Thy faithfulness is unto all generations:
Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth (Psa 119.90).
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) announced that “God is dead,” by which he expressed his belief that the idea of God had been so generally rejected that it no longer remained relevant as the basis for morality [...]
For ever, O LORD,
Thy word is settled in heaven (Psa 119.89).
Foundational to living as Christian believers is a true knowledge of God and his Word. In this verse the psalmist tersely lays that foundation, the unshakeable basis for everything else. Whatever we think, feel, and choose ought to build upon this. If [...]
Quicken me after thy lovingkindness;
So shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth (Psalm 119:88).
The assurance of salvation that God’s people enjoy amidst the persecutions we suffer is not founded upon our love and commitment to God, but rather upon his to us. The only true and living God, the God of [...]
They had almost consumed me upon earth;
But I forsook not thy precepts (Psa 119.87).
If Satan the roaring lion (1 Pet 5.8) cannot destroy you with violence, then as a cunning serpent he will deceive you with temptation (Gen 3.1 ff.). Your only hope of peace and safety is steadfastly to obey God’s [...]
All thy commandments are faithful:
They persecute me wrongfully; help thou me (Psa 119.86).
Heroism often appears in a crisis moment, but this is but its momentary manifestation. Its underpinnings are good character quietly growing largely unnoticed in spite of a thousand deterrents which effectively suppress the potential greatness of others. That daily, sustained, [...]
The proud have digged pits for me,
Which are not after thy law (Psa 119.85).
We may pronounce everyone healthy but that doesn’t make them better or stop them from dying. Likewise the modern impulse to euphemize the ethical landscape is not only ineffective, but by masking the real problem, it keeps people from [...]
How many are the days of thy servant?
When wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?
Saul the Pharisee was a persecutor of the early Christians until he met the risen Lord on the road to Damascus. Describing himself since that day of his conversion, Paul wrote to Timothy:
But thou hast [...]
For I am become like a bottle in the smoke;
Yet do I not forget thy statutes (Psa 119.83).
Spurgeon calls this tenth section of Psalm 119 “the midnight of the psalm, and very dark and black it is,” for it testifies to the psalmist’s “lowest condition of anguish and depression.”1 This verse uses [...]
Mine eyes fail for thy word,
Saying, When wilt thou comfort me? (Psa 119.82)
Triumphalism, that unrealistic expectation of enjoying in this life nearly all of the blessings, whether physical or spiritual, of the age to come, threatens the well-being of sensitive Christians because it only deepens their dejection. That crucible of unfulfilled desires, [...]
Let my heart be sound in thy statutes;
That I be not ashamed (Psa 119.80).
A recent study shows that compared to 1975, today’s high school seniors consistently think they are doing very well and have bright prospects for the future, while their actual performance on objective tests of academic achievement is considerably lower. [...]
