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Psalm 119 - Zayin

The Scriptures contain many promises to those who love Jehovah and keep His Word.  They could never be better summarized than they are in the great priestly benediction commanded by Jehovah in Numbers 6:24-26. The priest was to say to the people, "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."  The blessing then becomes a promise when the Lord says, "And so they shall put My Name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."  All the promises of the Covenant are contained in that benediction.

Here in Psalm 119, then, the student prays, "Remember the Word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope."  The student is, after all, a member of the covenant nation, the nation to whom the promises and benediction came.  His hope is in those promises, promises he has begun to learn as he has become more and more acquainted with the Torah.  Here, then, he prays that his God will indeed carry out the benediction toward him so that his hope may indeed be realized in every situation of life.

Even more particularly, he needs those blessings when he is in affliction, especially when "the proud" make fun of him in his faith, when he himself is experiencing anger toward those who forsake the Lord, and finally he needs those blessings when he is engaged in praise and worship.  In other words he needs it at ALL times!  He needs God's great covenant blessings in his life because his life is absolutely defined by his hope in God - it would be NOTHING without it.  He is a child of the covenant, and without the discernable, ongoing, and powerful blessing of the living Jehovah of that covenant he would be totally lost!

He says, "I remember Your Name in the night, O Lord, and I keep Your law.  This has become mine, because I keep Your precepts." A close relationship to Jehovah through day and night and keeping His law are inseperable.  He is who he is because of Jehovah alone – because his life is defined by relationship to Jehovah and keeping His Word.

How about you?  Is Jehovah EVERYTHING to you?  Has His Word become your constant companion, your ready reference manual (you'll have to do some memorizing for that!)?  Are you absolutely DEPENDING upon His promises?  Would your life be NOTHING without His daily, hourly, moment-by-moment walk with you?  Tell Him so often, not because He needs to be reminded, but because YOU need to be reminded!

Al I have been telling Him "often" that I need Him."I need Thee every hour, Every hour I need Thee.  O help me now my Saviour I come to Thee" is  a hymn I keep singing.

I do not sleep well at the best of times and during the present icy weather I am coming downstairs and sitting near the fire, spending the nightwatch  in prayer , "remembering His Name in the night" just like the Psalmist instructs us to do.

I will come and read your words again later.  Thank-you Pastor.
God Bless.
Jenny.

Thank you for reading, Jenny, and thank you for commenting - I really, really appreciate your interest in our Father's Word.

Dear Pastor Al...

I know you are my "brother" but I do like to address you as Pastor, that is your calling.
Your writings act as an encouragement as I read the Father's Word. Bless you for all the work you do.  You are a 'Web-Pastor.' Do you have "webbed feet", perhaps you do as I saw those pictures of you on the beach!

Jenny

Pictures of me on the beach?  I'm afraid to ask!

Al. the ones of you with your church, baptizing.......Remember now?

Jenny.

Jenny - what I needed then was warmed-up feet, not webbed feet!

Pastor.
Always keep your sense of humour...Love it!
Jenny X