Good morning,
The Bible is the greatest book ever written. It tells us how the world began, how it will end, and its complete history. It tells us about life and death. It tells us why there is so much wickedness in the world. It tells us of the love of God. It explains what sin is and why we need a Savior.
The greatest chapter of the Bible dealing with God’s word is Psalm 119. The 176 verses are divided into twenty-two groups of eight verses each. The first group of eight begin with the Hebrew letter aleph. The next eight verses begin with the Hebrew letter beth. This pattern continues throughout the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Psalm 119:153-160 Deliver me
“Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law.
154 Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes.
156 Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: quicken me according to thy judgments.
157 Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.
158 I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.
159 Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O Lord, according to thy lovingkindness.
160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
Two words are key to today’s devotion. Deliver and quicken.
He pleads with God to deliver him from his enemies. This is a recurring theme. His confidence is in the Lord.
Quicken means make alive. Three times, the Psalmist, requests the Lord to quicken him. According to thy word, judgements, and lovingkindness.
He is grieved that his enemies do not keep the word. He knows that if they kept the word, statutes, and testimonies of God, they would not be his enemy.
We live in a world of wickedness. Believers in Christ have enemies all about us. Satan is the greatest enemy we have. We need deliverance daily from his influence in our lives.
The Psalmist stayed in God’s word for encouragement and wisdom. We should too.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001