Psalm 119:176

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

I have gone astray like a lost sheep

Haven't we all? Isaiah said in Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  The "all" in Isaiah 53:6 refers to all men everywhere, since we are all related to Adam, so Adam's sin came upon all of us, and we as sheep went  astray from our perfect relationship with God and are still in that state until grace overwhelms us and grants repentance and faith. When we believe, we are taken from under the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13) and brought into the liberty of Christ (Gal. 5:1).

. . . seek thy servant

When the Lord looked down from heaven, he saw that  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Psalm 14:3). So, Luke 19:10 says, For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. If He does not seek us, then we will not be found. This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after (Jeremiah 30:17). Rom. 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Luke 15:4-7  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6  And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Thank you, Lord, for seeking me, since I never would have sought you at any time.

. . . for I do not forget thy commandments.

What rejoicing there was in Heaven when I believed! I do not understand this completely, but I know it to be true. Now I remember the commandments of the Lord, because that law was my schoolmaster to bring me to Christ, and the moral law is good for me. I must as a believer keep His commandments; for, if I do not, then it is evidence that I do not belong to Him. John 15:10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s command- ments, and abide in his love.

Psalm 119:175

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

Let my soul live . . .
It is only by the power of God that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).  John tells us in John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.  We owe our whole life to Jesus Christ, for He is the Great Creator of everything.  As long as we live, then, we shall give our souls to him in faith and our bodies a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).

. . . and it shall praise thee
That is, our soul shall praise God. Psalm 3:2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.  These are the many who do not see the reality of God's Providence and His care over His creatures. The hairs of our head are numbered (Matthew 10:30), and no sparrow falls to the ground without his knowledge and care (Matthew 10:29). 

Since this is so, we should praise our God, who gives us life and strength and sustenance every day of our lives. Praising Him is being joyful in the heart for his benefits and singing, praying, speaking, and writing of Him.  We also praise Him in our church attendance, which the Scriptures tell us not to forsake (Hebrews 10:25) and giving of our substance to support the Kingdom of God and His churches.

. . . and let thy judgments help me.
God's judgments refer to His word, the Bible. These are the judgments which each one of us needs to heed. Therefore, we must read it much, learn it, memorize it, write it, and practice it. If we are alive and are praising God, then we will love his commandments, which are not grievous (I John 5:3). Enjoy this day by praising God and allowing his judgments to help you.

Psalm 119:173

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

Let thy hand help me
2 Samuel 24:14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

Sometimes we just need to relax and rest in the hand of the LORD. He is there to support us and to help us. Sometimes we try too hard to help ourselves, but human help (although necessary in our faithfulness to God) is sometimes in the way of our trust in God.

The psalmist calls out for help from the Lord many times, as in Psalm 38:22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

The hand of the Lord is many times used for discipline toward his people and toward the wicked, as in Psalm 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.

. . . for I have chosen thy precepts  

We must remember that our help comes from the Lord and from His word: Psalm 121:2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.  God's word is precious; it is true; it is the sword of the Lord; and we can receive strength from it. The hand of the Lord is in His word; therefore, "I have chosen thy precepts."

Where else can we go for refuge? Psalm 9:9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

Psalm 119:172

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

 

My tongue shall speak of thy word
Now that David has learned the word of God, being taught of God (119:171), he is now ready to speak of God's word, to teach others so that they may be able to speak to others and others until the truth of God's word encompasses the world. That is the commission to the churches of God, but we must be first taught of God (John 6:45).

The tongue must be trained in order to speak properly of God and His word. We must be abecedarians (of or relating to the alphabet) and grammarians (grammar) in order to understand the depth of the word of God. It should be considered a shame for preachers and teachers to have a shallow understanding of the alphabet and the grammar which make up the words, phrases, and clauses which teach us the true meaning of God's word. Many a verse has been misunderstood and misrepresented in teaching due to a lack of understanding of elemental English.

. . . for all thy commandments are righteousness.
If we can know and understand the words of scripture in their context, we will realize that these words are holy words, not words to be trifled with. They are the very righteousness of God in word form, which form our understanding of our lives as believers and prompt us to faithful service in God's kingdom.

