Safety in Obedience (Psa 119.87)

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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 law. Truly, there is more genuine and lasting danger in sin than in suffering. Christian martyrs are delivered from the devil once and for all, while the tried on earth remain vulnerable to at least a degree of apostasy through compromise, with its disastrous consequences. If you will keep to the straight and narrow way, though you must suffer persecution, you shall ultimately be saved.
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Postures of Spiritual Triumph (Psa 119.86)

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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, disciplined virtue which prepares one to shine in the convergence of opportunity and challenge deserves more admiration than it commonly receives.

It is said, “Sow a thought, and you reap an act; sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny,”1 but the destiny gets all the attention.
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Weary of Persecution (Psa 119.84)

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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 fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

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Miserably Hopeful (Psa 119.83)

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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 a metaphor unfamiliar to us, but when once understood, it leads us to realize that when we are as low as the psalmist, as believers we have the same spiritual resources and are also bound to be saved.
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Not Yet (Psa 119.82)

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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, whether holy or natural, instead of being accepted as the normal lot of God’s beloved people, is interpreted rather by triumphalists as a sure sign of exclusion from his favor, and this only increases the miseries suffered by the poor Christian.
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Christian Integrity and Honor (Psa 119.80)

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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. They are proud failures! This is comparable to being high on drugs and feeling very artistic while you cannot draw a straight line.

I am afraid that this divorce between self-respect and performance has carried over into the spiritual realm, and things are perhaps even worse than before. “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness” (Prov 30.12). They think they are Christians but they are mistaken. They may even judge themselves to be quite committed Christians, but they have not understood the ABC’s of biblical spirituality.
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A Plea for Spiritual Fellowship (Psa 119.79)

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Let those that fear thee turn unto me,
And those that have known thy testimonies (Psa 119.79).

In the desolate wilderness of this unbelieving world where most call evil good and good evil and are wise in their own eyes, where hypocrisy and heresy prevail even within the visible church, and outside only utter godlessness and gross immorality, true Christians yearn for the comforts of spiritual fellowship. The psalmist describes those who would qualify as his like-minded companions, and from love to them and his own soul, not to mention the glory of God, prays that they may draw near to him.
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Resolved Before Enemies (Psa 119.78)

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Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause:
But I will meditate in thy precepts (Psa 119.78).

“The test of character is what it takes to stop you” (Bob Jones). Anyone can join the popular consensus, but standing alone for truth is a mark of real faith. Leadership is essentially the inner fortitude to blaze a righteous trail and the compassion to call others to follow. A true leader doesn’t wait to do right until others are ready.

This kind of fearless determination arouses enemies, and then one’s resolve will be severely tested. Will you press on or wither under criticism? The psalmist in this verse sets an example of faith and holiness.
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God’s Tender Mercies and Our Salvation (Psa 119.77)

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Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live:
for thy law is my delight (Psa 119.77).

The Bible’s clear teaching about God’s compassion is diametrically opposed to what we initially assume about it because we tend to think he is as we naturally wish him to be—one like ourselves only better—and that his ways must and would meet with our approval (Psa 50.21; Isa 55.8-9). Yet when by his self-disclosure and grace we apprehend his true, exalted, and glorious nature, and when we begin to appreciate his holy ways (expressions of his true self), we also realize to our shame that our former thoughts were totally unworthy of him and that he is far greater and more wonderful than we ever could have imagined (Job 42.5-6; Eph 3.20).
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