“The choices we make”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Psalm 119:49-72 (Forward, p. 89) CEV p. 630

In light, casual conversations, and even in reading a number of works by some author, it is interesting—and very instructive—to note if certain words, phrases or themes show up repeatedly. It gives the reader, or the listener, a real clue—even if never stated overtly—as to what the person is about, clues as where his or her chief concerns or interests really lie. This is certainly true of our psalmist for today.

Obviously, he has a concern for God’s law, God’s teachings, God’s commands, and such like. That can be seen even from a cursory glance at the psalm and can certainly be taken for granted. But even in today’s small portion, today’s three stanzas, there are some other words that come up again and again.

One of these is the word, ‘promise’, God’s promises. On the one hand, he reminds God repeatedly of His promises and begs God to remain true and faithful to them.

“Don’t forget your promise to me, your servant. I depend on it” (verse 49);

“With all my heart I beg you to be kind to me, just as you have promised” (verse 58);

And, on the other hand, we find him relying upon those promises and trusting in them, and indeed, praising God for having kept them:

“When I am hurting, I find comfort in your promise that leads to life” (verse 50);

“I am your servant, Lord, and you have kept your promise to treat me with kindness” (verse 65);

Another theme or idea we find throughout the psalm, though not expressed in single phrase, is the matter of the psalmist’s choices, one that is surely based upon God’s promises and the psalmist’s confidence and trust in them. Here we are looking at the rather deliberate choices that he makes in life:

“You, Lord, are my choice, and I will obey you” (verse 57);

“I pay careful attention as you lead me, and I follow closely. As soon as you command, I do what you say” (verses 59-60);

“I would rather obey you than to have a thousand pieces of silver and gold” (verse 72).

It does not matter when it takes place, or where, or what is happening to him, our psalmist is determined to continue in his trust in God and continue in obeying God’s laws:

“No matter where I am, your teachings fill me with songs” (verse 54);

“Even in the night I think about you, Lord, and I obey your Law” (verse 55);

“Your laws are so fair that I wake up and praise you in the middle of the night” (verse 62);

And yes, even when things are adverse for him, he is still determined to trust in God and obey Him. This is illustrated by a final, yet other prevalent theme—or word rather—is the word ‘but’:

“Conceited people sneer at me, but I obey your Law” (verse 51);

“Evil people may set a trap, but I obey your Law” (verse 61);

“My reputation is being ruined by conceited liars, but with all my heart I follow your teachings” (verse 69);

“Those liars have no sense, but I find happiness in your Law” (v. 70).

To me, this psalm is a powerful goad, a challenge to do likewise—to listen more intently and consciously to God and His word, to seek greater understanding of what God wants of us, and finally, to put that into practice, into daily, constructive action. To do so is a challenge, a daily task, for each of us, one that we can only barely even imagine to accomplish except for the help and grace of God. But that is a choice that each of us can make. Amen.

Forward notes: “At midnight I will rise to give you thanks, because of your righteous judgments” (verse 62)..

“For many years, I participated in ‘The Watch’ at our church. This ‘watch’ time recalls the night Jesus spent in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper and before his arrest.

“When the church held ‘The Watch’ observance, I would wake up hours before my normal rising, go to church, nod to whoever was in charge of the building, and then take my place silently in the sanctuary or chapel. For the next hour or so, my prayers and thoughts were the most focused that I experienced all year. I would lose track of time and not even consider how long I’d been in prayer or whether my knees were tired or my eyes were open or shut. I allowed my mind to wander among the saints in my life and the saints of old. I silently sang beloved lyrics in church hymns and psalms, and I remembered favourite passages and prayers from the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. This long somber period before Good Friday encourages watchfulness and vigilance for our Lord and for ourselves.”

Moving Forward: “What practices in your church bring you closer to God? You might consider trying something new as well.”