"Do good to your servant
according to.your word, Lord.
Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
for I trust your commands.
Before I was afflicted, I went astray,
but now I obey your word.
teach me your decrees.
Though the arrogant have smeared me with lives,
I keep your precepts with all my heart.
Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
but I delight in your law.
It was good for me to be afflicted,
so that I might learn your decrees.
The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold."
Psalm 119:65-72
Commentary after commentary all lead to one simply conclusion about this 9th segment of the 119th Psalms. God is good, He does good, and he teaches us how to do good. That alone should compel us to trust whatever it is that God is walking us through. Over the course of his life, David composed hundreds of psalms in certain times of trouble, or times of overwhelming peace. We don't know when this was written or why, but what we do know is that David has walked with God long enough to know without any doubt or hesitation that the things God says are true, and his commands are designed to bring us into the path of righteousness and grace that he has planned for us. Right out the gate, in verse 65, David tells it like it is. "You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your servant."- (NKJV) Through every mountain top and valley low experience, David has seen God carry him through, protecting him and going before him whenever he goes, especially when he acknowledges God as the forerunner of his life. From the time of his days as a lowly shepherd fighting off wolves, to the defeating of the the Philistines, along with the countless other nations, God has provided everything needed to fight these battles. David never let the speech of the enemy come between him and God, and this laid out a framework for how we are to deal with lies and accusations thrown our direction, in an attempt to derail us, or tear us down. In verse 69, David emphasizes that although the arrogant try to smear his character with lies, God has already gone before him and had placed a protective covering around those who love him and search deeply to find the true heart of God. As Christians, there will be those around us who try to belittle or destroy the work we have done through Christ. As hard as persecution for our faith may be, we must remember that Satan doesn't attack people who are not a threat to him and his kingdom. When we stand with the full power of God behind us and all around us, Satan and his lies cannot penetrate the truth we know and stand on. God is good, and he does good, and he teaches us how to do good. We just need to be firm in our belief of who he is, we must be willing to learn even when the fires of life get hot, and we must allow God to work in us, to purge all the sin and doubt out of our hearts and mind. God wants to bless his children, we must be willing to receive all he predestined to bestow upon us.
These verses can be summarized into one sentence, using the letters of alphabet describing this section
Teach me good judgement,
Especially when
Times are
Hard. (TETH)- (Godsgrowinggarden.com)
Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Journey through the Psalms.
