Monthly Archives March 2015

Vs. 70 — Their heart is as fat as grease, But I delight in Your law.

William Fenner:

“Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law;” as if he should say, My heart is a lean heart, a hungry heart, my soul loveth and rejoiceth in thy word. I have nothing else to fill it but thy word, and the comforts I have from it; but their hearts are fat hearts; fat with the world, fat with lust; they hate the word. As a full stomach loatheth meat and cannot digest it; so wicked men hate the word, it will not go down with them, it will not gratify their lusts.

Prayer:

Father, I fear that my heart may also become as fat as grease. Do not let my affections wander from Thee. Keep my heart tender, hungry, and meek for Thy meat and Thy bread, and not for the luxuries of this life. Grant me a hunger for Thy Law that will not be quenched; a thirst for the springs of eternity life that will not dry up. Purge the fat from my soul so that I will not become complacent towards Thee, and do not let me lose sight of my desperate dependence upon the Savior–Jesus Christ. Amen.

Vs. 69 — The proud have forged a lie against me, But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart.

Charles H. Spurgeon:

If the mud which is thrown at us does not blind our eyes or bruise our integrity it will do us little harm. If we keep the precepts, the precepts will keep us in the day of contumely and slander. (Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). The treasury of David: Psalms 111-119 (Vol. 5, p. 272). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

Prayer:

Father, knowing the pride of man, because I am too well acquainted with it myself, I know that lies and fraud are weapons and tools that are used for selfish gain and preservation. You see every bow that is raised and every arrow that is pointed to shoot at Your beloved ones. The proud forge lies against us to defame truth and righteousness. Keep us, O’ Father, and keep our hearts fixed on Your precepts. Help us to not fear the words or works of the proud, but to trust in You. When lies are hurled at our character, let all of them wither, and cause truth to avail. Cause Your word to steady our hearts and minds and not retaliate, but remain focused on righteousness and integrity. The wicked and their works are Yours to deal with, not ours.

Vs. 68 — You are good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes.

John Calvin:

He beseeches God to exercise his goodness towards him, not by causing him to increase in riches and honours, or to abound in pleasures, but by enabling him to make progress in the knowledge of the law. It is usual for almost all mankind to implore the exercise of God’s goodness towards them, and to desire that he would deal bountifully with them, in the way of gratifying the diversity of the desires into which they are severally hurried by the inclinations of the flesh; but David protests that he would be completely satisfied, provided he experienced God to be liberal towards him in this one particular, which almost all men pass over with disdain.

Charles H. Spurgeon:

Even in affliction God is good, and does good. This is the confession of experience. God is essential goodness in himself, and in every attribute of his nature he is good in the fullest sense of the term; indeed, he has a monopoly of goodness, for there is none good but one, that is God. His acts are according to his nature: from a pure source flow pure streams. God is not latent and inactive goodness; he displays himself by his doings, he is actively beneficent, he does good. How much good he does no tongue can tell! How good he is no heart can conceive! It is well to worship the Lord as the poet here does by describing him. Facts about God are the best praise of God. All the glory we can give to God is to reflect his own glory upon himself. We can say no more good of God than God is and does, We believe in his goodness, and so honour him by our faith; we admire that goodness, and so glorify him by our love; we declare that goodness, and so magnify him by our testimony. (Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). The treasury of David: Psalms 111-119 (Vol. 5, p. 272). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

Prayer:

You, O’ God, are good, and do good; teach me Your statutes. You have shown me that You are good in nature, character–yes, in all Your attributes. Therefore You are good, perfectly good, in all that You do. Such peace and comfort this brings. I will not be anxious in any of Your dealings because You are good and do good. This I cry out: teach me more about You. I want to delight in Your goodness. I will delight in Your goodness.

Vs. 67 — Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.

John Gill:

Not that he wilfully, wickedly, maliciously, and through contempt, departed from his God; this he denies (Ps. 18:21); but through the weakness of the flesh, the prevalence of corruption, and the force of temptation, and very much through a careless, heedless, and negligent frame of spirit, he got out of the right way, and wandered from it before he was well aware. The word is used of erring through ignorance (Lev. 5:18). This was in his time of prosperity, when, though he might not, like Jeshurun, wax fat and kick, and forsake and lightly esteem the Rock of his salvation; or fall into temptations and hurtful lusts, and err from the faith, and be pierced with many sorrows; yet he might become inattentive to the duties of religion, and be negligent of them, which is a common case.

Thomas Manton:

The use of God’s rod is to bring us home unto God, and the affliction driveth us to make better use of his word: it changeth us from vanity to seriousness, from error to truth, from stubbornness to teachfulness, from pride to modesty. (Manton, T. (1872). The Complete Works of Thomas Manton (Vol. 7, p. 223). London: James Nisbet & Co.)

Prayer:

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word. Father, I thank You for such love that would not let me stray too far. Thank You stopping me in my tracks to get my attention and to wake me up. If affliction is what it takes, then it is welcomed from Your hand. Such sorrow brought by Your hand reminds me to never get comfortable with this life and to never trust it. Please keep my heart humble and contrite before You. Amen.

Vs. 66 — Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments.

B.C.B:

“Teach me (to have) a good taste and discernment—that faculty of the mind by which I may discern, distinguish, judge rightly, and relish things moral and spiritual.” (Alexander, W. H. (1867). The Book of Praises: Being the Book of Psalms, according to the Authorized Version, with Notes Original and Selected (p. 405). London: Jackson, Walford, and Hodder.)

Prayer:

Teach me to have good judgment, discernment, and knowledge, for I believe Your commandments. I want to know how to recognize righteousness and unrighteousness so that I may choose the path of truth. Through the lens of Your commandments will truth be evident. Enable me to judge righteously and not by appearance. Please do not let me breathe in the prejudices and partiality of others, but teach me to see clearly, listen clearly, and to distinguish right and wrong clearly. This can only be done if Thy Spirit grants such grace. I ask not only for myself, but that the Spirit of Truth would teach all the saints, the whole Church, good judgment and knowledge that we would not be taken in by the deception of the world or the arch enemy of the Cross.