The Devotional - 1509 - Grace and Mercy

The Devotional – 1509 – Grace and Mercy

Psalm 119:57-64 – You are my portion, O Lord; I have said that I would keep Your words. I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me according to Your word. I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments. The cords of the wicked have bound me, but I have not forgotten Your law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments. I am a companion of all who fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy; teach me Your statutes.

Comments and Challenges: HETH

1.       57 – YAHWEH is my portion, I promised to keep Your WORD

2.       58 – I sought Your favor (grace) with my whole heart, be merciful to me according to Your WORD

3.       59 – I considered my ways and turned my steps to Your STATUTES

4.       60 – I will hurry, and not delay, to obey Your COMMANDMENTS

5.       61 – The ropes of the wicked bind me, but I will not forget Thy LAW

6.       62 – At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your Righteous ORDINANCES

7.       63 – I am a friend of all those who fear You, of those who observe Your PRECEPTS

8.       64 – The earth is full of Your lovingkindness YAHWEH, teach me Your STATUTES

We are always surrounded by suffering; either we personally suffer, or we are acquainted with someone who is. Most of us who confess to believe the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24) should take a moment and reflect on the favor of our LORD as the psalmist is doing here. Someone recently asked me this question. “Why do godly people suffer, why doesn’t the LORD just take us home to be with Him? I do not believe that on this side of Glory we could ever come up with a full plate as to why the saints of God suffer on earth before going Home with Him, but Psalm 119 has helped me to understand that YAHWEH/JESUS is our portion and we have promised to keep HIS WORD.

We daily seek the FAVOR/GRACE of God and each day we live; our thoughts to God is for Him to be merciful to us according to His WORD and we agree with scripture with passages like 1 John 5:1-5 that if (and it is true) God’s commandments are not burdensome it is because we have already overcome the conditions of the world (pain and suffering). We have the VICTORY, this victory is OUR FAITH. Faith is “operation WHOLE HEART” responding to the MERCIES of YAHWEH/JESUS according to His WORD and nothing more.

When we suffer which can be continual for many, it is the response of the flesh to move away. Instead of facing a circumstance we run. Moses ran, Abraham ran, Elijah ran, Jonah and all eleven godly disciples ran from the circumstances of life’s suffering. YAHWEH/JESUS draws us to His side and He does not scold; but He does point us to His STATUTES which causes us to rejoice. The results of this revival cause our soul to leap with the feet of a one who has been set free from the ropes of the wicked. Psalm 18:27-30. And at midnight we awake with PRAISE on our lips, which is the response of the SOUL that requires no sleep.

I love my friends in Christ who FEAR the LORD, these are the ones (in fact, all of us) who can have a fearful moment or two in the flesh; but quickly respond to YAHWEH/JESUS. They understand that He is Righteous and Just; these are the ORDINANCES of living by FAITH in that He will not allow anything to happen to His beloved SAINTS that are outside His WILL for us, thus we observe His PRECEPTS. We are surrounded by His lovingkindness; the earth is full and overflowing with His GRACE. Praise the LORD Oh my Soul.