“True to character”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Psalm 119:145-176 (Forward, p. 31) CEV p. 633
Over the many times that I have read and meditated on this psalm, my attention has often been drawn to its author’s dedication to God’s Law or word or commandments (and such like) and to his unwavering commitment to following them. Along with this, I have often noted how this loyalty was evidenced through his behaviour all through the day. In other words, it wasn’t just something that he thought about when rising and then forgot about. It was something that was consistent and ongoing.
However, today something else came to my attention, namely how all this commitment was rooted in the consistent and unfailingly righteous, loyal, kind, and faithful character of Almighty God.
a) God’s faithfulness: the psalmist remembers God’s promises and reminds God of them (verses 148, 154; 170, 171);
b) God’s reliability & trustworthiness: he makes mention that ‘all of God’s commands can be trusted’ (verse 151) and that “All you say can be trusted’ and that’ your teachings are true and will last forever’ (verse 160). “All of your teachings are what they ought to be’ (verse 171);
c) God’s righteousness: he calls upon God ‘to do the right thing’ (verses 149, 156);
d) God’s loving care, protection and salvation: he relates how God brings him back when he strays or wanders away (verse 176) and how God gives him peace of mind (verse 165), hope (verse 166) and understanding (verse 169). He says that God is the one who shows His love by ‘keeping him safe’ (verse 159).
By and large, the psalmist comes across as—for the most part--pretty consistently loyal and faithful to God. Even so, it is quite evident that it isn’t his faith that ultimately ‘does the trick.’ Coming down to it, it isn’t really anything that he does, not at all. It is his faith, his willingness to trust, in an utterly faithful God. So, in the end, it is not us at all, but Him—that is, God. He, and He alone, is the source of our salvation. It is His sterling character that we can depend upon, full stop. That is the end of the story. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Forward notes: “I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; search for your servant, for I do not forget your commandments” (verse 176).
“Every day since separating from my wife and moving into a small apartment, I would give anything to retrace my steps and get it right this time. Sometimes I feel so lost that I am near despair and cannot even imagine the way back.
“I find this final verse of Psalm 119 incredibly moving. How many of us can made that call to what Robert frost called ‘the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in’”
“Here, at the very end of a very long psalm, is the heart-wrenching plea of one who has, over the course of a very long life, loved and observe the commandments of God, calling home and saying, ‘I don’t even know where I am, please come find me, and take me home.’ We have guarantees of safety or success in this life; the only thing we can count on is that when we make this call to God, it will be accepted.”
Moving Forward: “Over this next week, read Psalm 119 and reflect on its meaning.”