May the mumbling commence!
For the next four days, I will concentrate some on the longest chapter of the Bible – Psalm one-hundred nineteen. It is an alphabet acrostic devoted the Law of the Lord. As I read it this morning, I noted the references to the righteous judgment of the Lord. There were many. I also noted the references to the mercy of the Lord. There were many of these, too.
It is hard to comprehend that both justice and mercy can live in the same sentence let alone in the same being. How can God be both perfectly righteous in wrath and perfectly merciful in love? It is something to wonder about – to meditate on.
Today, we will look take a close look at one of the stanzas that holds both the righteous judgment and the great mercy of the Lord together. Yes, there is more than one stanza that holds the judgment and mercy of God together. Read the stanza devoted to the Hebrew letter “HETH”:
You are my portion, O Lord;
I have said that I would keep Your words.
I entreated Your favor with my whole heart;
Be merciful to me according to Your word.
I thought about my ways,
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
I made haste, and did not delay
To keep Your commandments.
The cords of the wicked have bound me,
But I have not forgotten Your law.
At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You,
Because of Your righteous judgments.
I am a companion of all who fear You,
And of those who keep Your precepts.
The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes. (Verses 57-64)
You are our portion, O Lord – both in Your judgments and Your mercy.
Can we admit the obvious in ourselves? I think we can we see the obvious in the words of another – neither you nor me. We beg for mercy most of the time only for ourselves. We beg for righteous judgment only for other people – especially those who have made our lives miserable.
We are always biased on how we plead. How do we hold these thoughts and emotions in our hearts? What do we do with them? At the heart of this stanza, we have the psalmist grappling with this very question. What are we to do with the Law of the Lord – with all the Words that come from the mouth of God?
Number One: Think about our ways in the light of the Lord.
Number Two: make haste to respond to the light of God. Do not delay or procrastinate.
Number Three: Do not use hard times and difficult people as an excuse to forget our heavenly Father.
Number Four: On sleepless nights, rise and give thanks for the judgments of God.
Number Five: Be a companion to all who seek to follow God’s Way.
Number Six: Remember that learning the Laws of God is a mercy. Show hunger for that learning.
Number Seven: Never forget who you are when you relate with other people and How you pray to God.
Remember the nuggets of wisdom that Proverbs contains on this issue. Read some of these nuggets from chapter twenty:
Most men will proclaim each his own goodness,
But who can find a faithful man? (Verse 6)
Who can say, "I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin"? (Verse 9)
The writer wishes to lead the reader to the answer of both of these questions is “no one”.
Do not say, "I will recompense evil";
Wait for the Lord, and He will save you. (Verse 22)
And do not worry about your own wrath. Trust in the righteousness of God. Remember: we all depend on His mercy for life. Wait for the Lord. Waiting on the Lord is a reflection of what the Lord has done for us – in His great mercy.
God will save us. That is the meaning of Jesus’ name!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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