MAY 28

Psalm 119:17-24
Memorise Psalm 119:65
“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”

The identity of the Psalmist who penned Psalm 119 is uncertain; some attribute it to David, others to Ezra. What we do know is that princes, people who were noble rulers, were speaking against the psalmist. It was not just one prince, but numerous. The idea of them ‘sitting’ gives the impression they were gathered together. Yet, amidst all these attacks from influential people, whose words carry weight and power, we find the Psalmist strangely at peace. He does not take things into his own hands, nor look to man. Instead he meditates upon the Word of God, unperturbed.

When people sin against us or when things go wrong and we are afraid, our natural reaction is to do something or talk to someone. We simply must! Furthermore, in our fast paced world we are bombarded by messages to ‘seize the day’, ‘be proactive’ and that we are the masters of our own destiny. Meditating and praying? This is not a time for inaction! Foolishness! Meditate and pray later.

But consider: is it inaction to be still, shutting out all that is going on around you, searching and meditating upon God’s Word for wisdom and submitting your prayers humbly before the Throne of Grace? These are deliberate things that the Psalmist does – he retreats to somewhere quiet where he meditates on the perfect Word. It is his counselor. He seeks God’s will and wisdom, prays and meditates before the Lord. He bides his time and calms his soul. He encourages himself in the Lord. Only then, will he act.

We ought to meditate all the more during difficult circumstances, and as we do, we must be unwavering, focused, not letting fears and sin cloud our ability to genuinely understand and apply God’s Word. When we do so, we will be able to draw strength, solace and comfort from the Word of God, and realise that the solutions to our problems have already been given to us through the Word!

Thought: Do the sins of others bring out good or evil in you?
Prayer: LORD may I find calm and guidance in Your Word in the midst of the storms of life.