Psalm 119:81-88

THE 119TH PSALM

Psalms 119:81-88

119:81 CAPH. My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word. 
119:82 Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me? 
119:83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes. 
119:84 How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me? 
119:85 The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law. 
119:86 All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me. 
119:87 They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts. 
119:88 Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth. 

"All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me." (v. 86)

Yes, all His commandments are faithful, and we can count on them through all trials, at all times. God never changes, and His Word never changes, so why do we doubt? If we can't rely on the Word of God, we are of "all men most miserable." David seems to be crying out to the Lord and asking for His help against those who "persecute" him wrongfully. The proud have digged pits for him, they have sought to destroy him, but he retained his integrity, and trusted in the Lord. This is what the Word of God does for us, it protects us, and gives us favor with God.

We are as a bottle in the smoke (v.83), hidden and blending in with our environment, and very hard to find. The psalmist realizes his place before the Lord, and it humbles him greatly. Humility gets God's attention, and is a rare thing for a noble warrior to acquire. David, who slew Goliath, and many Philistines, had a humble heart. How hard it is for us, when the battle is over and the victory is won, to remain humble; in fact, humility is a rare thing among any man! A humble man will truly rely on the Lord, because he knows his own frailty.
David knew his frailty. He knew that his victory over Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, was actually a God-given victory, and not his own doing. Paul was teaching us this in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, and topped it off with the last verse in the chapter, "That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." That is our goal, and God's goal for us, that we might glorify Him, and ourselves "glory in the Lord." God indeed chooses the weak things to confound the wise, the problem is that we get all puffed up, and think ourselves strong! We then become weak, in a useless way.
-- Marty Dunn

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