Psalm 119, Verse 158

I recall how You referred to Judah as the treacherous sister of Israel because though they knew Your laws and all that they should do to walk pleasing to You, they still went whoring after their wicked ways. Today also, though there are those who have tasted of Your goodness and mercy, they walk deceitfully, holding to a form of godliness. Their real god is position and power. They choose to skirt around the truth if they know it will bring offense; and sugarcoat their message with what people want to hear.

Living a "distinctly separated, holy, righteous, faithful, undistractedly devoted life to God" are almost unheard of in messages preached today. James' strong words: "You adulteresses" or John's warning that those who love the world ought to know that the love of the Father is not in them; are like strange teachings in a 'prosperity-filled', 'grace-without-responsibility-for-your-actions' kind of gospel in which the Messiah is shown as tolerant. I loathe such wolves, Adonai, and I know so do You. Your "woe to you Pharisees" rebuke throughout Matthew Chapter 23 still stings hard. One day, when You hold all accountable, it will be tragic that the very ones who spent their lives "serving" You may find themselves hearing Your words, "I do not know you."

Lately, I have found myself drawn to Psalm 119. Charles Spurgeon beautifully describes it thus:

There is no title to this Psalm, neither is any author's name mentioned. It is not just long only; but equally excels in breadth of thought, depth of meaning, and height of fervour. It is like the celestial city which lieth four square, and the height and the breadth of it are equal. Many superficial readers have imagined that it harps upon one string, and abounds in pious repetitions and redundancies; but this arises from the shallowness of the reader's own mind: those who have studied this divine hymn, and carefully noted each line of it, are amazed at the variety and profundity of the thought.

It contains no idle word; the grapes of this cluster are almost to bursting full with the new wine of the kingdom. The more you look into this mirror of a gracious heart the more you will see in it. Placid on the surface as the sea of glass before the eternal throne, it yet contains within its depths an ocean of fire, and those who devoutly gaze into it shall not only see the brightness, but feel the glow of the sacred flame. It is loaded with holy sense, and is as weighty as it is bulky.

The Psalm is alphabetical. Eight stanzas commence with one letter, and then another eight with the next letter, and so the whole Psalm proceeds by octonaries quite through the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, from Aleph to Tau.

I thought I should post a verse each day in the hope that we all, including myself, may get an opportunity to reflect on them.