The righteousness of God is unveiled in the words of scripture so that, when one hears the true gospel of Jesus Christ, this righteousness of God may be imputed to a lost sinner, and salvation shall be forthcoming through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is by grace through faith in His once-for-all work on Calvary, his perfect life, his fulfillment of prophecy, his full redemption on the cross, and his victory over death through his own resurrection.

Why should we not preach and teach these righteous things? God has commanded us to be witnesses -- Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. He has also made us ambassadors of reconciliation -- 2 Cor. 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

 

 

Psalm 119:171

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

My lips shall utter praise 
Did you ever read a passage of scripture and just yell out "Praise the Lord"? He is worthy to be praised, especially when He illuminates his word to us through reading and meditation on it.

We have many teachers, professors, pastors, and friends who can be a great help in our learning and understanding God's word, but there is none like the Holy Spirit to bring those truths to our minds and hearts.

. . . when thou hast taught me thy statutes  

Yes, we are thankful and worshipful when we realize that it is God who teaches us. Sometimes we try and try to learn a passage of scripture and cannot grasp its content and its concept, but then it seems that at the appropriate time God intercedes and brings the pure, clean, rich, and blessed meaning in simple and convincing thought. John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 

Have you been taught of God concerning your sin (Romans 3:10, 23)? Have you been taught of God that Jesus lived a perfect life, without any sin at all (1 Peter 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:)? Have you been taught that you must repent (turn from) your sins (Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.)? Have you been taught that you can be saved by grace through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:)? Have you been taught that through faith you have eternal life (John 3:16), and that He will raise you up in the last day (John 6:40)?

If so, then you are ready to praise God, for you have been taught his statutes, and you are eternally saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and shall not come into condemnation (Romans 8:1). What a day to praise God!

Psalm 119:170

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

My Supplication
This is an interesting word, supplication. The word means to ask or to pray for in deep humility and in earnest, a sincere prayer, truly brought about by experience of great trial.  David had had many trials, and he is here asking God for deliverance.

God has many ways of deliverance. He can deliver us from trails in removing the trials from us, giving much comfort and peace; or he can give us strength to endure the trials with that same comfort and strength. I believe David had experienced both; therefore, he is ready to quickly, and without reservation, plead again and again for that same deliverance. Read of these in the books of 2 Samuel and also in the Psalms.

Psalm 18:17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

Deliver me according to thy word
David does not desire that God deliver him from his trails in just any way but that they be delivered accord to God's word, that is, God's divine judgment and accord to His plan. That is because  Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path, Psalm 119:105. 

But this is probably not a request for a deliverance from physical suffering or great human trials but a deliverance from the stress of sin in which Satan can have a victory and cause more discouragement and heartache. God had given David a promise as recorded in Psalm 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

God gives us the same promise, that those who come to him by faith, knowing who He is and that He is a rewarded of them that diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6), that he will deliver from all sins -- Heb. 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

To the believer the promise is that, if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse -- 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Psalm 119:169

Dr. Ronnie Wolfe

Let my cry come before thee . . .
This is the cry of a seasoned believer, yet it is a cry of desperation. This can be a cry of supplication or entreaty, or it can be a cry of praise or joy, like the cry of an excited child who sees balloons for the first time, or the cry of a child in need. We cry out to God for help in time of weakening spiritual culture, yet we cry out to Him in praise for our salvation and our daily sustenance.

O LORD
Where else can we cry except to our Lord, Jehovah? He is our Creator and our Sustainer. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).  Can we call out to our Lord in covetousness? Can we cry out to Him in our desire for more earthly things? No, we must cry out to him in thanksgiving and praise and for our necessities both earthly and spiritually.

. . . give me understanding
We need understanding to perceive spiritual things, for only God can teach us these thing. We cannot, in our own earthly bodies and minds, conceive the thoughts of God nor comprehend the depth of his riches: Rom. 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

. . . according to thy word
Jesus said to his Father in John 17:17 " . . . thy word is truth," so we understand truth from God's word. We have understanding from God's word. We must be constant in our reading and studying God's word, for it is there that we find the great depth of God's opinion about life and death, his understanding of everything, and his provision for us as his children.