Longing for the Good: Psalm 119:121-128

Longing for the Good

Psalm 119:121-128

Sometimes, repetition is the mother of faith.
Chad Bird

Many times throughout the Scriptures, God repeats His promises to His people. How many times on this journey through the psalms have I read truths about God like:

I will be with you. 
I will help you. 
I will uphold you.
My lovingkindness is everlasting. 
Hope in God.
He is my refuge. 
He is my strength.
He is my deliverer.
He rules and reigns.

Sometimes repetition is necessary because we forget. In the hard moments, the stressful days, the weary weeks, our minds can be filled with anxious thoughts instead of looking at the truth. But perhaps repetition is most necessary because our lives change (or don’t change when we desperately want to see change!) and when we read again God’s faithful promises to us, our hearts can be settled once again with the promise that even in THIS, on this day, in this hardship, in this dark circumstance, God is still God, He is still good, and His promises are true yet again. 

In this section of Psalm 119, the psalmist begs God for a solemn promise of good in the midst of his oppression and is longing to see the fulfillment of God’s promise. I have found myself there often. I look at my situation and I consider God’s promise to work even this for my good (Romans 8:28), and I long to see the good. I long to see what beauty can come from these ashes. I long to see how He will turn this around. I wish I could take a peak down the corridor of time and glimpse what He has been doing all along. I want to see the tapestry of grace He has been weaving even with the messy parts of life. But faith knows what the eyes can’t see. Faith looks to the sure promises and the faithful Promise-keeper. And though my eyes, for these moments of time, cannot always see the good He is doing, I can come again to His promises and know with as much certainty, as if my eyes had seen it, that He is doing something good. As a dear friend reminded me, He wants us to depend on Him, and if we could see it, if we could control it, we would not look to Him in dependent faith. 

I don’t know what your THIS is. A terminal illness? A broken marriage? A severed parent-child relationship? Mental illness? Caring for an aging parent? Loneliness? Your THIS, and mine, are included in the promise of Romans 8:28. He is working all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. We can weep, but we can also together wipe our tears away and smile at the future. Let the repeated reminder of His goodness fuel your faith yet again.

I am preaching this to myself: Oh my soul, your Father loves you. He has designed good purposes for your life. He rules over every moment, every victory, every reason for tears. He sees every tear and collects them in His bottle. He orchestrates so intricately the details of your life. Not one moment missing or out of place. Not one accident or meaningless moment. Not one. And not THIS. Take comfort. He withholds no good thing. He intends good and has the power to carry it through. His Spirit is groaning now on your behalf. His Son is interceding at His right hand. The triune God will not fail you nor forsake you. Hope in Him. Though your eyes do not see it now, eagerly anticipate and long for His glorious plan. You will not be disappointed. 

Let’s pray through Psalm 119:121-128 as we continue to long for the good God has promised us.
119:121-122 I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. Give your servant a pledge of good; let not the insolent oppress me. 
Father, I pray:
▫️You would help me to do what is just and right in my situation. Help me to do what You have called me to do and act the way You have called me to act, even when I do not see the good that will come from this. Help me to honor You even when others are doing wrong to me. 
▫️I know You have promised to work this for my good. Strengthen my hope and faith in You as I wait on You. Give me the courage to have joy and smile at the future, even when things are difficult.

119:123-124 My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise. Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes. 
Father, I pray:
▫️Be near me in this deep longing and desire to see Your promise fulfilled, Your work complete, Your beauty from this brokenness. Take a moment to express to the Lord your deep longing for the situation weighing heavily on your heart.
▫️Because of Your great love for me, even when I was dead in my trespasses and sins, You made me alive together with Christ. Nothing can separate me from Your love. In this situation, You will cause me to overwhelmingly conquer, and You will use this to conform me to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29, 37). 

119:125-126 I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies! It is time for the Lord to act, for your law has been broken. 
Father, I pray:
▫️I am Your servant. I know You are a wise and kind Lord. I submit my ways, my desires, my actions to You. Give me understanding, wisdom, and discernment for ________. I want to know how to most honor You in this.
▫️It is time for You to act, O Lord! Your law has been broken. I ask for Your merciful intervention in ______. 

119:127-128 Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.
Father, I pray:
▫️I love Your precepts, Your Word, Your truth. It sustains me in this life, and especially in perplexing and hard things. One good thing that can come from this hardship is an increased love and treasuring of You and Your Word. Produce that in me. 
▫️I consider Your precepts to be right. I consider Your design and purpose for my life to be for my good. Help me to consider it all joy when I endure these various trials. You have promised to give good gifts to Your children when they ask. Give Your good gifts to me through even THIS.

May the Lord do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, for His glory and our good. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All right reserved.

Photo credit to: merittthomas

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