READ: Psalms
119:105-176
In verses 113-120 we see the motivation of the psalmist: He fears the
Lord. He is constantly filling His mind with the Word of God, the Law. He is
meditating on the scriptures and following them. He believes every word he
reads and hears from the Lord. He understands the Lord’s power and strength and
ability to punish those who disdain His ways. The Psalmist tells us God treats
them like dross. (Dross is the junk that comes out of a fine metal like gold or
silver when it is melted in the process of purification. The dross is all the
impurities removed from the precious metal and then thrown out like garbage.)
The Psalmist doesn’t want to be thrown out like garbage! That’s why he hangs on
to the Words of the Lord for dear life!
The Psalmist cries out to God in verse 133 not to allow any sin to have
dominion over him. When a sin has dominion over us, it has a domineering,
lord-it-over-you type of control. This is different than a ‘slip-up’ kind of
sin. When sin dominates our life it controls aspects of it, and we no longer
live freely. Habitual sin, addictions, mind-altering substances or activities
can have dominion. Often we find ourselves with this kind of situation when we
have just slipped a little, and then a little more, always justifying and giving
ourselves just a ‘little’ permission. Before we know it, a few minutes or one
little sip or just a taste becomes a lifestyle dominated by that sin. The
Psalmist does not want that to happen. His prayer is for God to keep him
connected to Himself, to help him stay attached to His Law and Testimony. He
knows the only way to live in true freedom is to be firmly rooted in God’s
Word.
In the section entitled Qoph (vs. 145-152) we can be challenged by the
Psalmist’s pursuit of God. He rises early to read God’s Word; he is up before
the dawn. He also spends time in God’s Word in the evening (vs. 148). His hope
comes from meditating on God’s promises. He is being persecuted yet finds hope
and security in the testimony, or witness, he reads about and knows about from
God’s Word. This is both a hope and challenge for us today. When we are
overcome with struggle, and possibly in days ahead when persecution and
troubles come our way in increasing measure, we know we can have the hope and
stamina to stay strong in the Lord by meditating on His Word all day long. To
start and end our day with the Lord; for if we don’t we may lose sight of His
power and goodness, and then lose hope for ourselves.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1.
Do you truly believe the Lord will toss away (like
dross) those who are wicked and do not fear the Lord? Ask the Holy Spirit to
reveal to you anything within you that believes you can ‘get away with it’
rather than fearing the Lord so greatly you abstain from that sin or activity.
Ask Him to fill you with a greater and greater fear of the Lord to keep you
from evil and on the path of righteousness.
2.
Is there a sin in your life that currently has, or
has the potential to have, dominion in your life? Ask the Holy Spirit to help
you answer this question by searching your heart. The Lord promises He can set
us free. Confess your sin to the Lord. Accept His forgiveness. Ask Him for a
strategy of Bible reading and memorization that will help you live in freedom
instead of bondage. Ask Him for additional steps to stay away from having your
sin be in dominion over you.
3.
When (what time of day and how often) do you do
your devotions and spend time with the Lord? Ask God if there are any changes
He’d like you to make. Ask Him to give you creative ways to keep Him involved
in every hour of every day, and to keep Him the centre of every thought
process. Journal His answer.
