anchors for the soul

Psalm 119:73–80 NKJV
73 Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74 Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76 Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant.
77 Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; For Your law is my delight.
78 Let the proud be ashamed, For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood; But I will meditate on Your precepts.
79 Let those who fear You turn to me, Those who know Your testimonies.
80 Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, That I may not be ashamed.

When I read this stanza today, four statements struck me.  I immediately thought, “For me at least, these truths are anchors for the soul.”

I do not imply that means these are the most important truths in Scripture, nor even that they are the most important for me and should be for you.  What I mean is that I find these four statements to be foundational, and when my world is being rocked, these truths are stabilizing.  Like when my boat is being rocked in a stormy sea, knowing these things serves as an anchor for my soul!

What are they?
73 Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
I am saddened when I think how few people in our culture today KNOW this fact, that each of us has been fashioned by the Almighty Himself. 

• So many people think they are the product of evolution to this point in time.
• They think they are just the result of choices their parents made, good or bad.
• They live with the idea that they are circumstantial.

Those kinds of thoughts can be devastating, especially in times of trouble when the soul is already crying out.

I find it so comforting to know that God made me as I am, warts and all!

• God made me on purpose and for a purpose.
• I know I have messed that up at points, but I also know that God will not let His purpose for me be easily frustrated.
• Through Christ, He forgives; He transforms; He makes all things new.
• Even in the toughest times, I know I am His, because He made me and then saved me.

75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right,
It also stabilizes me to know that God´s judgments are right.  Period!  Settled.

So many struggle with things the Bible says about God that does not suit their sensibilities.  Things like

• Why would God send somebody to hell, especially for all eternity?
• Why would God command Israel to wipe out whole people groups in the land of Canaan?
• Why would Jesus be the only way of salvation?  What about Buddhists and others?

It is so unsettling to put ourselves in the place of being God´s judge!

​The only way to keep from being in this uncomfortable position is to settle in our hearts what David testifies to throughout this psalm – namely that God´s Word is perfect.

When I came to the place to believe that in my life, it was such an anchor to my soul!  That does not mean that I never question.  I do.  But if the answer that is coming to my mind points to some portion of God´s Word being wrong, I instantly know that I am in error, and I retreat!

It is so very comforting to know for sure that there is a source of absolute truth – the Word of our God!

in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
This was the subject of yesterday´s blog, but let me just add a word as to why it is an anchor to my soul.  Even when chastening comes, it so comforts and stabilizes me to know that God´s purpose is not punitive but correctional.  In all things, God desires the best for me!

77 Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;
It also greatly reduces my anxiety from day to day, especially in difficult days, to know that I live by God´s tender mercies and not according to my own merits.  Folks, I would rather have the results of the mercies of the Lord any hour of any day than for God to give me what I deserve! 

Great is Your faithfulness, oh God!  Your mercies are new every morning!

EMAIL BRO. MIKE