blessed in the hour of trial

Psalm 119:1–8 NKJV
1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!
3 They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways.
4 You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.
5 Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes!
6 Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments.
7 I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!

The first word of Psalm 119 is “blessed,” in Hebrew “as-re.”  Literally it means “oh how blessed” or “oh how happy.”  This is the same way our Lord began the beatitudes, “Oh how happy are the ...”

​This is an interesting beginning because, as we will see, the writer of this psalm indicates some 65 times in 176 verses that he is suffering affliction.  He can identify with us, and we with him!

These are trying times for us all, each day with surprises and lots of uncertainties.  About the time I am encouraged by one pundit sharing some good news, the tube changes to a different speaker who unfolds doom and gloom!

But the author of this psalm has found the way to pluck the berries without the cuts and sticks of the briars.  He has discovered happiness that flows out of heaven when only sadness and grief blow in the winds upon the earth.

We cannot know with certainty who the author is, for he is never named.  However, the psalm reads like it came from the hand of one who walked in the valley of the shadow and found God there beside him.  The words and phrases resound like they were spoken by a man who has been both sheep and shepherd.  I think it is one of the many psalms of David, likely written over a period of years, like a journal or a diary.

It is only a point of interest who the human author is for we know that the ultimate author is the Holy Spirit who inspired the words in the heart and hand of a man to record God´s truth for us to be able to read today.

So, how can we be blessed?  What can anoint us with the oil of gladness in the middle of these troublesome times?  He tells us plainly.

Happy and blessed are the

• undefiled – complete, perfected (Who can be perfect and complete except those who belong to Christ and have exchanged their sin for His righteousness?)
• those who walk in the law of the Lord – law especially refers to the Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy), but it more generally refers to the whole of the Old Testament.
• those who keep His testimonies – testimonies mean the solemn declarations of God´s standards.
• the one who seeks Him – seek means to search with great care.
• the one who seeks with the whole heart – whole means total, all, with every part, with everything!  Heart refers to our innermost self, our core, our being.
• Those who do no iniquity – iniquity is used to describe our wicked way in contrast with God´s holy way.
• Those who walk in His ways

Notice that already, in the first three verses, we see the integration of the two principles thoroughly expounded in Psalm 119:

• Happiness and blessing come from the Word of God (law, testimonies, His ways).
• They come by way of obedience to that Word (undefiled in the way, walking in the law, keeping His testimonies, seeking with whole heart, walking His way instead of ours).

In verse 4, David becomes introspective and transparent.  Allow me to paraphrase.

Vs. 4  You, Lord, have commanded complete obedience.

Vs. 5  I wish that I lived more completely that way.

Vs. 6  Because I do not always obey, reading Your commandments makes me feel ashamed.

Vs. 7  I renew my commitment to worship You, Lord, and learn more about Your ways.

Vs. 8  I will try to do better, just don´t abandon me!

Wow!  I can really identify with David here.  David was a man after God´s own heart, not because he always did what was right or godly, but because when he didn´t he was honest and repentant.  And God did not forsake him.

Jesus has promised all of us who have trusted Him who paid the penalty for our sin that we might become righteous in Christ, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” 

​I am so grateful.

EMAIL BRO. MIKE