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?