearts, and lives.

     Does that unsettle you as much as it does me? Who wants to be considered an "outsider"? Are we willing to follow the Lord, at all costs? 

"But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught by the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work." (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

 Let us continue to pray for each other, that we might love the Word of God to this degree!

Heavenly Father, We thank You for Your Word! We want to meditate on it and to live by it, even when it costs us greatly. Will You teach us and guide us? Will You help us to know You more? And, in knowing You more, will You help us to love You and Your Word?