The Word of God-Life

“Deal generously with Your servant so that I might live; then I will keep Your word.” 

~Psalms 119:17 HCSB

“I am a stranger on earth; do not hide Your commands from me.”                                                     ~Psalms 119:19 HCSB

Psalm 119 is broken into sections of the Hebrew alphabet.  Each section has eight verses in them and centers on the word of God as a theme.  It is the longest psalm and is in the middle of the Bible.  This section deals with our dependency on God.  Everything comes from God.  Even our ability to read and keep His commands ultimately comes from Him.  We are dependent upon His grace and love regardless if we acknowledge Him or not.

Having lived in foreign countries, living as a stranger, I can relate to this verse.  As a stranger in a country you are unfamiliar with the culture and the way of life.  You have to sit back and watch how things work and slowly introduce yourself into it and only to the level you feel comfortable.  But you will never fully fit in.  Language is also a way we fit into the culture.  I learned in Germany even attempting to speak Germany went a long way in building relationships.  But as a stranger you will always speak with an accent.  In these verses the writer knows he is a stranger of this world.  He is not of this place and he longs in his heart to be home. 

He is asking God to consider him carefully, to ‘deal generously’ with him.  He knows to survive here he needs God to live.  And if he is allowed to live he would keep God word.  He begs God not to hide His word from him because he knows the word of God is life.  Without it he will perish.  We still need this dependency today!  We live in a very difficult world and we are strangers.  We are at the mercy of nature and even culture.  We have to cling to something much bigger than both and that is God.  It is by God’s infinite grace we can stand a chance and we should be thankful.  So this morning or whenever you read this, know as a Christian you are not of this world.  This is not your home, heaven is your home.  Give thanks to God for what you do have and acknowledge your dependency upon Him and Him alone.  On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand.  

Lord help to live for you.  Lord I know I and a stranger here, don’t let me get comfortable.  Lord set my heart on eternity and heaven.  Let me live dependent on You and most of all let others see it for Your glory!! Amen