Mar 30

Psalm 119:153-160
Memorise Psalm 119:158
“I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.”

As we look at the sin sick world around us, it can sometimes be quite depressing. As we read about all the conflicts in the Middle East, the political turmoil in the countries around us, or the heinous crimes that are committed by wicked men, we may perhaps become quite discouraged or even disillusioned.

Sometimes we don’t have to look too far. If we just look at the behaviour of our friends in school, or even in church, we may also experience the works of transgressors. Your friends in school may cheat in tests, copy someone else’s homework, lie to the teachers, or cruelly mock you for being a Christian. Even in church, we see ungodly behaviour as well, of friends who disobey God when they don’t pay attention in sermons or Bible lessons, bring in worldly influences to the fellowship, or ostracise certain youths for being different.

The Psalmist who wrote Psalm 119 was constantly surrounded by enemies who persecuted him, who sinned with impunity and disobeyed God’s law. Instead of becoming angry, or despairing at his situation, or blaming God, his response was one of grief. As he beheld the transgressors, he says in Psalm 119:158 that he “was grieved; because they kept not thy word”. He did not desire vengeance against them, but instead expressed sorrow for the fact that they were living in such sin. In a sense he was showing love and care for them, and realised that it was a pitiful state to be in, for they were living godless lives destined for destruction. This is the same response that Jesus had in Mark 3:5 when confronted with the sin and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, for we are told “and when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts”.

How do you feel when you see others disobey the Word in such a manner? Do you feel a sense of disdain and self-righteousness? Do you get angry with them, and want to have nothing to do with them? Or perhaps you are envious of how they can sin so freely, and are tempted to join them? Or would you grieve for them, have pity for them, share the gospel with them and try to show God’s love to them?

Thought: It’s only when we grieve for those outside God’s kingdom that we start to love them and pray for them, that they would come to know the true God, and share in the joy of the kingdom.
Prayer: Lord, give me a tender heart, that I may grieve over those who offend You. Help me to do what I can to be Your witness to them.