“Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words. 58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word. 59 I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. 60 I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.61 The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law. 62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. 63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. 64 The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.” Psalm 119:57-64
I find it hard to get passed the first verse. This phrase “thou art my portion” reminds me of a pie. I know, a pie. I heard my Dad say on numerous occasions “the only problem with a pie is that you cut it, just give me a fork and I’ll eat the whole thing”. That’s how I see this verse about God’s word – when asked “how big a portion do you want” the answer came back “the Lord is my portion, just give me the whole thing, I don’t need anything else but Him.”
Jesus said that He was the bread of life. If we eat of Him we will never hunger. “Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6
The manna that fell from heaven in the wilderness was a sign to the Israelites that God would be the one to sustain their life. Every man was to take the same amount of manna in the morning and the evening and there was always enough for everyone to eat their fill. That’s the way it is with God’s word; we all come to “eat” of His word and there’s enough for everyone, for each day, for every need.
The word mercy used in the next verse is translated “love” in other versions. I like the word mercy. Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve! The Apostle Paul put it this way “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 It doesn’t matter if you are the best sinner to have ever lived, you have still sinned and need God’s mercy. Yes, mercy definitely is love in action but it conveys a deeper meaning.
David says that he thought on God’s ways and made “haste” and didn’t delay in keeping His commands. Again, this reminds me of when David committed adultery with Bathsheba. He learned that she was pregnant and to cover his guilt he called her husband home from war hoping that he would sleep with his wife and then think the child she was carrying belonged to him, her husband. But her husband chose to stay faithful to the men in battle and wouldn’t allow himself the luxury of his wife’s presence. So David sent him back to battle with a letter that told the general to put Bathsheba’s husband on the frontlines where he would surely be killed and he was. Then David took her as his wife.
WOW! They could write a soap opera on that one. David was confronted by Nathan the prophet and when his sin was exposed, he repented immediately!
Yes, David knew a thing or two about God’s mercy and about repenting quickly.
Again, David refers back to his enemies and their attacks. But he knew the Lord would deliver him. Remember what he said in Psalm 23 – “if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. You prepare a table (a banquet) before me in the presence of my enemies”? He knew that God was his protector and provider – his source of strength against his enemies. No fear here.
If things do bother you and you can’t sleep do what David wrote about. Get up at midnight and praise the Lord. I guarantee that after praising God at midnight you will rest well.
Paul and Silas were in a prison cell and they lived out this verse. Praising God at midnight, after they had been beaten and imprisoned, caused an earthquake and their chains fell off – yes, there is power in praise! We can either worry half the night or praise; I like praise better.
“After they had been badly beaten, they were put in jail, and the jailer was told to guard them carefully. 24 The jailer did as he was told. He put them deep inside the jail and chained their feet to heavy blocks of wood.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened. 26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners.” Acts 16:23-26 CEV
Next, we have a reminder about the company we keep. Every mother has probably made this comment “choose your friends wisely or you may wind up in trouble”. When we choose godly friends we have someone we can talk about God’s word with; someone to help us grow and encourage us.
And finally, we have another reminder of God’s mercy; it fills the earth. Before Jesus came to earth to live and die people lived under God’s mercy and now after Jesus came we live under God’s grace. Grace is receiving blessings from God what we don’t deserve! Now that’s something to praise Him for.
Have some of that banquet that He has prepared for you – make God your portion!
