Peace does not come from the circumstances we see but the God we know. This statement is much easier said than lived, but it is a truth that we must cling to during hard times. Psalm 119:161-168 magnifies this reality as the psalmist lists out his external circumstances all the while revealing they have not twisted the internal responses he is making. In the face of unjust suffering and persecution, he is not in despair and complaint mode but is in awe of God’s words. God has shown the broken and sinful world we live in but also has revealed this is not all there is. Because it is not just what is going on around us, we, like the psalmist, can rejoice at God’s Word that confirms the truth of our world, points to the hope of Christ, and gives the message of salvation. There will be those who speak lies. Those who follow the Lord, though, will love the law of God and follow after Him. This is not routine but because those who have been changed by the gospel praise God for the righteous rules found in the Scriptures. That is why great peace can be found even in trying and unjust circumstances. It is about the hope for salvation that comes from Christ. It is about the testimonies of the Lord and the evidence our hope is in Him by our soul keeping those testimonies. It all goes back to the heart. It is not about keeping a list of righteous rules to follow; it is about having a love to follow those righteous rules because of the redemption we already have in Christ through repentance of sin and receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. True peace is found with God even when the circumstances are not.

Reflection Questions:

1. Where do you tend to look for peace? Why is it helpful or not?
2. What is the difference between making a list of rules and having a love for the rules?

I can still remember the moment. One winter I was making my way to college. It had snowed the night before, and the interstate was still somewhat covered by the snowfall and impacted by ice. The car in front of me braked, and I had to slam on mine. My car did a 180, and I was bracing for my car to flip over since there was a ditch. Then, it seemed like the car just stopped before it went over the ditch. I was able to drive away from that scene without any car damage or incident. My car was spared, and so was I. It certainly gave me an appreciation for life. It is in moments like that you gain perspective. That is what we see from this week’s passage from Psalm 119. In verses 153-160, the psalmist is speaking out of a place of need, having faced affliction. He is turning to the Lord because He remembers His works. He is not merely seeking for relief from his affliction but for his own redemption. Such redemption is supremely found in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and is what gives true life because it is found in the promises of God. The promises of God find their “Yes!” in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20). In Christ alone is salvation. It is not based on our works because we all would be guilty as the wicked for our rebellion against God, having sought after other things for satisfaction and grumbled against the things God has given to us. Rather, salvation is due to the great mercy of God that gives life. The evidence someone has trusted in the salvation God gives through Jesus Christ is they do not turn from God when they are persecuted and face opposition. They do not give in. Their lives look different, not only because they do not continually disobey God commands but because they desire to follow them about of a love for the words of God. It is in the Word of God, they find life because they meet a God of steadfast love. The question for us is if we live this kind of life? Would the sum of our lives be living out the Word, whose sum is truth? That is what truly will only last forever. The Lord gives life that is eternal life in Christ.

Reflection Questions:

1. Why is it important to remember the promises of God in the face of affliction?
2. What are the evidences that you are following God’s Word and seeking to live it out? 

By: Steve Sering

In Matthew’s gospel account, we find the story of Jesus walking on the water. This familiar story is a fascinating look into the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of both fear and faith. In the “fourth watch of the night,” Jesus came to the disciples walking on the raging sea. This would have been between 3-6 AM. The disciples were terrified and thought it was a ghost coming for them! Peter got out of the boat after realizing it was in fact his Lord, Jesus. Fixing his eyes on his Savior, he began to walk on the water. Then he began to look around at the wind and waves crashing all around him and began to sink. Fear sank Peter’s faith until Jesus reached down to rescue him. Pulling him back into the boat, he asked his timid disciple, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:31). It was only when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus that he began to sink.

The psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:148, “My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.” Just as the Apostle Peter saw Jesus on the waves, the psalmist’s spiritual eyes were fixed upon the promises of Yahweh. To begin this portion of Scripture, the psalmist cried out, “With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord! I will keep your statutes” (v. 145). A familiar cry, he sought the Lord with all his being. Have you ever cried out to the Lord as your last resort? Instead, we must strive to make this our first response when we are suffering. We are all guilty of this. I certainly am! There have been many times in my life where I have struggled and then cried on the Lord for help. He delights to answer the desperate cries of his children! Just imagine your son or daughter falling and scraping their knee at two years ago. Who do they cry for? Their mom and dad. How much more does our Heavenly Father tend to our needs!? His heart is deep and wide for sinners and sufferers. 

Furthermore, the psalmist calls upon the Lord and cries for help in the morning (v. 146-148). His hope was in the Word of God. The following verse describes his appeal to be heard because of the steadfast love of his Lord. Rejuvenating life was found in the justice of God (v. 149). Enemies will always surround us in our walks with Christ. An intense spiritual battle is waged every day to bring us down. It is the protection of Yahweh that keeps us safe and the power of the Word of God. These enemies surrounded the psalmist but he trusted in the Lord. Finally, the man of God delighted in the fact that God is near to the persecuted (v. 151). His commandments are true and testimonies are sure and eternal (v. 152). What can we learn from this passage? First, we must go to God first when we are suffering in any way. Second, we must keep our eyes on Jesus who is the source of our courage. Third and finally, God’s truth will always lead us home.

Reflection Questions:

1. How can you better cry out to Jesus when you are facing hardship?
2. How can you encourage other believers to fix their eyes on their Savior who walks on the water of our troubles?