growing through times of trouble

Psalm 119:169–176 NKJV
169 Let my cry come before You, O Lord; Give me understanding according to Your word.
170 Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word.
171 My lips shall utter praise, For You teach me Your statutes.
172 My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.
173 Let Your hand become my help, For I have chosen Your precepts.
174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord, And Your law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; And let Your judgments help me.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.

I would not force this final stanza of this most wonderful song to be descriptive of David´s journey with the Lord through his life.  However, I see that it could be descriptive of many people´s journey and can be a help for us to see how the Lord is gracious to work in and on each of us through our various stages in life.

Here is the way it impacts me.

169 Let my cry come before You, O Lord; Give me understanding according to Your word.
First, as a lost sinner, we cry out to God in confusion, not understanding either our lostness or the way of salvation.

170 Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word.
Having begun to see our need, or in a time of crisis, felt our need, we begin to seek the deliverance of the Lord.  Perhaps we do not yet understand how to receive that deliverance, but we are beginning to see that Jesus is “mighty to save.”

171 My lips shall utter praise, For You teach me Your statutes.
From the Word of God we learn more about the character and ways of God:

• That He is both Holy and loving.
• That He is righteous yet forgiving.
• That He is altogether just but also merciful.

172 My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.
And then we learn something of how all of this came together at the cross.

• At the cross, God´s holiness was satisfied as His wrath was poured out on the sins of the world, borne by His beloved Son, Jesus.
• At the cross, God demonstrated His love for us in that Christ died for us.
• By Jesus´ death upon the cross, those who trust in Him as Lord and Savior will be made righteous as He is righteous.
• Thus, because of the cross, God´s salvation through faith in Christ is both perfectly just and abundantly merciful.

173 Let Your hand become my help, For I have chosen Your precepts.
Knowing the truth presents the opportunity for choice.  “I have chosen Your way, Lord!”

174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord, And Your law is my delight.
Having been saved through faith, I love it daily.  The Word has become my delight as it reveals more of You, God.

175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; And let Your judgments help me.
With each day I live, I will add to the praise I offer.  The judgments of Your Word help me grow to become more and more like Christ.

176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.
And when like a sheep, I wander astray from walking with and following closely the Good Shepherd, seek me Lord!  I know You are the one who seeks and saves!  I will quickly repent and return to You and the direction I receive from Your Word.